School Queen Crowned - Opening of Public Park
16 September 1926
Newtongrange was en fete on Saturday. Favoured with delightful
weather the proceedings opened in Square Park when the Dux Girl of Newbattle
School, Miss Mary Allan, was crowned Queen. There were about 1300 school children
present and in addition about 1500 children under school age. These formed
a quadrangle in the centre of, which was placed the platform where the crowning
ceremony was performed by Mrs Fowler, wife of the school master. The court
comprised of the following:
Queen - May Allan
Chief Maid of Honour - Miss Isabella Cunningham;
Maids - Misses Elizabeth Carson, Elizabeth Kirk, Barbara
Moffat, Rosalin Dubickas and Agnes Jeffrey;
Herald - Master Chas C Collins;
Crown Bearer - Master John Hunter;
Pages - Masters Allan Hunter and William Scott.
The scene was a pretty one and the children were neat, clean and tidy and generally well dressed. White was the colour most favoured by the girls, but there was no attempt to uniformity among the boys although they all looked smart. The ceremonials were carried out with great dignity. The Queen carried a beautiful bouquet of "Queen Alexandra" and "Daily Mail" roses with asparagus fern, which was made up by Mr. J.E. Tugwell, caretaker of the New Public Park. Queen Mary received an interesting memento of the occasion in the form of a beautiful necklace gifted by Mrs Fowler, who was later presented with the Queen's bouquet.
Mr Mungo Mackay said, as President of the Gala Day Committee, he would like to thank them on behalf of his colleagues and himself for their presence and assistance in carrying out the programme that day. The gala day was practically a school day and had come to be recognised as an annual event. It should be the duty and privilege of fathers and mothers to give their children as much as possible of their time, care and company to fit them to become worthy citizens, which would prove a joy and comfort to them in their later years. All children of a given age are sent to school, where they are put under the care of teachers who had spent many years of an apprenticeship to enable them to train to take care of the little ones. But the education of the children begins at home and it is home influences that count in the formation of the child's character. Some children are better behaved than others and generally that was due entirely to home influences. Many children complained of the impatience of their teachers but fathers and mothers ought to consider whether they had done their duty that the child should require to be punished by the teacher.
One of his own earliest recollections was of the teacher who had given him a sound thrashing. When his father heard of it he ordered him at once to go to the schoolmaster and apologise for having given the teacher cause for the thrashing. That action of his father had a more salutary effect on his future conduct than a dozen thrashings. Parents were greatly responsible for the education of their children from the earliest years. They lay the foundations on which the teacher builds, and the extent to which the teacher can impart knowledge depends largely on the home influences. If those suggestions were considered and acted upon, he was sure there would be much rivalry among the scholars. It was his sincerest wish that in future, the schoolmaster would have great difficulty in deciding which scholars should be awarded the coveted prize.
Mr. Fowler said that he and his staff, in honouring the pupils, were honouring the teachers. He should like to say that he agreed very much with what Mr Mackay had said about home education. The home factor had probably more to do with education than the schools. The teacher hoped that in all their efforts in the school they would always be backed up by the parents, without whose help, sympathy and co-operation education in the schools would be of little value. He had great pleasure in presenting a watch to the Queen who was Dux of the school. She was the bright star from the east (Easthouses). During the holidays she assisted in carrying the porridge and soup from Newbattle to Easthouses and during that time she had walked about 200 miles. He had also great: pleasure in presenting Charles Collins, the Dux Boy, with a silver watch.
The Park was opened by Viscount Chelmsford and is the first of its kind in Scotland. It extends to about 17 acres and has a cricket pitch with pavilion, a putting green with separate pavilion and a children's play centre. There is a bandstand in the centre of the park, whilst there are flowerbeds, shrubs and a rockery with numerous herbaceous pIants among the other features. The park has cost about £9,000. At the bandstand where the opening ceremony was performed there was a large and representative attendance over which Mr Mungo Mackay presided.
The company included Mr. James A. Hood, J.P. Midfield, the Chairman
of the Lothian Coal Company and Mrs Hood; Mrs Mackay; Mr. J.C. Murray: Secretary
of the Company and Mrs Murray; Sir Henry Dundas Bart., Mr. Joseph Westwood
MP; Mr. Andrew B. Clarke; Provost and Mrs Doughty, Dr and Mrs McKenzie; Mr
J. Rutherford JP; Chairman Newbattle Parish Council Mr A. Dougall; Mr P.Milligan;
Dr.R. Inch Gorebridge, Mr. Wm. Kirkwood, Secretary of the local Welfare Committee.