Reports on the retirement of Elias Jones
The Rhos Herald Saturday, July 1st 1939
MR ELIAS JONES Proposed Testimonial upon Retirement
A meeting representative of the whole parish was held at the National School, Rhos, on Monday evening, to consider making a public Testimonial to Mr Elias Jones, headmaster of the National School, who is retiring in August after 39 years service.
The Vicar, Rev J Lewis Edwards, who presided, said that at a meeting of the school managers, it was felt that the whole parish should be associated with any testimonial made to Mr Elias Jones upon his retirement, for he had been closely associated with most of the public movements and activities of Rhos, during his 39 years amongst them.
The Rhos Herald Saturday, July 29th 1939
School Presentation to Mr Elias Jones, Nat.School
On Thursday afternoon the scholars and staff of the Rhos National School presented Mr Elias Jones, the headmaster, with a handsome oak bookcase, and Mrs Jones with a beaten pewter tray.
The occasion was the retirement of Mr Elias Jones after serving the school as headmaster for 39 years.
There were pleasant functions both in the Infants department and in the “big room”, where the children gave us a programme of school songs.
The Vicar, the Rev Lewis Edwards, presided, and there were present several of the school managers and guests. An apology was received from Mrs Lewis Edwards who was unable to be present owing to indisposition.
The Headmaster presented his report, and Mrs Jones presented the school prizes and certificates.
A full report of proceedings, together with the prize list will appear next week.
The Rhos Herald Saturday, August 5th 1939
39 YEARS A HEADMASTER Retirement of Mr Elias Jones, WernSchool
After serving as headmaster of the Rhos National School for 39 years, Mr Elias Jones retires this month. To mark the occasion, the scholars and staff of the school made a presentation to Mr and Mrs Jones on Thursday afternoon, July 27th. To Mr Elias Jones was given a handsome bookcase, and Mrs Jones was presented with a beaten pewter service tray.
The chairman of the function was the Rev J Lewis Edwards (Vicar) and there were present several guests and school managers. After an interesting programme of music by the scholars, the school prizes and certificates were presented by Mrs Elias Jones.
In his appreciation of Mr Elias Jones, the Vicar said that the Prize Day that year was a red-letter day in the history of the school, for Mr Elias Jones, their headmaster, was to say “Good-bye” to the school which he had served faithfully and well for nearly 40 years. Under his wise and capable headmastership the school had made remarkable progress. Indeed, it was a well known fact in educational circles that the Rhos National School was one of the best schools in the county.
During Mr Jones’s time the number on the registers had gone up from 220 to 350, which fact in itself spoke well of the work done in the school. This reputation was largely due to the indefatigable way Mr Elias Jones had attended to his duties as headmaster all along the years.
The Vicar was supported by short speeches by Mrs Oswald Hughes, Mr Dd Owen, and the Rev P Darbyshire Robert, who wished both Mr and Mrs Elias Jones long life and happiness in their retirement.
In responding, Mr Elias Jones thanked the children and staff for their beautiful presents, which would always remind him of the happy years he had spent with them. He had been there a very long time, and most of the present day scholars’ fathers and mothers were his pupils years ago, and in some isolated cases even their grandparents. He had at all times tried to do his best for the good of the children; had tried to make them happy in school, and to train them to become good citizens when they grew up. It was, of course, necessary for them to obtain what they called “book learning” in order to go through the world successfully, but what was more important was the character they formed while they were young. Their behaviour away from school – at home – in the streets – in their churches – in fact everywhere – would show whether they had really benefitted by their training in school. He would like to pay a word of special thanks to his staff, and to thank them for the unswerving loyalty and support they had given him throughout the years.