WARTIME REUNION

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21225, 23 September 1940, Page 9

WARTIME REUNION

HIGH SCHOOL OLD BOYS HELPING CAUSE OF EMPIRE RECORD NUMBERS AT FUNCTION Always a major function in the lives of old boys of the Hamilton High School, the annual reunion on Saturday had a special significance this year. From all over New Zealand old boys gathered to renew schoolday associations before embarking upon thir lives’ greatest adventure and greatest service of citizenship. During the day functions, at the dinner at night, and the reunion dance, there were record attendances and the response of old boys to the call to service was evident from the fact that large numbers were in uniform. The Army and the Air Force, patriotic workers and many sides of war service were represented. “The war has had a considerable influence upon our activities during the past year,” said the president, Mr A. G. Ward, at. the annual meeting. “More than 130 of our members are known as being on active service apart from many others of whom we have not yet a record, and a further considerable number is serving with the territorials. Your committee is most anxious to compile a complete and accurate list of all who serve and members are requested to notify the association of details of every man who either has joined up or joins up in the future. Loan to the Government “During the year a donation of £5 5s was made to the funds of the patriotic committee and a sum of £SO was placed at the disposal of the Government as a loan free of interest for the duration of the war and six months thereafter,” he added. Fifteen applications, all of a high standard, were received for the Eben Wilson Memorial Scholarship, which was awarded to Stewart Thomas. The scholarship fund had been increased during the year from £2BB to £368. The officers elected for the year were as follows: President, Mr A. G. Ward; vicepresidents, Messrs A. H. Petersen and T. A. Ewen; secretary, Mr V. D. Edwards; assistant secretary, Mr W. M. Cann; committee, Messrs A. L. Tompkins, J. R. Fitzgerald, D. E. D. Malins, W. Higginson, C. Holloway, R. Hodgson, C. Dreyer, J. Belcher; I auditor, Mr A. C. Winter. Consideration was given to a I proposal to create a scheme for assisting wives of old boys who may be killed in action during the war. The necessity for some move to be made in this direction was felt and it was decided to refer the suggestion to the committee for consideration. Annual Games A large number of old boys gathered at the school in the afternoon when the annual reunion games were played. While shooting was in progress on the range, the Rugby and hockey fixtures between teams representative of the old boys and the present pupils were played. In the Rugby match a fast encounter resulted in a victory for the first fifteen of the school by 15 points to 11. For school, I. Boyes scored twice, R. Arnold once, and A. Hawke kicked two penalty goals. F. Fowler, T. Bremer and R. Hodgson scored tries for the old boys, Holmes converting The present boys defeated the old boys .at hockey by 5 goals to 3. Scorers for the school eleven were: K. Nicholson, R. Allen, M. Allen, Smith and Clifford. Old boys’ goals were hit by L. Bogue, P. Perrett and Sutherland. Dinner in the EveningSeveral toasts were honoured at the annual dinner in the evening. In silence, the gathering remembered old boys who were killed in action in the war of 1914-18 and the war of 1939-40. The president, Mr Ward, proposed the toast of the school, saying that many old boys had joined the forces, some had laid down their lives already, while others were prisoners of war. Some were in Egypt, others in England, while some were on the high seas or waiting at home to be called up for service. It was a record equal to if not better than that of the majority of New Zealand schools. Thanks to the training they had received at the school, those 1 boys would acquit themselves admirably and reveal the attributes that were going to win the war and preserve the essentials of democracy. If the old boys had not that character it was not the fault of the school. The headmaster, Mr H. D. Tait, responded to the toast. Mr R. Hodgson proposed the toast of the staff, Mr M. C. Gudex replying. Respect For Boys on Service “This is the most important toast,” said Mr V. D. Edwards, secretary of the association, in proposing the toast of old boys on active service. “We look with the greatest of respect to these boys. They are giving everything and offering their lives for you and me. for our country, our school, and our Empire.” Second Lieutenant W. S. Jordan replied, particularly, he said, on behalf of the boys in Egypt and England who were bearing the brunt of the battle. “When we were challenged by the pagan brutality of Hitlerism,” said Mr Jordan, “the old boys responded to the training they had received at the Hamilton High School, to make the world a better place for us to live in.”