Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 04 November 1932
Headmistress’s Farewell Prize Day
The annual distribution of prizes in the girls’ department of the Conisboro Middle School took place on Friday when the Rey. G. H. Marshall presided and the prizes were distributed by Mrs J. Brocklesby.
Miss L Ward, the head-mistress, who is to be married to-morrow, took the opportunity of saying farewell to her pupils.
Mr Marshall said he was sure Miss Ward was as sorry to leave the school as they were to loss her.
Mrs. Brocklesby said she always felt a great interest in that school. One of the last her husband (Mr. John Brocklesby) did was to get the building started. It was a great regret to her that he had not lived to see it completed. They were all sorry Miss Ward was leaving Conisboro’ but they hoped she would be very happy.
Mr. W. H. Jones (Clerk to the local Education Committee), proposing a vote of thanks to Mrs. Brocklesby, expressed pleasure at being able to renew association with the wife of his late chairman. They had a splendid ceremony when the school was opened, but the one figure he missed was that of Mr. Brocklesby. He referred to the children’s successes as a wonderful example of conduct, work and discipline.
Miss Ward, who seconded, said how pleased they were to have with them Mrs. Brocklesby and Mr. Marshall. She wished to take that opportunity of bidding them farewell, as Monday would be her last in the school. She would then have completed three and a half years as headmistress. Those had been very happy days for her because the beginning of things was always interesting. She felt just a little disappointed that she would not see the completion of the work that she had begun, but she also felt a certain amount ” of pride, because whatever her successor did she would have to build on the foundations she (Miss Ward) had laid. It was up to the girls to show their new headmistress what she could make of them. She thought there was the making of something very fine and beautiful in them, and some day she would come back and feel proud of the part she had played.
“I leave with you this wish, ‘ Miss Ward concluded. “that the traditions you have begun to make as a school. You will carry on.”
During the afternoon the school choir, trained, by Miss F. M. White, sang “0 had I Jubal’s lyre” (Handel), “Sister elves” and “Come ever-smiling Liberty” (Handel).
Miss Ward explained that three sets of prizes would be distributed: for the year’s work, for sports (including swimming) and the Royal Society of Arts’ drawing examination, in which 13 pupils had been successful, 11 with honours.
The following pupils received prizes for school work:
Cora Cook, Betty MacDonald, Marjorie Natter, Margaret Wood, Margaret Humphries, Daisy Gregson, Mary Dutton, Doris Laycock, Barbara Ward, Ivy Lunn, Violet Heathcock, Gwen Hudson, Jean Hudson, Lily Simms, Irene Butterfield, Lucy Rose, Mary Hudson, Kitty Scott, Olive Sleaford, Ada Chadfield, Doris Mason, Frances Mannifield, May Richardson, Charlotte Dunstan, Joan Stanton, Kathleen Farmery, Margaret Ellis, Thelma Moor, Dorothy Hirst, Irene Taylor, Jessie Ibbotson, Lydia Westwood. Phyllis Woodward, Vera Wakefield and Nora Petman.
Swimming certificates were presented to Althea Dinsdale, Daisy Gregson, Jessie Oswald, Dorothy Barnes, Winnie Williams, Gladys Coates, Ida Thickett. May Griffiths, Florence Kelly, Emma Townsend and Barbara Ward.
Certificates for the Royal Society of Arts’ drawing examination (Division 3) were presented to Margaret Humphries, Gwenda Hudson. Barbara Ward, Mary Dutton, Jean Hudson, Margaret Ellis, Cora Cook and Jessie Oswald. Division 2: Doris Mason, Joan Stanton and Margaret Ellis junr. The foregoing all had honours certificates and pass certificates were won by Margaret Wood and Hetty Vine.
Prizes won at the sports were received by Margaret Adams, Edith Purdy, Marjorie Duncan, Sarah Underwood, Vera Wakefield, Freda Curtis, Rhoda White, Margaret Humphries, Jean Hudson, Margaret Nutter, Irene Ellie, Doreen Hinchliffe. Ivy Lunn Jessie Oswald .Dorothy Moor, Alice Mvcroft; Barbara Ward. Ruby Brackenbury, Phyllis Davies and Florence Woodhead.