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:FORTY YEARS TEACHER. I I…

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FORTY YEARS TEACHER. I I r- Appreciation of Breconshire Headmaster. 0 I.. PRESENTATIONS AT LLANWRTYD WELLS. MR. ROWLAND GAY'S LONG SCHOLASTIC CAREER. A grand concert and presentation by the pupils of the. Council School took place at the Victoria Hall. Llanwrtyd Wells, on Wednesday evening last when Mr and Mrs Rowland Gay were made the recipients of a valuable, silver tray and purse of gold. The Rev. R. Evans presided. The tray bore the following inscript- ion :—"Presented to Mr and Mrs D.' Rowland Gay (together with a purse of gold) by their faithful and efficient .services for the long period of 40 years, the former as headmaster of Llanwrtyd Wells Council khool, and the latter for numerous and considerate kindnesses done. to the staff and scholars March, HH8." The recipient- grand-children accepted, on behalf of Mr and Mrs Gay, the tray and purse-the tray by Miss Nest a Gay Thotmas, and the purse by Master Raymonde Gay Thomas. Mr D. Rowland Gay, headmaster of Llanwrtyd Wells Council School, tendered his resignation in June, 1916, on account of illness, after 40 years' service under the Brecon-hire Education Authority, and their predeces- sors, the School lioaixi. Mr (Jay was ene of the ablest teachers in the county, and has filled the Presidency of the local branch of the N'.U.T. He has crowned his efforts with great success and the appreciation of the governing authority can bo re-assured by the appended [ MR. D. ROWLAND CAY. -1 letter addressed to him by the Clerk of the Education Committee: — Dear Mr Gay.—Your resignation was received by the Staffing and Salaries Committee at their last meeting with very deep regret, and in accepting it they asked me to express their profound .sorrow at the cause of your resignation, and hope that you will he speedily restored to health. During your long record of (service, a re- cord of which any man might well feel proud, you have shown eminent qualities fu"- a schoolmaster, pos- sessing, as you do, a true perception of the high call- ing which you pursue, combined with a steadfast de- votion to duty. Herein, no doubt, lies the isecret of your success. You have laboured diligently and in- cessantly in the noble work of moulding and shaping the plastic mind of the child, and it has been a pleasure to me. personally, to note the success of ycur untiring efforts, which have resulted in Llanwrtyd school having risen to the rank as one of the best conducted and most efficient schools in the county. I feel sure you will carry with you into your retirement the best wishes of all who appreciate isuch notable service in the cause of education. I feel I cannot conclude this letter without expressing not only my sincere regret at your resignation, but a)-.w my deep gratitude for the ioval and kind co-operation which you have always ex- tended to me. May you he long spared to enjoy your well-earned rest is tiie earnest wish of yours faithfully- A. Leonard. Other testimonies to Mr (Jay's work as arc follow:- I Llanwrtyd Wells Council School extract of minutes, dated 16th June, 1916, resignation of Mr D. Rowland Gay, headmaster. A letter from Mr Gay was read, re- signing his post as headmaster, which he had held for a period of 40 years, when it was unanimously re- isolvcd that in reluctance, accepting the resignation of 1 Mr D. Rowland Gay as headmaster of the Llanwrtyd Council School, we the managers, desire to place on record our great appreciation of his valuable .services during the very long period of 40 years he has occupied the position. He has with unfailing devotion to duty trained up many generations of children. He has al- wavs discharged his duties with courtesy and efficiency. He loved the children a his work, and he has placed the whole parish under a great debt of gratitude to him. We are unanimously of the opinion that we should recognise this by presenting fiiin with a substan- tial testimonial. We wish him a speedy recovery from his illness and health to enjoy for many years the rest he has Fo well earned. 14, Greenfield Terrace, Llanelly, 18/11/17.—Dear Ir (lav,—I was so glad to hear from the friend of my boy- j hood. Yoifr notes are few and far, but when they come they bring a flood of the sweetest memories. Believe me, I think a great deal of your record of 41 years is a glorious one. and your light has been a shining one. You have played the game well and been a gentleman. I want no more than my record to be like yours.—Y'our sincere friend, G. Hopkins. Irfon Valley Association for Bible. Instruction. Mr Gav's la.st report of examination, held at Llanwrtyd School, June 13th, 1916:—"In all respects an excellent examination throughout the school. The answering was general and keen, and the children ..showed a thorough knowledge of the subject. The written work was, as usual, most satisfactory, and in all the three groups the excellent mark, were obtained in the oral work. ) The zeal and interest shown by teachers and scholars leave nothing to be desired.—Roserlinie Phillimore, and Gwvneth Evan Thomas, examiners." Council School. Garth, July 25th, 1916.—Dear Gay.—I called a meeting of the Builth Association litst Satur- day. It was well attended, and the following resolu- tion relative to yourself was passed, on the proposition of Mr Wearn. i-econded by Mr Williams, Llangant-^n :— "That this meeting of the Builth Well", Teachers' Asso- ciation desire to express their warmest sympathy with Mr Gay in his unfortunate illness, and their fervent hope that he will be speedily restored to his former health and strength." I have much pleasure in for- warding tliiz.-Your sincerely, John J. 31orris. Irfon Valley Association.—Dear Sir, -At a recent meetieng of the subscribers and committee of the above association, universal sympathy was expressed with you in your illness, and I was asked to convey this to you, (,ret it the nece,??it-v of your and to express the greatf regret at the necessity of your resigning the post of teachers' representative on that committee, a post which you have so ably filled for so many years. May I add my great personal sympathy with you.-Your-, faithfully, Gwynetll Evan Thomas, lion. sec. Brynmawr and District Teachers' Association.—Rhos- lyn, Alma Street, Brynmawr. July 3rd, 1916,Dear Mr Gav,—At the annual meeting of our association, on Saturday last, it was resolved that I should send you a message of sympathy on the ill-health that has obi ged you 'to retire from active school work. and, also, to join with it the congratulation of the members upon a long period cf useful and faithful service in the education of our country. Those of us who were pre- sent will ever remember the address you gave as presi- dent of the County Association. All realised that it was the result of long, careful and thoughtful devotion to duty. We join in the hope that. now you are released from he strain of school-life, your health will improve, and that many years of quiet leisure and usefulness re- main to you. Associating myself personally with this resolution, I am, yours fraternally, John K. Watkins, lion. sec. An extract from the "S.W.D. News," 17/7/10 reads — "Miss Annie Jones, Llanwrtyd Wells, has been success- ful in obtaining the degree of B.A.. University of Wales, having been placed top of the list-in special his- tory. Miss Jones received her early education at Llan- wrtyd Wells Council School, under the headmastersliip of Mr D. Rowland Gay. Three of Mr Gay's pupils are proceeding to the University, two to Aberystwyth, and one to Cambridge. Mr Gay has had a long and success- ful career in Llanwrtyd, and has also fulfilled important duties in connection with the Breconshire Teachers' As- sociation." From the "Brecon and Radnor Express," 13/7/12.— Mr D. Rowland Gay, headmaster of the Llanwrtyd Council School, was unanimously elected vice-president of the Breconshire County Teachers' Association at J* their annual meeting at Llangorse. This is considered the liighest honour the teachers can bestow upon one of their number, as it leads automatically to the pre- sidency, and is the 'blue ribbon' of the profession in the county. The honour ha., been thoroughly deserved on account of the long and successful services, which Mr (Iav has rendered the county and its teachers. Mr Gay was nominated some years ago for the vice-presi- dency, but lie withdrew in favour of others whom he considered had a prior claim. This time it seems Mr Gay showed signs of retiring in favour of Mr Lewis Lewis, Brynmawr, but his fellow-teachers, and foremost amongst them Mr Lewis, insisted on his accepting the pa-ition. Our wish is that Mr Gay may enjoy the vice- presidential and presidential years with pleasure to himself and profit to his fellow-teachers." Mr Gay's Career. Mr Gay is a- native of Llanelly, was born June 4th, 1851. and the. son of religious parents, who were ad- mitted members of Siloah Congregational Church, after- wards for so many years the. scene of the cultured ministry of the Rev. Thomas Davies, D.D., by the then I pastor. Rev. Thomas Reece, afterwards known through- out the length and hreadth of the land as Dr. Rees, of Swansea. Mr Gay acknowledges with gratitude, his in- debtedness to his parents for impressing upon their chil- dren the dutv and necessity of attending regUlany me services of the Church to which they were bached. Mr Gay's school experiences were very great. He wa" educated first at a Dame Hhool, where slate work had to be done in a kneeling posture on a stone, the bench being used as a desk. But, at 5 years of age, he en- tered Heolfa.wr school. proceeding through the infant department to the senior school, over which Mr David Williams, afterwards principal of the Swansea Training College, presided. One of his teachers there was after- ward" widely known. Rev. J. Morla.s Jones, of Lewi-' ham, chairman of the Congregational Union 4n 18i? with whom, in ?hhsequent years, he enjoyed many a stroll in the by-roads of Llanwrtyd. He was afterwaixls apprenticed a.s a pupil teacher and became, in 18<0, second assistant at a Dowlais school, and was three years later appointed first- assistant at one of the I Board Schools in London, where he gained va-luable experience, having in the meantime gained his certifi- cate. During his three years under the London School Board his evenings were given up entirely to attendance at lectures in the Charter House Science School or the South Kensington Science and Art Classes, thus pre. paring him"elf for his life's work. W hen he went to London he did not leave his religion behind Vhu.? n ?n Wales, but attended the Church presided over by the Xev yo-eph Bovle, valuable tutor of the late Dr. Fair- bairn. The unsatisfactory state of his health conse- quent upon so much hard work, caused Iii, medical i(]- viser to order an immediate. removal to the country, and he became headmaster of Llanwrtyd Wells, being selected out of 37 applicants, and entered upon his dut- ie.s on August 14th. 1^6. His 40 years there have been years of progress in every respect. and every offer of other sphere has been declined. His record is an ex- cellent one. Hiso)d.scho)ar? are found all over the globe doing their duty nobly as eitizens. cf the Empire. Some are filling important pulpits in church and chapel, ,some are successful business men in our large towns, some are in leading hank", in London^ 'some are teacher-, and others are in service with the Post Office, while some have graduated at the universities, aIId for what he has been able to do he does not take all the credit to hiwself, but pays generous tribute to excellent a.s- sistants. It is worthy of note that during the whole course of his work at the. school the teaching has been bi-linguist. The district of Llanwrtyd would have been English-speaking long ago had it not been for the work I (lone iii the da v .,chcol. He insists that the teielier.4 should speak to the children both in English and Welsh. In his church and denominational relations Mr Gay has been equally happy. Nearly 30 years ago he was elected deacon of the Congregational Church at Llanwrtyd, of which the Rev. Richard James is the well known minister, and at the death of Mr Ed. Jones, father-in-law of the Rev. D. A. Griffith, C.C., Troed- rlmvdalar, he was elected secretary of the Church, a I position which he still holds. The Union cf Welsh Con- gregationalists -paid him a notable compliment by .re- questing him to give a model Scripture lesson to a class of children at the annual meeting held in Tredegar in ] 905. while the teachers of Breconshire marked their appreciation of his character and his work on behalf of his fellow teachers by unanimously electing him to the chair of their county association. In his early days at Llanwrtyd, Mr Gay was married to Miss C'. Jenkins, of Esgairmoel-uchaf, whose father was one of the dea- cons of the Congregational Church, and their only child was married eight year.s ago to Mr Idris Thomas, eldest rson of the late Rev. Robert Thomas, of Lan- dore, and ex-chairman of the Union of Welsh Congre- nationalists. The Presentation. I During the interval of the programme, the presenta- tion was made by Mrs Dr. Morgan. in the unavoidable absence of Mrs Penry Lloyd. A letter of regret was read from Mrs Penry Lloyd, stating her inability to at- tend owing to illness. The presentations were handed to Air and Mrs Gay by Mrs D. A. Morgan. The pre-war cost of the silver tray wa" X32, and the pupse contained Treasury notes, value 50 guineas. Mrs Morgan said it was a very pleasant duty to hand to Air and'Mrs Gay the silver tray and purse of gold as a token of respect, and wished them both long life and happines. Mr T. B; Lewis responded on behalf of Mr Gay, find stated that it was a red-letter day in his history. They hoth deeply appreciated the kind feelings shown to- ward" them. and they thanked them one and all for the va[uahk< present, which would remind them of the kindly feeling shown towards them. Rev. R. James also spoke, and said that he had great praise for Mr Gay as a schoolmaster, having had a great deal to do with the Llanwrtyd School Board. Mr Gay had always thoroughly attended to his duties. The president paid due respect to Councillor E. Saunders Morgan for the great intere.st he had taken in his duties as secretary. The following was the well-arranged programme, the accompanist being Miss Williams, Council School — "The infants hid you welcome"; "Dainty Domestics"; "The Teddy Bear parade"; "The three urchins"; "A good-night march"; "The Fireman's Wedding," Gwyn Williams; "Rag Dolls": pianoforte duet, Olwen Price and Lily Andrews: "Ping a Pong": "You musn't"; "Tall top hat": and "The Gipsy Band." Some of the items were deferred owing to shortness of time. The proceeds of the concerta were devoted to the Xursing Association. Mr- Rees, lion, sec., proposed a vote of thanks to the headmaster and his staff for the proceeds of the con- cert, which was formerly intended for another purpose. Dr. S. P. Hosgood seconded. A most enjoyable evening was spent, and great credit is due to Mr Rees, headmaster and staff, who have worked energetically towards the success of the enter- tainment, there being a record gathering. Mr D. R. Gay also presented to the Council School a beautiful enlarged photo of himself, and also a photo with his autograph to each of the collectors. Rev. 'R. Evans, as chairman, accepted the gift on behalf of the managers, and stated it was also.his wi,11 to have Mrs Gay's photo as well, for she had been as a kindly mother to the children. The Naticnal Anthem concluded the proceedings.

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