MARIST BROTHERS' COLLEGE, AUCKLAND

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVIII, Issue 1, 4 January 1900, Page 28

MARIST BROTHERS' COLLEGE, AUCKLAND

(From a correspondent.)

' The students attending the Marist Brothers' College and High Sohool, Auckland, held their annual picnic and sports on December 13. The weather was beautifully fine. Drags were provided to convey the boys to this most beautiful of the Auckland seaside resorts — St. Heliers. Instead of proceeding direct thereto, a detour was made to give the pupils a rural trip which afforded much enjoyment. The course taken wbb out by Onehunga, the busy little port on the shores of the Manukau Harbour so familiar to the travellers who visit Auckland from the South by the West Coast ; then over Mangere Bridge, and across the plain which stretches from there to Otahuha, and which at this season of the year looks its best. On arrival at Otahuhu a short stay was made, after which the journey was continued to Panmure, a suburb of our northern city, to which the popular, respected, and venerable Monsignor MoDonald, more familiarly known by the name of Father Walter, has given ' a local habitation and a name.' The Bay once reached a good luncheon put the juveniles in good humour, if

not in good form, for the Bporta. The oommittee, consisting of Masters M. Lavery, J. Mahoney, and W. Dervan, arranged the different events. Brother Jerome acted as starter, and Brother Borgia performed the duties of judge. Tbe principal events, with their winners, were :—: — College Championship — W. Dervan 1, J. Mahoney 2. College Handicap— J. Twohill 1, A. Staunton 2, A. Maynard 3. High Jump— J. Twohill 1, G. Casey 2. Civil Service Handicap— W. Dervan 1, W. Woodlook 2. High School Handicap (Senior)— J. Twohill 1, P. Hynes 2. High School Handicap (Junior)— J. Burke 1, E. Malone 2. Walking Match— J. Buike 1, C. Dunn 2. On the following day the Very Rev. Dean O'Reilly presided at the distribution of prizes, previous to the departure of the beys for their holidays. The Director, Brother Basil, spoke in high terms of the boys. He felt great pleasure in informing the Very Rev. Dean that their conduct had been invariably satisfactory and edifying, their spirit of study ardent and sustained. A good moral tone prevailed, the religious studies were closely attended to, and the Sacraments regularly frequented. There was a marked increase in the number in attendance, and the results of the Diocesan inspection, though not yet known, would not fall phort of 100 per cent. Eight candidates had been entered for Matriculation and Civil Service, from whom good results were confidently expected. The Very Rev. Dean O'Reilly expressed himself as pleased with the report which the Brother Director had given of the conduct of the boys. From personal observation he could bear testimony to the truth of the statement made. In the matter of education he was always an ardent supporter of Catholic schools. He pointed out the great advantages boys reaped in being taught in educational establishments, where a healthy religious atmosphere prevailed, where boys not only learned but practised their religious duties, and where they were fitted to be good ctizens and good colonists, because they were trained to be good Catholics. He was delighted to see that they took a lively interest in athletics, as the body required development as well as the mind. He expressed a hope that ere long the Brothers would have more space for recreation purposes, more accommodation for the boarders, and a wider field for their labours. He paid a high tribute to the devotedness of the Brothers, and expressed his great mti^faction at the good results obtained for the year. These successes were a presage of greater successes yet to come. Success at school was au augury of success in after life, and he instanced this fact by alluding to the career of Mr. Napier, now the senior member for Auckland city, to whom he had the pleasure of presenting prizes when Mr. Napier was not an M.H.R., but a echoolboy like themselves. In conclusion, he exhorted the boys to devote part of their holiday time to study, to be careful about the companions with whom they associated, to attend to their religious duties duriEg the Christmas times, to be always good Catholics — true to the pious practices of piety, and to the moral lessons taught them by their zealous and devoted teachers. The Brother Director thanked the Very Rev. Dean for his kindness in presiding, for the interest he always took in the work of the Brothers, and for the words full of weight and wisdom he had addressed to the boys. He then called for three cheers for their worthy Administrator, to which all heartily responded, and so the proceedings ended. The Brothers beg to thank sincerely all those who so generously contributed prizes, particularly Mesdames Brodie, Wright, Campbell, and Sullivan, Messrs. Napier, M.H.R., Regan, Darby, Corley, Mahoney, Sullivan, Treston, Lynch, Walsh, O'Brien, and Dr. Darby.