Denbighshire Free Press

I -De -¡gh County School. SPJ :CH DAY AND PRIZE j DISTRIBUTION. J THE .HOLARSHIP QUESTION. Friday last was a red-letter day in the annals of the Denbigh County Grammar School, lhe occasion being the annual speecu oay and distribution of prizes amongst scholars prior to their depar- ture for ''uristmas holidays. The school- room, w h had been appropriately decorated nd arranged, was well filled Vith an nterestod and appreciative audience. eluding the Governors of the selool, tii parents and friends of the ■ scholars, a ,d others interested in educa- tional m it ers. The proceedings, no doubt, Wero mor- or less attractive, owing to the fact tbv Lady Naylor-Leyland, of Nant- clwvd Ji near Ruthin, bad kindly con- sented ? dstribute the prizes, whilst the chief je Ler was Sir William Bailey, of Mane' ester a gentleman well-known in liter* y circles. From an educational I "tan( point, the school-situated in an ideal deal ay position, under the capable and \or! jy he-rid mastership of Mr D H Davies, 4asi ted by an efficient staff of mastefS- Sta ds out well in the forefront of the in rtnediate schools of Wales, and the tr' liant successes of its scholars evinces th soundness and thoroughness of the <>c iolastic rainiÐg imparted therein. The chair at Friday's event was to have b occupied by Col C S Mainwaring, but 'ortunate'.y he was unable to do so trough ill..ess. An able substitute was towever found in Mr J Harrison Jones, chairman o' the Governors; who was sup- Ported on the platform by Lady Naylor- leyland, Hr William Bailey, Col and Mrs lleatou, P.as Heaton Ber H Humphreys, tyr D S T'avies, Mr D H Davies (the leadmaster, Mr A Foulkes-Roberts (clerk to the Governors), and others. The programme was appropriately opened V the singing of "Hen Wiad fy Nhadau the schol choir, followed by THE CHAIRMAN'S ADDRESS. The Chairman, who was well received as rose to address the audience, said it was Exceedingly gratifying to see so many ies and gentlemen present that after- taoon; so many of the boys of the school, so tnabY of their friends and relations, and so toany interested in the cause of education generally. He felt sure it was a matter of Merest to them to take a share in the upraising of our generations to come, and tõ spread the opportunities of training and uplifting from boyhood to manhood the boys the present day (hear, hear). They were **Voured with the presence of a lady and Gentleman, the fact of which he felt sure Mded to the interest of the meeting-L-.dy faylor-Leyland and Sir William Bailey Applause). One and all were indeed happy receive and welcome them both, in the Iterest of what they were endeavouring to .1'1'y out that day, and the Governors of ¡{tile school were very grateful to her Lady- ibip and Sir William Bailey for coming tel'e to assist in a function they were now ^boQt to carry through (hear, hear). One ^ing had been anticipated that day, and ,Qat was that they would have had their iend and neighbour, Col Mainwaring, to ke the chair he bad promised, and anti- Pated and provided for being present, but 'the Chairman) was very sorry to inform ,'v a that he was unavoidably detained on ? >unt of illness. Col Mainwaring had '*<^ht a severe chill at the beginning of e week, and was prohibited by his fedical adviser from being present that y. They felt sorry for his absence, ^cause he would have been a splendid Airman, and one who would have given and weight to the meeting (applause), sympathised with him in bis illness, hoped he would soon Be restored to w**lth, and that at another time he would at a similar gathering (applause). the request of those who were arranging rUa eventj he had taken the place of n3ol Mainwaring, and, as chairman, there tiere t_e or two things he should like to say. Would not refer to any of the matters Stained in the report to be presented by Ile Headmaster, but as regards the school, simply wished to say that during the the Inspector of the Central Welsh rjpartf with two other officials, visited sohool. They stayed the whole J*y, went minutely into all matters and ?6tails as to the working of the school, and believed the returned home well satis- fy with the esoablishment from beginning J? end (applai se). Not only so, but he ;J*o believed tl ey thought the building one the prettiest one of the most complete, d the most efective of almost any schools, the country .round (applause). Having ?f0vided such s building for the training boys, which a ad proved so satisfactory '•them and the inhabitants, it was to be p>ed that the school would so progress in time to come the building would juire to be enlarged to meet the require- ttlte (applause). The report now was ItJ favourablc, to the school in this ion (hear, hear). One thing he wished fefer to, and which had to do very much íth the town and neighbourhood, was the tngement made during the past year regard to entrance scholarships to the Previously, when competing for 1%6 scholarships, the arrangements had n that boys of the urban schools- lhOOls in the Borough of Denbigh-under years of age were admitted as candidates toholarships, and boys under 13 years .fte were 80 aimitted from the country ^tricts. No can didates, if they had passed lears of age, vero eligible for a scholar- P in the tovn, and no boy above 13 aSe ooaii gain a scholarship from j^Qouutry. This had now been altered, came into operation next year. Last L^toer a conference was held between the tnaatere of the elementary schools and a/9 iotermodiate schoolSi as well repre- 4tatives of the County Governing Body Confer upon the question of the age Wbiohj children could be admitted as r^idates for scholarships, and the reference was ananimous of opinion that h in the coantry distriots should be not 6 than J 2 years of age, and that boys ia towns should be not more than 13 years uj. 4ge when admitted as candidates for ^o'arships. Therefore a year had been in the time possible for children to k* educated in the County School, and if went there at the ages of 12 and 13 would have an average possible '1 1, yem to be trailed thoroughly. time had been when it was more or difficult to persuade parents that more three raontfis would be sufficient to *0 boys and nap :e them clever i (laughter). Hk* bad hi told by a man hiding iB Denbigh dis ict that if his bo> went to County scfc^jl for three months he »^*d be very clever, and very soon s*t for l'Ju Lord Chance! lor of England! (laugher), however were gradually changing k™ .upin-o a chanee that would, h. J^Ped, be favourable, and that Parenes) t!td look upon it as a condition essential the good training and perfecting the Zjtaatjon of the boys that they should remain for three or four years at and be thoroughly educated to acquit fctQaolvee to faoe the dnties and the ^Ponsibilities of life (hear, hear). He Quid like very much that this sheald go b to the public, and that the parents Old consider the necessity of sending Al* a-sow Ucm I to remain an 1 ^>nas possible i! possible (or at lva8r- '.oar yeirs (!i«ar, iiear). An- < tlier question he desired io draw attention to was the securing of boys as candidates for scholarships from the country districts (hear, ho-u). That year the s^uolarsbip candidates had been nure numerous than the previous ^ears, and the candidates St nt from Denbigh has secured passes of, he raiyht say, the most succ^9sfu! in Wales (applause). The boy who gained the high- est nomblr of maiks at the examination in midsummer last was a Denbigh boy; he gained 633 marks out of a possible 650 (applause). Alter him they had five oijjnr boys whose marks ranged from 540 to 588, and he believed" these fl"t six were higher almost than any olihel' children who had been living in other parts of the county. He was not sure whether there were very few in Wales ith a record so high as candidates for yeholarsliips-a credit to the headmasters where the boys w. re trained (applause). With such capabilities they bad the assiratice almost of turning out some splen id boys from that school, and he hoped these boys who had scholarships would raise higher still the standard of the school (app ause). The position of the school in the county stood well, aud should stand a4 well for the future of the county (applause). COL MAINW AIUNG'S LETTER. The Cltrk to the Governors (Mr A Foulkes Roberts) then read the following letter from Co) C S Mainwariiig It is a bitter disappointment, that, by the ad vice of Dr Eyton Lloyd, I have had to give up the hope of being present at the distribution of prizes. But I have been c )ufined to my bed for two days—with a cold and chill; and a journey is impossible I have made notes lately, which throw a little light on 'Old Denbigh,' and in view of the great zeal now shown, in a full, and systematic study of the Welsh language, I intended to bring with me He .ry Salus- bury's Welsh Grammar, printed In 1593, and very likely written within a few yards of the spot on which the Denbigh CJunty School now stands. May I ask you to ex- press to the Governors, the Masters and the pupils my great regret that I cannot be present." Mr Foulkes Roberts added that the book referred to which had descended co %jOl Mainwaring from his Salisbury ancestors vas he believed a unique copy and of great value and interest (applause). HEADMASTER'S REPORT. The Headmaster (Mr D H Davies) in submitting his report on the working of ttio school, which was punctuated by frequent outbursts of applause, said :— "Being fully aware that a school report is of all the different kinds of literature, the driest, I will endeavour to be brief. Nor will this be a difficult task, as we have no new development to record, the school during the past year pursuing somewhat evenly the course already marked out f,,r it. It is now fairly well known that County Schools, as far as a good maiia of their internal arrangements are concerned, are under the dual control of the Board of Education and the Central Welsh Board. To serve, and give satisfaction to two mas- ters is. has been, and always will be a difficult task, and we that have to deal with these two Boards find it requires much skilful seamanship while we are trying to avoid the whirlpool on the one hand not to run into the rocks on the other. The Board of Education lays down numerous conditions for schools desiring to secure its grants, fixing the minimum number of bonu to be devoted to several subjects, and allowing but little deviation from them. The Central Welsh Board also is now beginning to frame regulations which be^r upon the Time Table of the School. One such regulation, and another recommenda- tion have recently been made, so that to draw up cI. Time Table to meet thedemands of the two Boards has now become a task of infi'ii trouble. There was once a king who to. nis avarice was compelled to roll a heavy &iuiie to the top of a hill, and no sooner had be reached the top than the stone bounded down again. The 20th century form of this punishment is to have to draw up a Time Table to satisfy two exact;n.; Boards for even when one has got the right number of hours in, the whole is so delicately poised, and its equilibrium is so perilously unstable, that the slightest re-arrangements of its parts, however necessary that may be, jerks the whole thing down the hill, and Sisyphus has to begin his task again. The groove in which one has to work is becoming narrow- er, and to introduce any plans and methods of one's own more aad mire difficult. Not so very long ago persons afflicted with a certain malady were put oat of their misery by being smothered between two feather beds; in our day schoolmasters troubled with any idefis of their own of school- keeping are smothered between two Boards. However about that, Inspectors from each of these authorities have daring the year visited the school, and the reports of what they saw on each occasion has been most favourable to the School. Oooasional visits by their Inspectors are the only means the Board of Education have of ascertaining what a school is doing, but the Central Welsh Board bold in addition ex- aminations by means of written papers at the end of each school year In July. Upon the result of this written examina- tiun, it grants certificates of varying grades. 12 noys from this school entered their names for the junior certificate, and 10 of them passed one pupil, J T Lloyd, of GyffyllioX, with distinction in 6 subjects, another, J Griffith Thomas, also of Gyffylliog, in 4, and David LI Davies, of Henllan, with distinction in one subjeot, and E W Jones and Gwilym Hywel Jones with distinction in one subject on papers of the senior stage. In this connection we have a peculiar example of the working of the dual control already referred to. The Board of Education have a regulation to the effect that no pupil shall sit an external examination before the end of his third school year; so that a boy who is over 13 years of age when be enters this school will perforce be over 16 before he is examined by the Central Welsh Board at all. Then the Central Welsh Board on their part have their regulation that a pupil who is ever 16 at the date of the examination will not receive," distinction in any subject, however well he may do in it. Had it not been for these conflicting regulations, the 10 boys who this year seoured junior certi- ficates, instead of gaining 13 Jmarks of dis- tinction would have gained 80; and one pupil instead ot having one mark of dis- tinction on his certificate (gained on papers of the senior stag.) would have had dis- tinction in all the 10 subjects he took, a somewhat rare and remarkable perform- [ ance. The boy's name is Edward Williams Jones, of Penyparc, Nantoiwyd. Six boys gained the senior certificate of the Central Welsh Board, with 9 marka of distinction. One pupil, William Davies of Henllan, took the Latin and Greek papers of the honours stage, but as he had the year before gained the honours certificate, he did not enter his name for it a second time.w Two upils -Charles Frederick Armor, of LJauD- hel, and Tudor Benson Evans, of De"bigb-passec1 the matriculation exami- nation of the University of London. Wil- liam Xkavies gained also an exhibition of £ 20 a year for three years at the University College of North Wales, but he was offered a scholarship of £30 a year at Llandovery School and an exhibition of IA;30 a yc from the St Asaph Clerical j 1 Fatid on condition that he accepted tha latter scholarship, he chose to go to Llan dovery. Tu !or Benson Evans gained a scholarship of £:25 a lear for 2 years at the University of Liverpool. One pupil- Arthur Millward Benson Evan--passed the preliminary examination ot the Phar- maceutical Society, and four other pupils obtained certificates for progress in short- hand. Iu athletics, both cricket and foot- bill, the school did very well during the past year, a success due to some extent to the fact that they were captsiued by R M 'Evans, a pnpil who is very proficient in both games. Of the 18 boys who dis- tinguished themselves in various ways during the pat year, 16 came to us from Elementary Schools, and ore unmistakable [signs of having been thoroughly will trained. Without this, it woul I have been impossible for them to do well with ns. Eight of these boys came from rural schools, but with the exception of William Davies, Henllan, and his brother, who however had previously attended a Denbigh school for two years, none of these eight boys came from the rural part of our own district of Denbigh. No candidates for scholarships came forward in June from our own rural districts, nor did a single boy from it come to us in the ordinary way at the beginning of cur schcol year in Septe nb3r. This is the skeleton in our cupboard, but it is not for me to expose it to view. Of tllose papi Is who left us during the past three years, three are now at rhe University College, Bangor. One of them, John Hooson, iii A June last gained the degree of B.A., with j honours in Latin in the University of Wales. He was also awarded the PUINYs prize, open to all students of the College, tor the best English essay on a subject counected with Latin literature. The other two students, Anthony Richards and Thomas Jones, are also doing excellent work. Three others of our old boys are in the University of Liverpool. R OKnowles has already passed his first M B. examina- tion. and R Langtord Lewis has just recently passed his first professional exami- nation. William Divies, who left as to go to Llandovery, heads that school at the end of his first term there in both Greek and Latin. In conclusion I may say that whatever may be the degree of success this report shows us to ha.ve attained to, it is one to our having a loyal and energetic staff of masters, who are all equally anxious to do what they cm for the bOtS who are under their charge. Of the caretaker I will say nothing, but will ask you to look around you. DISTRIBUTION OF PRIZES. The Chairman, in calling upou Lady Naylor Leyland to distribute the prizes, extended to her a hearty welcome, and said he should like to say how highly honoured they all were with the presence of Her Ladyship who had vety kindly promised and had faithfully kept that promise of be- ing piesent that day (applause). She had consented to distribute the prizes to the ooys who had distinguished themselves in their studies during the past year, and he was sure she would receive from them a very hearty and warm reception (applause). It was not often they were honoured by the presence of a Lady to give away the prizes as they were that day, and although this was the first time Lady Naylor Leyland had been amongst the,n, he hoped it would not be the last (applause). He did not know whether Her Ladyship would like to say a few words or out ? (applause). Lady Naylor Layiand, through the Chair- man wished to say how very delighted she had been to come to the school, and ex- pressed the great pleasure it was to her to take part in the distribution of the prizes (applause) Her Ladyship then graciously presented the prizes to the successful students, con- gratulating each recipient upon his success. ADDRESS BY SIR. WILLIAM BAILEY. In asking Sir Willia u B tiley to address the audience, tiie Chairman welcomed him heartily amongst them, and remarked that be came from the fulness of his heart to support the Webil people (hear, hear). There were a lot of them in Manchester, and some of the most capable men in Man- chester were Welshmen (laughter and hear, hear). The last time Sir William Bailey was in Daubigh he gave them an addres on a certain Welshman who lived in Man- chester; an adoress they would not soon forget, and he bad great pleasure in calling upon him to address them now ( pplauge). Sir William B.-Liley. then rose to addresa the meeting, and was given a rousing cheer by the boys Before proceeding to the subject matter of his speech, he presented to Lady Naylor Leyland a dainty aluminum horse shoe as a memento of the occasion, a gift which her ladyship most giaciousiy accepted. The speaker then humorously remarked that although not a Welshman he had been born in Manchester, which as the nearest possible thing to being born in Wales (laughter)—because if they went far enough back in history they would find that Manchester was once in Wales, just as Edinburgh was once in England. Having referred to Richard Roberts at one time a poor quarry lad at Llanymynech, as the greatest inventor of the 19th century, Sir William related how, on one occasion, be had the pleasure and the privilege of writ- ing an article on the genius of that 41 Richard Roberts," at the request of the late Mr Thomas Gee—a very great friend of his—for one of his publications, The 44 Gwyddoniadur Cymraeg," and he would urge the boys of the Denbigh and other county schools in Wales to carefully study the wonderful doings of the great inventor, and as far as possible endeavour to follow his brilliant example (applause). The subject of education, upon which he was expected to speak, was a very important one, and it was to be greatly regretted that so much intolerance should be displayed in connection with it. Education was closely allied to the religion of the Prince of Peace, and to show any temper about it was certainly in direct confiiot with the teaching of that religion j (bear, hear). The subjeot should be dis- cussed in a moderate, tolerant, and scien- tific spirit. He was very much delighted that day with the report of the Head- master; in fact, it was the first head- master's speech he had heard with any point in it (laughter and hear, hear). Such reports were generally very monotonous and dull, and their statistics were, like the multiplication table, accountable for some increase in the death-rate (loud laughter). The Headmaster of the Denbigh School, however, had introduced poetry and imagination into his report, and if he possessed the lyric faculty he would no doubt develope into a poet of no mean order (laughter and applause). But to revert to the question of education, he bad read in the newspapers the opinion of Prof J Morris Jones, who, it appeared, objected to specialisation in education that was to say, he pleaded for general. all-roand oulture rather than a special study in one subject. He (the speaker) did not agree with that view,, and, speaking as an engineer who had had a great number of boys through his hands, he would ventare to say that an all-round boy, who was not a specialist, was of very little use in any work or business (hear, hear). Let boys 'know a little bit about everything, but everything about one thing (hear, hear). Dealing with the Welsh element in educa- I tion, Sir William paid a glowing tribute to the services of Lady Margare-, the founder of the Tudor family, to the eause of education in days long gone by, and urged his' earers tostu ly for themselves what this great woman did in the cause of learning at the beginning of the Hennaiscance. As Wei-h people they had every reason to be thank- ful for what she did. Let the boys who listened to him draw inspiration from t^e g orious examples of such people, and if they did so, they would assist in carrying forward the flag of peace and liberty, and above all, flag of religious tolerance (ap- plause) Let them remember that mere education was not wisdom; wisdom was rather the application of knowledge to the problems of every day life. Whiio being educated they were simply collecting the materials together, and their success in life would depend upon how they would use those materials. Let them try to be clever and skilful i" one particular thin j:, and t ey would experience very littie diffi- culty in making a real use in the world (ap- plaust). if they desired to bring imaiDa- tion to bear on their work. he could give them no better advice than to learn and study the poets, read the whole history of literature of the subject in which they woul like to excel. When a man was equipped with the knowledge thus gained, no en. my could take it from him and wuen be put his own experience on the top of the knowledge imparted to him by the writings of others, he would become a speeMist iu the particular line which he had taken up (applause). Mere education, "itnout im- agination would not help one very much, MIl a boy who read halfpenny "rags" dealing with football aad cricket, or "nuisances" of that kind, and ignored Shakespeare and other great poets, would never have that imagination necessary to real success in life. A young man who, immediately on leaving Oxford or Cam- bridge (sevot,id his thoughts to football and cricket would ntver be of use either to himself, his amily or his nation The greatest employtrent of man was to get knowledge, and if they became specially great in one thing and know a little about everything, they would soon prove them- selves useful to themselves and to mankind. and f they did this, mankind, in the words of Longfellow, would reward them (toud applause). VOTES OF THANKS. Col. Heaton, who rose to propose a vote of thanks to Lady Naylor Leylaud, said it had been a great-pleasure to him to be present that afternoon, and he had been rewarded for so coming by having a grate- ful duty to perform in the performance of which it required no words of bis to com- mend the proposal to the meeting. Without further remarks he moved a hearty vote of thanks to Lady Naylor Leylaud for pre- senting the fortunate prize-winners with their prizes that afternoon (applause). Mr J Parry Jones said he had been asked, and be could assure them that it gave him very great pleasure to secoud the vote of thauki proposed by Col. Heaton to Lady Naylor Leyland for kin dy coming forward that aftrenoon to distribute the prizes to the scholars of the Denbigh County Grammar School (applause) Tnis was, he believed, the first public function that her ladyship had attended in Denbigh, but he trusted it would not be the last (applause). He thought be might refer to the great interest which her ladyship took in the Welsh Industries in London (ap- plause). As they were all aware they had in Denbigh a tradesman who had taken prizes at the Welsh Industries Exhibition. He thought they ought to take this opport- unity of thanking her publicly for her great kindness in placing her mansion at i he disposa of the Welsh Industries in London, and he trusted .that her ladyship would continue to ;ive them the support in the future as she had done in the past (applause). The proposal was heartily carried amidst cheers raised lby the boys, and her Lady- ship gracefully bowed her acknowledgment of the compliment. Rev H 11 ump ireys, in proposing a hearty vote of thanks to Sir William Bailey for his interesting address, saiJ they were deeply indebted to him for having undertaken a long laborious journey in order to be present amongst them, and for the work he bad done for the advancement of eduoation (hear, hear). He hoped the pupils would not allow the Christmas festivities and holidays to dispel from their minds any of the stimulating effects of the address delivered by Sir William Bailey, but would return to school determined to work all the harder under its influence and inspiration! (hear hear). He also included in the votes cf thanks the Chairman who had done yeoman service in ttle cause of education with great credit to himself (applause). One other word, and that was to congratu- late Headmaster upon the great success of the proceedings that afternoon (bear, bear). As governors of the school they were very proud of the Headmaster; they knew be had his heart in his work—in fact he was a glutton for work (laughter and applauso. His sole aim was to thoroughly educate the boys under his charge, and to r.ise the school to a successful place among the intermediate schools of Wales (applause). Mr D S Davies, in Isecon-Jing the motion, said Sir William had attained to the highest position in the engineering world at a very early age, but tbat was not the only claim he had to fame. He was an engineer by profession, and a literary osaa by recreation, and in the delightful ad- dresi they had just listened to, he showed them how deeply he had dipped into the highest mental culture (hear, hear). Re- ferring to the report of the headmaster, Mr Davies expressed his thorough sym- pathy and accord with the remarks made therein as to the difficult position in which the h* a tmastord of County Sohools found themselves by being squeezed between the Board of Edueation and the Central Welsh Board. He was glad to say however that the latter authority were now making re- presentation to the Board of Education with the view of the unification of education (hear, hear). It did seem an anomaly that in Wales sohools were examined by the Board of Education one week and by the Central Welsh Board the next. It was time to do away with such an anomaly (bear, bear). He wished to take this opportunity of saying how greatly de- lighted the members of the Denbighshire Education Committee were with the bril- liantisuooeaaes gained this year by boys in the county. Oat of entries numbering be- ween 300 and 400 boys for the examination of the Central Welsh Board, the first tea on the list belonged to Denbighshire (ap- plause). That was a position tbey must all feel proud of. It was due to the excellent staffs they had in the Coanty Schools and in a measure to the suppoit given to those teachers by the Education Committees in their various localities (hear, hear) Dealing with the present position of the education question, Mr Davies said that for three long years they had been doing their atmost to get the ship into peaceful waters by giving and taking; and taking all till. together that had been done in Wales with as little friotion as possible (hear, hoar). But what was the aspeot of the edacatioa question that day one ooald hardly imagine. It would be Impossible for them to go ea for three years more to doosto the same time and services to it as they bad in the past, without ooming to some final understand- ing with regard to it, and for that reason be deeply deplored the fact that they were again embarked on very stormy waters. However, he hoped they would get the support of the teachers ia order to make i the best of a very difficult situatim (applause). Sir William Bailey and the chairman having brit-fly returned thanks, the meet- ing then terminated. THE VOCAL MUSIC. At intervals during the afternoon's pro- ceedings the scholars, in a very pleasing manner, -ang The Island (18th century), 'Codiad yr Haul" (Welsh air), and the school song, Gandeamus" Messrs J Williams and J H Jones in their duet, Mary of Argyle," are deserving of special praise for their very creditable rendering; the chorus by the school being well and harmoniously given. The interesting pro- ceedings were brought to a close by the singing of "God save the King," led by the school choir. THE PRIZES. A special feature of the prizes, and one which considerably enhanced the valuable books from a souvenir point of view, was the impression, in gilt, on the front and back cover of each book of the school arms aud motto. The following pupils received prizes:—W Davies, C F Armor, T B Evans, Eben Tnomai, R 0 Jones, W 0 Hughes, T R Knowles, H H Jones, E W Jones, J T Lloyd, J G Thomas, G H Jones, D LI Davies, W A Davies, D 0 Lloyd, W Roberts, W E Lloyd, John Hayward. I