Ryerson Memorial Volume: Prepared on the occasion of the unveiling of the Ryerson statute in the grounds of the Education department on the Queen's birthday, 1889Hodgins, J. George (John George)
History
Ryerson Memorial Volume: Prepared on the occasion of the unveiling of the Ryerson statute in the grounds of the Education department on the Queen's birthday, 1889
Hodgins, J. George (John George)
Education -- Ontario; Ryerson, Egerton, 1803-1882
At intervals, during the years 1882-1886, circulars were issued by
the committee to inspectors, trustees and masters of High, Public
and Separate Schools, urging the collection of the necessary funds
to erect the proposed memorial. In order to aid in this work, 7,500
copies of a biographical sketch of Dr. Ryerson and his educational
work, prepared by the chairman, was sent to the inspectors for
distribution. The chairman also made the following suggestions to
inspectors (with a view to facilitate the collections from pupils),
which was generally acted upon, viz.:--
"Permit me to suggest a simple way of securing a response from
each school: You might request the teacher to give notice that,
on the following week, he would devote _five minutes_ at noon
of each day to taking down a list of contributions (from a cent
upwards) to the fund.
"In this way the pupils--and everyone in the locality, through
the children--would have an opportunity of contributing his or
her mite to the erection of a statue to one of Canada's most
honored sons."
The final circular issued by the committee was as follows:--
The appeal on behalf of the Ryerson Memorial Fund has been
responded to by about two-thirds of the public, and less than
one-third of the High-Schools in Ontario. The sum thus received
amounts to $4,425.00, including accrued interest on the moneys
received and invested.
The 7,520 masters and teachers now employed in the Public and
High Schools of Ontario, have not yet been appealed to, as
a body, to contribute to this most desirable and patriotic
object, although many of them have sent in their subscriptions.
The General Committee have, therefore, decided to make this
appeal to them through the various teachers' associations. The
committee trust, therefore, that the individual masters and
teachers concerned (if they have not already done so) will
heartily and promptly respond to this appeal.
The words with which Dr. Ormiston closes his appeal on behalf of
this fund we would heartily commend to your sympathy and kind
consideration. We do so with the earnest hope that you will
give them a substantial and practical application. Dr. Ormiston
says:--
"In obedience then, to one of the purest and loftiest instincts
of our nature, let us unite in paying a common tribute of
admiration and regard to the memory of him to whom we all
sustained a common relationship, and to whom we also, without
distinction as to nationality, political preferences, or
religious belief, can pay sincere homage, as the founder of our
present excellent and comprehensive system of education.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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