The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1888-12-20

First Celebration of Founders Day
Interesting Exercises.

mehameha School on Wednesday after
noon, the occasion being the first observ-
ance OF Founders Day, the birthday
anniversary of the late Mrs. Bernice
Pauahi Bishop, by whose munifcent be-
quest the institution was founded. The
exercises were held in the gymnasium
and the following invited guests were
present: II. r. ii. Princess Liliuoka-
lani attended by Mrs. J. o. Carter, Hon.
G. R. Bishop, Rev. G. NJ. Hyde, d. D.,
and Mrs. Hyde, Rev. E. G. Beckwith,
D. D., Rev. W. G. Merritt and Mrs.
Merritt, Lieut.. Crawford, q S. N, Mrs.
w. B. Oleson, Hon. W. F. Allen and
Mrs. Allen, Hon. H NJ Whitney, Capt
Bourke, r. N, Capt. Acland, r. N,
Major-General Cunliffe, R. A, Hon. S.
NJ. Damon, Mr.. W. w. Hall and Mrs.
Hall, Prof. NJ. NJ. Scott and Mrs. Scott,
Mr.. J. H. Patty and Mrs. Patty, Mrs. J.
q. Kawainui, Mrs. Napoliona, Prof w
D. Alexander, Mr.. G. NJ Cooke and Mrs.
Cooke, Mrs. Hartwell, Mr.. T. q. Gribble
and Mrs. Gribble, Mrs. Whitman, and
| few others.
Messrs. Lyman, Townsend, and Terry,
/ Of the faculty, acted as ushers, and the
| lady members of the faculty were among
| those present. Rev. w. B. Oleson,
Principal of the institution, Hon. @. r.
| Bishop, President of the Board of Edu-
| cation, as well as Chairman of the Trus-
tees. and Lieut.. Crawford, we're seated
| on the platform. The exercises were
| opened with the HYMN "Cast Thy Bur
den on the Lord sung very beautifully
by the school under the leadership of the
Hon. H. S. Townsend, after which
prayer was made by the Rev. DIR. Hyde.
The Rev. MIR. Oleson then introduced
the Hon. @. r. Bishop, who had pre-
pared a speech for the occasion. The
honorable gentleman gave a historical
sketch of the genesis of the institution
substantially as follows:
The trustees of the estate of the late
Hon. Bernice Pauahi Bishop, in setting
apart an annual holiday for the Kane
hameha Schools to be known as Foun-
der's Day, had chosen the anniversary
of that lady's birth, the 18th of Decem-
Der, for that purpose. IF an institution
is useful to mankind, then is the founder
thereof worthy to be gratefully remem-
| bered. kamehameha l., by his skill
| and courage as warrior and his ability
| as a ruler, founded this nation. Kane
hameha II. abolished the tabu and
opened the way for Christianity and
civilization to come In. Kamehameha
III. gave to the people their kuleanas
and a constitutional government, and
thus laid the foundation for our indie
pendence as a nation. Kamehameha
". and Queen Emma were the founders
: of the Queens Hospital. Kamehamehs
V. was a patriotic and able sovereign
and Lunalilo was the founder OF the
, Home which bears his name. All these
should be held in honored remembrance
by the Hawaiian people.
Bernice Pauahi Bishop, by founding
the Kamehameha Schools, intended *
establish institutions which should be o
lasting benefit to her country and also tC
honor the name Kamehameha: the
most conspicuous name in Polynesiar
! | history: name with which we associ
: ate ability, courage, patriotism and gen
erosity. The founder of these schools
was true Hawaiian, who knew the ad
Z vantages Of education and we'll directed
: industry. Industrious and sklful her
. self, she respected those qualities il
others. Her heart was heavy when sh'
- saw the rapid diminution of the Hawaii
4 an people going on decade after decade
N Her own race less than a century ag'
- was estimated at 300, 900 people or more
and she knew that these fair island
would not be left without people, comm
u from east and west. Her hope that Their
- would come a turning point, when
IL through enlightenment, the adoption c
s. regular habits and Christian WAYS c
living, the natives would not only hol
their own, but would increase again Xix
q the people of other races, at times gre7
D. faint and almost died out. She foresa1
C that in few years the natives would nc
s. be much If any in the majority, so tina
in competition with other nationalities
without legal preferences for their pro
OF lection, their privileges, success an
re comfort would depend upon their mora
E, character, intelligence and industry
e Therefore, in order to give her own pet
Of pie an opportunity of preparing for sue
powerful competition, she provided fc
these schools, In which Hawaiians hav
E. the preference and which she hope
n they would value and take the advantage
Y, of as fully as possible. Could tn
Of founder of these schools have locke
N into the future and realized the scene
before them that day, the speaker VS.
sure it would have excited new hopes
J. her heart, as it did In his own.
g. IF the Hawaiians availed themseive
g. of the opportunities here presented
2. them, and were governed by the SCUM
a. principles here daily inculcated, theI
A. was no reason why they should ne
1T from that time forth increase in nun
z. bers, self-reliance and influence. But
they are Incorporate, wasteful of time
# careless of health and Indifferent as
Is character, and if they follow those ev
70 examples, of which there are SO man
s on every side, then, nothing can saw
" them from a low position and loss of IL
2. fluence in their own native land, or pei
re- haps from ultimate extinction as q race
.. Mr. Bishop concluded: But let us b
II cheerful and hopeful for the best, an
see to it that from these schools-as we
as from the other good schools-shall g
out young men fitted and determined
take and maintain a good standing
u every honest industry or occupation i
a. which they may engage. These school
"a,