Preece Family Tree

With the Teachers at Oxford.

PRESENTATION TO A WELSHMAN.

[By Our Lady Correspondent.]

On Saturday evening a crowd had assembled in Jesus College, Oxford, in connection with the N.U.T. Conference, in order to present Mr. Tom John, M.A., of Llwynypia (ex-chairman of the N.U.T. Executive), with an illuminated address and a purse of gold, for the excellent work done by him for education. The hall was filled to overcrowding, and the feeling of all present was intensely enthusiastic. The meeting, which was presided over by Mr. T. T. Jenkins, Merthyr, was opened with a solo, "Gwlad y Delyn," by Mr. James Nicholas, Cwmavon.

On behalf of the Welsh teachers who had collected the money for this testimonial, Mr. Philip Thomas, of Neath, in the course of an admirable speech as to the ability and work of Mr. John, said that he had a very high opinion of Mr. John for more than one reason. He admired him as a Welshman, who had always kept in touch with all members of the teaching profession, and a lover of the children of the age. He was the first Welshman to sit on the Executive of the N.U.T. Secondly, he admired him as M.A. - a distinguished Welshman, and chairman of the Executive of the N.U.T. He had risen from the ranks by dint of hard, strenuous work and strong determination, but he liked him best of all as plain Tom John, the warm-hearted friend of education, and a patriotic and untiring Welshman. In conclusion, the speaker quoted a poetic effusion composed by our Welsh Poet Laureate (if we might call him so) - "Dyfed" - for this occasion:

"Dyag dy wlad sydd yn dy ddyled,
A chydnebydd hyny'n awr:
Os mai bechan yw y deyrnged,
Ti gei ynddi galon fawr;
Pan fo'r llif i'r lan yn nesu,
Iaith y mor sydd gan y don,
Ac mae dyfnder calon Cymru
Y tu cefn i'r anrheg hon."

[The learned of your country are indebted to you,
And acknowledge that though this tribute be small
She [i.e. Wales] sends it with a big heart,
And as the sea flows inland
it brings the language of the waves
and with it, the heart of Wales
that lies behind this gift.]

The address was beautifully designed, and contained several photographs - one of "Ysgol Comin," Aberdare, of which Mr. John is an "old boy"; Mr. and Mrs. John; Mr. John teaching a class of lads in the Rhondda; and Mr. John in his academic robes of M.A. graduate.

Mr. Humphrey Lewis, of Llangollen, in presenting Mr. John with a purse of gold, said that so much was thought of Mr. John in the North that had not the subscription been limited to a certain amount, he had no doubt more than double could have been collected from individual members of the teaching profession. He wished Mr. and Mrs. John, as did Mr. Philip Thomas also, long life and happiness, and only regressed the fact that Mrs. John lay so ill at the Rhondda, while under other circumstances she would have been present to enjoy the eulogies of her husband.

A magnificent case of cutlery, with an inscription, was presented to Master Dafydd John, on behalf of his mother, for silent and devoted service to the cause of education. This presentation was made by Miss Hannah Williams, of Cardiff, a member of the Executive of the N.U.T., who lamented the absence of Mrs. John, but hoped she would have a speedy recovery to health. Miss Williams said she had been Mr. John's colleague on the Executive and Central Welsh Board for many years, and felt the greatest pleasure in being able to associate with him in the many good educational works on behalf of the teachers and children of Wales.

Mr. T. W. Berry, Director of Education in the Rhondda Valley, said one never knew a teacher try to get a transfer or wished to leave Mr. John. The testimony borne him by his staff was always of the highest and best. Mr. John had found out the true condition of the teacher's fitness - love of the child, etc. - and never failed to practise it. Whether Mr. John was in the County Court, the Higher Grade School, or County School, he always kept the one principle in view - the child - from the child to the teacher, and the teacher to the parent.

Mr. A. R. Pickles (president-elect), on behalf of the Executive and teachers of England, bore testimony to Mr. John's fine qualities, shown particularly in the energy and devotion with which he ever attended to his work on the Executive. He went on year after year, like Tennyson's "Brook," and the least one could say of him was that the spirit of Wales lived in him.

Dr. Macnamara, M.P., who was received with great acclamation, observed that it was not necessary for him to say how glad he was to have been invited to that meeting. He was as truly enthusiastic and Welsh at heart as the others who had made the presentation to Mr. John. He was a Devonshire lad, born in Canada of Irish parents, but wholly Welsh on that occasion (great applause). He could faithfully say he had been sustained on many occasions by Tom John's unflagging good temper, cheerfulness, and urbanity; and in his capacity as member of the Executive, as president and ex-president, he had accomplished a great work for Wales (applause).

Mr. T. P. Sykes (president of the N.U.T. Executive) said if he had come to any success at all during his year of office as president of the N.U.T., he owed it to his friend, Mr. Tom John, who had been nothing but kindness to him. He also sincerely regretted the absence of Mrs. John, and they were all sorry for hte reason which kept her away.

Mr. J. H. Yoxall, general secretary, who next spoke, said he had in all humility to allow he was purely English. He could not call himself a Yorkshire Welshman, like Mr. Pickles, nor even a Celt, like Dr. Macnamara, but he was a Saxon; still, he could appreciate to the full the strong characteristics and many virtues of the Welshmen.

Mr. Tom John, in replying, said words were too weak to express what was at his heart that evening. No words could adequately express the gratitude he felt towards them all for their kind feelings. It was all the harder, as someone was missing. First of all, he wished to thank his friends for their speeches for they had taught him that there was nothing more popular at present than to be Welsh. They were going on, making some progress, but the world must become infinitely better. He was glad he was a teacher in the people's schools, for after all the glory of the world depended upon the work of the teacher in the people's schools; and if he had done anything to help that cause, he thanks God for sending him into the world (loud applause).

Master Dafydd John, son of Mr. Tom John, on behalf of his mother, thanked all those for the kindly feelings which had prompted them to give a present to his mother.

"Hen Wlad fy Nhadau," following a solo by Mr. D. Cynon Evans, Abercynon, who sang "Cymru Fydd" very nicely, concluded the meeting.