CHRISTIAN BROTHERS' SCHOOL, DUNEDIN.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVIII, Issue 52, 27 December 1900, Page 15

CHRISTIAN BROTHERS' SCHOOL, DUNEDIN.

The annual entertainment and distribution of prizes in connection with the Christian Brothers' School, Dunedin, took place in St. Joseph's Hall on Friday evening, when there was a crowded attendance, which included his Lordship Bishop Verdon and the local clergy. Hanging at the back of the stage was the schools' ohampionship pennant won by the Christian Brothers' football team last season. Included in the programme were three class eongs — 1 Erin, the tear,' ' Music and her sister, song,' and ' Be kind to the dear ones ' — which were rendered very nicely by a number of pupils under the direction of Brother O'Hare. A very enjoyable item was a violin solo by Master Alan Sham, a boy of about seven years, who gave a seleotion of Scottish and Irish airs in a manner which would be creditable to a violinist of double his age. His contribution earned for him a well-merited encore. There were gymnastic oontesta by a number of senior and junior boys, under the direction of Mr. J. C. Smith, all of whioh were performed very creditably and elicited warm applause from the audience. The feature of the entertainment was a parliamentary debate, which, while it highly amused the audience, tended also to show them that the pupils are being taught to express themselves clearly and distinctly and to the point. The subject of the debate was one in which most schoolboys are deeply interested, viz., 'Should bad boys be birched.' Master J. Wilkinson was Mr. Speaker, and the occupants of the Treasury Benches were Maaters T. Pound (Premier), E. Campbell, James Collins, W. O'Connell. J. Treston, F. Bevin. Those on the Opposition Benches were Masters B. Burke (leader), J. O'Sullivan, M. Rossbotham, T. Meyer, Claude Thomas, Thomas Day, and P. Wilson. The debaters showed a very intimate knowledge of parliamentary procedure, and displayed elocutionary powers of no mean ability, indeed if many of our real legislators would only express themselves as clearly and cogently there would be less grumbling in the reporters' gallery. When the discussion waa getting warm an Opposition member moved an amendment to the effect that boys should be birched when they desired it, an alteration which wan acceptable to both sides of the House, and eventually carried without dissent. The results of the gymnastic competitions are given in the prize list. The accompaniments during the evening were played by Master J. Tobin. Messrs. T. Deehan and R. Brown acted as judges of the gymnastic competitions. At the conclusion of the entertainment Brother Fogarty (Superior) delivered an address in which he briefly reviewed the work of the past year. He said ; I would like to impress on parents that the prizes are noc to be looked upon as Christmas gifts. They have been awarded on strictly competitive lines. The parents of the successful children will naturally feel proud of their children's success. To some extent they will look upon it as a personal triumph. For my part I think they are justified in bo doing. Parents have more to do with the progress of their children than is generally supposed. Some few appear to think their responsibility ceaaes when they have their boy's name entered on the school register. They expect too much from the school. It is only when the duties devolving on the parents are efficiently and faithfully performed that the teacher iB placed in a right position for discharging his. A certain English school inspector on one occasion found in a portion of his district an amount of enthusiasm for school work on the part of the pupils which to him was novel and astonishing. On inquiry he discovered that the cause was not very superior ability on the part of the teachers, but the interest felt and shown by the parents. lam glad to say the parents of our boys for the most part Beem to understand thoroughly the necessity for keeping their children regularly at school, of providing them a time and a place and every convenience for preparing their home lessons, and, above all, of seeing that they make a good use of the time and the plaoe and the convenience provided. The physical education of the boys has been in the hands of Messrs. J. C. Smith and James M'Cleary, the former in the gymnasium and the latter in the football field. You have seen some of Mr. Smith's work to-night, and I leave you to form your own opinions as to its quality. Mr. M'Cleary's department was equally successful. He entered his team for the school football competition, and brought them through the season winners of the pennant and as yet unbeaten. I may mention that this was the school's first year in the Schools' Association, and I have great pleasure in saying that the reception given the Christian Brothers' boys by the public schools was in every case cordial and courteous. Our annual examinations, held in March last by our inspector from Sydney, were on the whole satisfactory. Masters P.

Skene, J. P. Hastings, J. O'Leary, and James Scanlon passed the junior civil service examination last January. The general conduct of our boys was up to the usual, and their punctjality in frequenting the Sacraments was edifying. This year, thanks to the generosity of Mr. W. A. Sham, we are enabled to present the dux of the school with a superior gold medal. I have great pleasure in awarding it to John Patrick Hastings. To Mr. Sham and our other kind friends who so generously contributed prizes the Christian Brothers return their most sincere thanks. The prizes were then distributed by hia Lordship Bishop Verdon, assisted by the Rev. Father Murphy and Brothers Fogarty and Forau. Thu following is the list .—. — HIGH SCHOOL. Seniors— Matriculation class : J. P. Hastings dux, (J. J. (Jolhns 2, J. O'Leary 3. Examination honors (first in subject)— Christian doctrine, M. Rossbotham : church history, M. Rosabotham ; Latin, J. O'Leary ; French, C. Thomas ; English, J. P. Hastings ; Euclid, J. O'Leary ; algebra, C. J. Collins ; arithmetic, J. P. Hastings ; shorthand, F. Bourke ; penmanship, C. J. Collins. Civil Service olass— Albert Knox 1, Thomas Pound 2, John Scanlan 3. Examination honors (first in subject)— Christian doctrine, W. Sham ; church history, A. Knox ; English, A. Knox ; geography, A. Knox ; arithmetic, J. Scanlon ; algebra, J. Delargey ; Euclid, T. Pound ; Bhorthand, E. W. Spain ; typewriting, J. O'Sullivau ; bookkeeping, J. Scanlon ; penmanship, J. Scanlon Intermediate class— J. Tobin 1, F. Bevin 2, James Collins 3, M. Scanlon 4. Examination honors (first in subject)— Christian doctrine, James Collins ; Bible history, J. Tobin ; reading, J. Brennan ; spelling and dictation, J. Brennan ; recitation, M. Scanlon ; grammar, M. Scanlon ; composition, J. Tobin ; geography, F. Bevin ; mapping, F. Bevin; arithmetic, J. Wilkinson ; home exercise, James Collins ; handwriting, James Collins ; Euclid, J. Tobin ; algebra, J. Brennan ; French, M. Scanlon ; Latin, M. Scanlon ; book-keeping, E. Campbell. Junior class— A. Macdonald 1, T. Garvey 2, Q. Byrne 3, W. O'Connell 4, F. M'Bride 5. Examination honors (first in subject)— Christian doctrine, G. Byrne ; Bible history, C. Pollock ; reading, G. Byrne ; spelling and diotation, G. Byrne ; recitation, P. Wilson ; grammar, J. Hart ; composition, F. Freed ; geography, F. Freed ; arithmetic, W. O'Connell ; home exercises, F. Freed ; handwriting, J. Skene ; mapping, F. Freed ; Euclid, F. M'Bride ; algebra, G. Byrne ; French, G. Byrne ; Latin, F. M'Bride ; shorthand, C. Pollock. PRIMARY SCHOOL. Fifth class— W. Higgins 1, C. O'Brien 2, J. Skinner 3. Examination honors (first in Bubject) — Christian doctrine, R, Bourke; reading, T. Meyer ; recitation, W. Layburn ; dictation, R. Bourke ; writing, A. Davis ; arithmetic, C. Hannagan ; composition, W. Higgins ; grammar, R. Bourke ; geography, J. Skinner ; Australian history, A. Byrne ; English history, A. M'Callion ; Euclid, W. Higgins ; drawing, H. M'Hugh ; home exercises, A. Davis. Fourth class— C. Popplewell 1, T. Day 2, J. Walsh 3. Examination honors (first in subject) — Christian doctrine, J. O'Sullivan ; reading, J. Blanchfield ; recitation, J. O'Sullivan ; dictation, A. Wood ; writing, F. Fogarty ; arithmetic, E. Kiely ; composition, S. Anderson ; grammar, E. O'Connor ; geography, J. Treston ; Irish history, E. O'Connor ; objects, T. Laffey ; drawing, M. Jones ; home exercises, J. Walsh. Third class— D. Fogarty 1, Eric Spain 2, W. O'Connor 3, C. Tarleton 4, E. Popplewell 5, Claude Mackaness 6, B. Connor 7, D Murphy 8, A. Dean 9, A. Adlam 10, D. Burke 11. Examination honors (first in subject) — Christian doctrine, J, Ryan ; reading, C. Banwell ; arithmetic, J. Bryant ; grammar, D. Moore ; geography, Eric Spain ; writing, W. O'Connor ; home exercises, J. Fogarty ; recitation, W. Griffith ; drawing-, C. Mackaness ; dictation, D. Fogarty. Second class— H. Freed 1, A. Sham 2, Timothy Laffey 3, W Power 4, F. Power 5, C. Keenan 6, R. Hungerford 7, George Lawlor 8. Examination honors (first in subject)— Christian doctrine, A. Sham ; reading, W. Kavanagh ; dictation, H. Freed ; arithmetic, T. Laffey ; grammar, A. Sham ; geography. H. Freed ; drawing, W. Dillon ; writing, M. Coughlan ; home exercise, H. Freed. First class— W. Ryan 1, J. Tarleton 2, J. M'Quillan 3, J Salmon 4, G. Wakelin 5, J. M'Donald 6, Joseph M'Kay 7, B. Long 8, R. M'Clue 9, C. Spain 10, C. Crichton 11, H. Dixon 12, J. Stapleton 13, Charles Hill 14. Examination honors (first in eubject)— Christian doctrine, B. Long ; geography, P. Olsen ; writing, W. Ryan ; reading, B. Moore ; arithmetic, W. Ryan ; drawing, John M'Kenzie. Speci&l prizes— Elocution : Senior, P. Wilaon ; junior, T. Meyer. Gymnastic contest: Seniors, H. Hungerford 1, J. O'Sullivan 2 ; juniors, J. Ryan 1, W. O'Connell 2. In bringing the proceedings to a close his Lordship congratulated the pupils on the result of the year's work, The pupils had very many advantages at the school. They had experienced teachers, who belonged to that widely known Society the Christian Brothers, who, wherever established, were highly honored and respected. They had been doing good work in Dunedin for many years, and he trusted they would continue to spread the blessings of religious education around them. His Lordship hoped that the boys about to leave school would join the junior branch of St. Joseph's Club. Mr. P. Hally, in moving a vote of thanks to the Right Rev. Dr. Verdon for presiding, took occasion to pay a well-deserved meed of praise to the Christian Brothers for the successful manner in which they conducted their school, and also complimented the gymnastic instructor, Mr. J. C. Smith.