The first annual Prize Distribution of the Canton Guild School took place on Thursday afternoon. HE, Wu Ting-fang was in the chair and was supported by Dr. Timothy Richard and Chun Taotai. large number of guests, both foreign and Chinese, were present. The Chairman of the Guild, Mr. Tong Kid-son, opened.the proceedings by thanking all who had come for their presence, as it showed that they encouraged the undertaking, He said that so far the Guild had only made a sli attempt, but they meant to push it further. The Guild had been started some 83 years ago for trade purposes only. Two years ago the members realised the necessity of educating their young, and converted the Guild house into a school room. The Schoul had succeeded very well. Committee had been successful in securing the services of Mr. G. Boyers us head master, who had not only worked well with the Committee Dut had made himself extremely popular with the scholars
Distribution of the Canton Guild School.
Mr. Boyers—" his is the first annual Prize Ido not intend to weary you by reading a long list of the marks and percentages. Lonly propose to go over the chief points of interest of the past School year. A thorough examination of the past. year' work has been held, and I think the high percentages gained in almost every paper, especially inthe Higher Forms, is a fact highly gratifying to the masters of the School.
The Middle and Lower Forms have been working under very trying circumstances, owing lo the changes in the staff about Che middle of the School year, when Mr. Li Siu-yuen left to take charge of the Branch School in Hongkew. This School opened on the second of September 903, with 82 boys on the register, but since the opening the numbers have been increased to 109.
At the beginning of the School year T divided the students int" two divisions. One division studies English in the morning while the other division takes Chinese subjects, These classes are reversed in the afternoon, and in this way English and Chinese subjects are taught simultaneously without loss of time, To these students who do not e Chinese studies, instru tion in advanced and extra English given. They form special classes while their' form companions study Chinese, hence their rapid progress in some subjects. Tu drawing up a plan of work, I tok into consideration, where possible, the capabilities as well as the future of the studer Tt has been and is now my ambition to make the School as useful as possible to those attending it, and I am desirous of adapting the curriculum to the needs of the boys rather than adapting the boys to the School course. Great stress is laid on such subjects as arithmetic, reading, grammar, handwriting, and spelling. The: the fundamental subjects of an English education and the foundation of what is to follow. The should not be neglected for hi more advanced subjects, especially with the younger boys.
Throughout the year a number of examinations have been given as a test of thoroughness of the work of the school and j of the boys? ability to make use of the! teaching imparted to them. I am very! pleased to say we have a good proportion of young boys in the School. It is from these boys we have every hupa of producing good results. It is from them the success of the School's teaching may in the future be judged. They stay with us longer than the older students, who come to School only for a short period, and then leave, in many instances, to commence business. Many new boys have done well, but I do not feel it would be right to prefer them to the boys who have borne the burden and heat of the year's work. No doubt they will come in for good prizes at the next distribution Now with regard to athletics. We have not done much in the way of sport. labour under a disadvantage in not having a playground attached to the School, but through the kindness of the Committee, a piece of ground has been provided out' in the country. Here we played football. during the winter, and just lately cricket has been started. " Healthy ga ich as chet, are a valuable part of 'The boys require a change from the exercise of the mind to the exercise of the body. From such games as these th boys lown public spirit' and they also learn to care for their school.
The moral tone and discipline of the School are on the whole very good, With only one oF two exceptions, the boys have been obedient to School order and rule Great attention is paid to the develop of a boy's character. Habits of dis and self-respect. hi of responsibility, and the older have been urged to set a good example to the younger members of the School, both by practice and precept.
On the whole, I can look back upon the last year's with certain amount of just completed bears initiated, the great number of young boys in the School gives us great hope for the future, Mr. Boyers then entered into details of the work which had been done during year.
Richard—I_ feel it a very great honour to ited to say a few here this after for this reason Cantonese in C for their progress Tt has been my who commenced the China Merchants' Ca. ge to know him when To hi is ideas of how China was to gress in the world And gener was not him.
Blore I tind when we wanted to bool, who eae of The Cantonese. feel it an honour to be associ ed with stich gentle: mien.
The head master spoke of a branch school.
There are 100 pupils heve and 100 at the branch; 200 pupil: ing to meet the new conditions of life in the world. We have here on the platform " gentler who had one of the most difficult to perform. You know that the Boxer trouble in 1900 was one of the greatest events in the world, and no one of the men who na out of her ditlieult better than IL. pi tion is given to provincials. familiar with the rea: and the histories, and you know how little the people of the West knew of the Enst 4,000 years ago. was some 2,000 years ago that we got to Know a little about India, and it was only 700 years ayo toat we in the West got to know anything about the existence of China Maren Polo told a wonderful tale of a great country which the people in Europe did not believe, but which has since been proved to be trae. 600 years ago we began to extend our knowledge of Africa, and the last places are coly being explored now. For the last century people have been Company, Lincoln, England. scouring the world in search of new lands and undiscovered treasure. I mention these things to show you that now for the frst tine in the history of the world practically the whole of it is kn can get histories of all the the world. Now wherever it get a good education the student I purely local and national knowledge for the universal. There was a time when true of law Even religions liar. To be good be kind-hearted towards the basis of all of the world.
Tam privilege of coming to" distribute From the interesting report read 1 learn pleasure a number of you are taught, 1 ule ye your oppor s. recollect with sorrow that in y school days I had not the privilege of wurly of these sub Theo I ground, thin: which T never had when schouly and as far as T can recollect Thad no summer holidays. It_is sume time ayo since T was at school, how long T do not like to say, but Tam sure we enjoyed half the You have Far be it fron me to depre line to be Some us have customs and ideas which are \licial to our moraly [will give you Take the case of freedom vocated by Western ions. liberty and liberty, 1 you must not act in such "a y as to be disrespectful superiors and parents. n oF a mau the other day who used te ge home ud take the most contortable ehair,—the seat of honour, and talked to. his pire most disrespectiully. Do not imitate hi (Land applause.) Another wan doubt but de not conrything when you lowe then only just begun to and the more you lo ind that you deally The prizes mostly consisted of (for nearly half an hour there stream of youth: ful Chinese to and from the table earrying the books whi i hard to oh presented by the committee or by indi dual members of the Guild. Sir Chentung g-chens, K C.M.G., and Messrs. Chant ing and Chun also presented GLARKE'S B41 PILLS "x2 wsreoned either sex, all acqmred or constitutional Discharges from "the Urinary Organs, Gravel and Pains in the back. Free from Mercury. Estab shel upwards of 30 years. In boxes 4s, 6d. each, of all Chemists and Parent Medicine' Vendors throughout the World. Proprietors, The Lincoln and) Midland Counting "Drug
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.