Preece Family Tree

MR. TOM JOHN HONOURED.

DEMONSTRATION OF WELCOME AT LLWYNYPIA.

A demonstration of welcome to Mr. Tom John, the newly-elected vice-president of the National Union of Elementary Teachers, was held at Llwynypia on Saturday. A procession of the children of the. Llwynypia, Pontrhondda, Clydach Vale, Tonypandy, Trealaw, and Dinas Schools, headed by a brass band, followed by the Llwynypia Drum and Fife Band and the general public, left the Llwynypia Station on the arrival of the up 6.11 p.m. train, the rear being brought up by several carriages, the first of which, conveying, amongst others, Mr. and Mrs. Tom John, was unhorsed and drawn by a number of boys and adults. A public meeting, presided over by Alderman Richard Lewis, J.P., was afterwards held at Ebenezer Chapel, Tonypandy, which was crowded. Complimentary speeches were delivered by the Rev. G. Jenkins (Llwynypia), Mr. R. S. Griffiths, and Mr. Price (president of the district Union), Mr. J. T. Lewis (schoolmaster), the Rev. W. Charles (Treorky), Mr. Gomer Jones (his Majesty's inspector), and the Rev. E. Edwards, and it was stated that Mr. John had been for seventeen years a member of the executive of the National Union of Teachers, and, although Wales only had 4,000 out of the 50,000 votes available, Mr. John's election had been carried by a record majority, he being, too, the first Welshman to fill the post. The presentation, which took the form of an illuminated address, was made by Mr. Austin Jenkins, the registrar of the Cardiff University College, who dwelt on the point that a nation as well as an individual could be judged by its heroes, and though he was favourably disposed towards athletics and maintained that local authorities should be given the control of the recreation of the people, and that he was delighted when a Welshman was selected as an international footballer, still, he would be sorry to see the day when the heroes of Wales were those men who could most skilfully kick a ball or kill men. The presentation was then formally made amidst prolonged applause, after which Mr. Tom John responded. Presentations were also made to Mr. Ted Hughes, conductor of the Mid-Rhondda Choir, and Mr. D. J. Roberts, master of the drum and fife band, on the occasion of recent successes at Mountain Ash and Abergavenny. Songs were rendered by Mr. W. Spencer Thomas (Trealaw), and Mies J. Lewis and Mr. David Evans (Llwynypia), the accompanist being Mr. W. T. David, the organist.