Papurau Newydd Cymru

Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru

Cuddio Rhestr Erthyglau

7 erthygl ar y dudalen hon

EP TH COL EGE PRIZB; D \Y.

Newyddion
Dyfynnu
Rhannu

EP TH COL EGE PRIZB; D \Y. DISTRIBUTION OF PRIZES. 3NTERKSTING ADDRESS BY THE REV. CHARLES GARRETT. The annual distribution of prizes to the boys of Epworth College took place at the Claremont Hydropathic Establishment on Monday after- noon. Interest in the proceedings was en- chanced by the presence of the Rev. Charles Garrett, of Liverpool, who had kindly under- taken to present the prizes and a large com- pany had assembled in response to the kind inpitation of Mr. and Mrs. Beattie to witness the proceedings, which opened with a short musical programme, the different items of which were ably sustained by the boys. The following is a copy:—Pianoforte duet, ''Taran- tella," Garman and Evans; glee, "Dame Durden;" pianoforte solo, "La Bergerette," Batty ii. song, "The Lark now leaves his "watery nest," Mortimer; pianoforte solo, (a) "La fileuse," (b) Lieder ohne warte" (No. 34), Mr. Waddington. The Head Master (Mr. J. C. Beattie, B.A.) after apologising for the absence through indis. position of the Rev. T. W. Vaughan, Vicar of (Rhuddlan, next presented his report—■ The year 1899 is one which we are able to. review with considerable satisfaction. With it ends the fourth year of the school under its present control. Twelve months ago I had the gratification of announcing that during the three preceding years our initial numbers had been more than doubled. I have now to report that we have more than three times the number of pupils with which in 1896 I took office and though the school is still but small it is, I feel sure, as vigorous, and is doing as useful work as at any time in its career. Within the immediate futura we purpose extending the school premises, so as to accommodate a larger number of pupils, and to facilitate our class work. During the past year we have greatly im- proved the scientific equipment of the school, especially as regards the addition of appara- tus required for laboratory work in experi- mental physics, to which so much attention is now being paid. As in other years about one-third of our pupils have passed public examinations, but we have this year withheld from the usual tests a number of boys whose interests we judged would best be served by preparation for other and higher examinations. Successes have been achieved at th Cam- bridge University Local Examinations by Yorke ii., Dawkins, Evens, Jackson i., Hil- ton, Green, Rayner, and Mortimer. Mortimay's success is worthy 'of special mention in view of his youth—his age, 10— being four years below the prescribed limit. Garman and Hilton have obtained certifi- cates of the London College of Music—the former in the Senior, and the latter in the Intermediate Section. A fair measure of prosperity has attended us in the school games, the cricket record being specially encouraging. Our bill of health has been a very clean one, no case of infectious disease having occurred. I believe the tone of the school to be equal- ly healthy, a state of things due in no small degree to the exemplary conduct and good influence of the senior boys, who, as in every institution of this kind, are largely respon- sible for the spirit that prevails. We have recently increased our staff of masters, so that there are now four of us actually engaged in the work of tuition. The Report concluded with a grateful ack nowledgment of the services rendered by the assistant masters. The Head Master, in introducing the Rev. Charles Garrett, expressed his indebtedness to him for coming amongst them at considerable personal inconvenience. To most of those pre- sent Mr. Garrett's busy life was as well known as his philanthrophy, and their obligation was the greater because they were aware of the num- berless demands made upon their revered friend's time. There was a special satisfaction in having Ir, Garrett with them on the prize- day because of the obvious interest with which he entered into all that concerned young people. A prize was one thing, but a prize received from the hands of an Ex-President of the Wesleyan Conference, and one of the best known, best loved men in the country, was quite another. The Rev. Charles Garrett, who had a warm welcome, said it was a matter of rejoicing to him to be able to be present there that day. He rejoicd with Mr. and Mrs. Beattie in the marvellous success that had attended their labours in connection with the school (ap- plause). Like the young bugler in the Boer war who sounded the rally and advance when the British troops were retreating, Mr. Beattie did not believe in retreat. He had rallied and he had advanced, and they were there that day to rejoice at the progress he had made (ap- plause). The boys of the school were about to enter on their holidays, and the brightest and best part of the year was before them. Very soon they would have done with the drudgery of school, and be perfectly free to thoroughly enjoy themselves. He rejoiced with the boys who were going to have those prizes. He had scanned the list, and they were a splendid se- lection, one of the best selections he had seen. Many of these prizes, it seemed to him, were given as a rule merely to be placed on the shelf, and not taken down again some Latin classics that would remain on the shelf and left there from generation to generation. But the books he saw before him that day were meant to be read over and over again (cheers). .While rejoicing with the lads who were going to have prizes, he rejoiced quite as much with those who were not. There were invisible prizes as well as visible prizes, and the boys who had not won these visible prizes were carryingl, away treasures which would abide with them for all time to come. There were others who would rejoice when they arrived home at Christmas time to see how' they were improved; to see how much more thorough they were; how true and straight, and how anxious to make everybody happy how they carried sunshine with them, and made home brighter because they were there. That was the result to a large extent of the training they had received in connection with that institu- tion (applause). They would notice an im- provement even in the tone of the voice, for it was astonishing what education had to do with the tone of the voice. They must take care to remember that they were carrying home with them the credit of the school. Their rela- tions and friends would look to them and listen "to them, åri form in ouniotl of Epworth College according to their conduct. Be good soldiers, keep up the credit of the school, and tor the school's credit determine to so act that people would say that Epworth College must be a capital place to send a boy to (cheers). Mr. Beattie had only done him justice when he said that he took an interest in young peo- ple. He did not think lads always had fair play. They expected them to be a lot of angels forgetting that thy had not been angels them- selves, and were ready to look down upon them because they had not done this or that. But he had not yet found lads when they trusted them who did not respond to the trust cheers). He had to do with a lot of lads situated in different circumstances to those he saw before him poor lads who had never knew what home meant until he came in contact with them. .Twenty of those lads had gone to do battle for their country, and one of the first to fall at Ladysmith was one of their boys. Yes, he was interested in lads, and liked to talk to them. They would find when they got home that the one topic of conversation would be war, and the rumours of war. None of them had ever before gone home at Christmas at such a time as this, and one looked ahead into the future with almost fear and trembling. They would be hearing all about the war, but he wished them to understand that there was not only war going on in the Transvaal, but that there was war going on in our own country, and he wanted them as good soldiers to take their places in that war. The boys were to go out as their reserves, and he wanted them to be prepared when the flag fell from the hands of those who at present carried it, to take it up and carry it to victory (applause). There were three special enemies he wished them to guard against, and to war <ith. The first of these was idleness." Nobody would enjoy their holiday who was idle. If they wished to enjoy their holiday be busy. He pitied those poor fellows who had nothing to do for they never enjoyed .their holiday. Therefore, wherever they were he asked them to war with idleness. There was, however, a time for everything, and when they got home for their holidays he ad- vised them to forget that there were any books in the world. Their business when they got borne was to thoroughly enjoy themselves, and to do this they must be industrious. Mr. Wes- ley said No man ever gained his mark either in the church or in the world who was not industrious." He believed he was right (hear, hear). It was the boy who did his work whc" most enjoyed his game of football or cricket, and got the best of it, whereas the other poor fellow who was idle derived no enjoyment from it. He counselled the Iboys Jto cultivate a hobby, for he believed in boys having hobbies. He pitied those men who had made fortunes and had no hobby. They did not know what t( do with themselves, and spent their lives growl. ing and grumbling simply because they had never had a hobby. Most of them no doubt had had the stamp fever (laughter). Boys generally began with that. He knew his boys had almost bankrupted themselves and him ai well with the stamp fever. But it was allright (hear, hear). It taught geography and a lot of other things of value and use. And it they did not care for stamps try coins. They would soon acquire a collection, and it was wonderful how many they would pick up of this reign, and that reign, and this land and that land. Perhaps some would. pirefer a cabinet for butterflies. He never objected when he saw & boy out ;with his butterfly net, readv to catch butterflies, and to group them in their various orders. There was education; some- thing going on that would tell on that boy for all time (applause). Of course, they would have a library. In regard to that he would only throw out one hint, and that was don't have too big a one" (hear, hear). He spoke from sad experience on that matter. It was possible to have so many books that they would have no time to read any of them. He had heard it said of one man that he had so many of other people's brains on his head that his own refused to act" (laughter). Looking at the books that were to be presented that day there was not one that he would not be proud of. He advised them to form their little nucleus of books, and they would find that the very fact that they had a library of their own would be a resource to them when the dark days came (applause). The next enemy he wished them to war against was impurity" I, and he knew he was now treading on delicate ground. Never touch a book that they would not like their mothers to read. Impurity was a pestilence in this country. Their newspapers were full of it, and the Post Office was made a medium for the spread of it. Boys in school were considerably exposed to this temptation. A boy the other day was writing on a window with a diamond, and a gentleman passing, the boy said to him, "Don't do that." "Why?" asked the boy. "Because it will not rub out" If they got the stain of impurity upon their mind, it would not rub out, and by and by when their hair was grey they would suffer the sins of their youth. He had had the aquain- tance of George Cruikshank, who illustrated Charles Dickens' works, and he would never forget a remark which he once made, One day," he said, "I was drawing in my studio when my sister came in. I took up a sheet of blotting paper and flung it down on the sketch. I was drawing, because there was a little in. delicacy there. When my sister had gone out conscience said to me, Why did you put that blotting paper on your sketch ?' I could only say because I did not want my sister to see it. Conscience again said, If it is wrong for your sister to see it, is it right for other people's sisters to see it ?' And I tore the sketch up into fragments and threw it down. From that day this hand has never drawn a picture that my sister could not see" (applause). If some- body wished to talk to them about anything which they would not like their mothers to hear, have nothing to do with it. On Friday he was with one of their Liverpool merchants, and he was wearing a very pretty little locket. He said to him (Mr. Garrett), I owe a great deal to that locket. My mother gave it to me when she was dying, saying, Alfred, I want you to put that locket on to your watch, and never to take it anywhere where you would not like your mother to see it,' and he said, Hundreds of times when I have been tempted to go into places that I ought not to go to I have looked at my locket, and said I will not carry it where my mother would not like to see it" (applause). If they wished to lead a life worthy of Epworth College he exhorted them to take care to avoid impurity (applause). The third enemy was "intemperance." They would meet that everywhere, and they must mind to battle with it. The late Duke of Albany, when in Liverpool a short time before his death said that intemperance is the only great evil England has to fear" (hear, hear), He (Mr. Garrett) had been an abstainer for more than sixty years. When he began life he was a poor fragile little thing, and the doctor told his mother that there was no more harm in killing him than killing a frog, and that if he lived he should be a burden to him- self and to everybody. But the doctor did not know then that he was going to be a teetotaller (laughter and applause). Sixty years ago he signed the pledge, and had kept it, and despite his advanced years he was now probably doing as much work as anyone in England (applause). Therefore, he wanted those boys to be as he was. If they wished to enjoy life, if they wished to live long, and be a blessing to others, they must see that they overcame the enemy of intemperance (applause). He had said that boys were their reserves. By and by they would have votes, and he hoped they would use them to put the right men in Parliament to help them to fight the three enem- ies he had referred to. In conclusion, he would say, set then to work, gird the loins of your minds, and quit yourselves like men. Ask God to help you go away determined to have as happy a Christmas as God enables you to have. Make everybody happy around you, for that is the true way of making yourselves happy. You can never pour happiness into other people's cups but that it will overflow into your own cup. If we go away determined to make as many people happy this Christmas as we can, it will be a grand time for us. God bless you (loud applause). Aftei an interval for refreshments, Mr. Garrett presented the prizes to the successful scholars as follows:—Holy Scripture, "Life of St. Paul," Evens English, Spenser's Poems," Jackson 1. Latin, Froude's Caesar," Yorke IT. Hon. Men., Dawkins, Rothwell; French, Lorna Doone," Yorke II. Mathematics, "Making the Empire," I Hilton; Arithmetic, "Ivanhoe," Yorke 1. Hon. Men., Hilton, Sad- ler; English Essay, Bunyan's Holy War," Evens; General Science, Wood's "Xatural History," Yorke I.; Music, "Kenilworth," Sadler; Drawing and Writing, Ivanhoe," Evens; Good Conduct, Lee. Form prizes: "Peeps into China," Farrow Deerslayer," Rothwell; Browning's "Dramas," Tunnicliffe; Hon. Men., Green, Fallowes. Cambridge Uni- versity Local Examination Certificates, Yorke II., Dawkins, Jackson II., Evens, Hilton, Green, Rayner, and Mortimer. London Coll- ege of Music Certificates, Garman, Hilton. Games' prizes: Batting, Yorke; Bowling, Dawkins; Fielding, Gilbert; lr. Farrow's prize for Batting, Batty T. The Rev. H. Lefroy Yorke proposed a vote of thanks to the Rev. Charles Garrett for his presence and his address. He had listened to Ir. Garrett always with the highest apprecia- tion and the deepest interest and profit. He had listened to him on many and various occasions, but he did not think he had ever heard him speak with greater effect, with great- er wisdom, sympathy, and perseverance than he had done that afternoon (applause). Mr. Garrett had indeed in this respect an ideal talent. While he carried all his honourable years, yet his mind was as nimble and as active as that of the youngest of them (applause). Mr. Robert Jones, The Moorings, in second- ing, said they were always delighted to see Mr. Garrett in Rhyl (applause). The motion was carried with acclamation. Dr. Prichard proposed that they convey to Mr. and Mrs. Beattie their congratulations on the proceedings that day, and their thanks for their kindly hospitality. He spoke in high terms of praise of the efficiency of the educa- tion at Epworth College, and the care taken by Mr. and Mrs. Beattie of the boys in their charge (applause). Mr. S. J. Amos seconded the vote, which was also supported by The Rev. H. Lefroy Yorke, who said he had two boys in the school, and he was so pleased with the care taken of them that it always gave him great pleasure to bear unqualified testi- mony to the moral tone, the spirit, and the education, and to everything connected with Epworth College (applause). 0 The motion was heartily carried, and Mr. Beattie suitably responded.

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