John(2) Grant

John Grant was the son of William and Ellen Grant of Clairinch.

On completing his primary education John attended the Otago Boys' High School and thence to the Dunedin Training College and Otago University, gaining his Teacher's Certificate. His first teaching appointment was to the small school of Bendigo in Central Otago. Other schools at which he taught were Kakanui Waihola. Tokoiti, North East Valley, Hataitai and finally Karori, of which school he had been headmaster for five years When he retired. His teaching career was an outstandingly successful one. He had a flair for public relations which enabled him to secure cooperation from children and parents alike, John was a keen sportsman all his life, playing cricket, tennis, and football in his younger days. While in Dunedin, he joined the North East Valley Bowling Club and became an ardent bowler both there and in Wellington. He took an active part in Church and Social Welfare Work in the districts where he taught and at the time of his death in 1935 was Session Clerk of Karori Presbyterian Church. He married Jean Rutherford, of Outram, whose father arrived in Otago in 1875.

KARORI PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

MEMORIAL SERVICE to the late Mr. J.B. Grant - Sunday Evening, May 5th. 1935

Preached by Rev. Leonard H. Hunt.

Text: Psalm 37 vs 37 - "Mark the perfect man and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace."

Dearly beloved brethren, we are assembled here this evening as a Christian congregation to commemorate the passing of Mr. J.B. Grant, one of the first elders of this congregation and our Session Clerk. Both our Church and the community at large have suffered a heavy loss as no man was better known in the community and none was held in higher esteem. He was also for nearly five years the headmaster of our public school, and this position brought him into immediate contact with a large number of children and also with their parents.

I think it is fitting that we should hold this service, although I am well aware that there are different opinions on this point. Some people say that we should never hold a Memorial Service for anybody because we thus make distinctions between prominent Christians and those who are more humble and probably just as worthy of recognition. I admit that there is some truth in this contention, but I think it is overridden by another and more important consideration, which is that we are commanded in Scripture to mark the perfect man and to behold the upright. The position I take up is this: we are here as a Christian church witnessing to certain ideals of character and of conduct. We teach the Christian virtues and exhort our people to live up to them. We have to admit with sorrow that, in many cases, nothing much seems to come of all our preaching, but some seed falls on good ground and brings forth fruit. When then we do see people who exhibit all the gifts and graces of the Christian character, it is both our duty and our privilege to draw attention to them. We do this not to take any credit to ourselves but in order to encourage ourselves and others in the faith and to remind ourselves that what the grace of God can do for others can be done for us also. I admit that this form of service has its dangers. We have all at some time or other listened to eulogies of the departed that were nauseating on account of the element of exaggeration. I have long since made up my mind not to do that for anybody: But tonight there is no temptation along that line. All that I have to do is to state the simple facts about the life and character of our departed friend. My task is comparatively simple.

To understand the man we must know something about the stock from which he sprang. He was born in Tokomairo, Otago. His Mother came out in the Philip Laing and his father also in one of the early emigrant ships. Some time after his birth his parents moved to the Taieri Plains and settled at West Taieri. There were at that time three families of Grants, the Grants of Granton, Grants of Clairinch and the Grants of Gowrie, the two latter being brothers. Mr. Grant belonged to the Grants of Clairinch. He had six brothers and one sister of whom the five brothers are still living: The Taieri is a magic name to me, I lived nearby in Dunedin and I spent a happy year as a student assistant at East Taieri. The old Taieri families were among the finest I have ever known and they have made a great contribution to the moral and spiritual welfare of Otago and of New Zealand. I would like to stress that fact this evening for Mr. Grant was only one of a large number of Southerners who have come to the North Island and who have made a notable contribution to all departments of life in church and state. It is really surprising the number of Otago men and women who are occupying prominent positions in the North Island at the present time. Mr. Grant was a worthy representative of the sons of the first pioneers.

Now time will not permit me this evening to do justice to my subject, but I wish to refer to our friend by referring to him first as a schoolmaster, second as a citizen and an all-round man, and third as a loyal churchman and a Christian gentleman.

As a Schoolmaster.

Mr. Grant was appointed to the Karori Public School at a very critical time in its history. He came in the year 1927, and at that time Karori was growing rapidly. The school grew by leaps and bounds, bringing with it ever increasing burdens of administration and oversight. In my humble opinion there is no man who exerts a profounder influence on the community than the public school teacher, especially the headmaster. I would not except even the minister of the Gospel. For the schoolteacher is dealing with young lives at their most plastic stage. He has them for five hours a day and five days in the week, and we all know by the experiences of our own schooldays what a big figure the schoolteacher cuts in life. I do not think we sufficiently recognise what a fine body of men and women we have in this country in the teaching profession. I question if there is a finer body in the world. Now Mr. Grant was a most excellent and efficient headmaster. He was a man of ability as a teacher himself. There was nothing about the teacher's problems that he did not know, and you could teach him nothing about handling bad boys. As a schoolmaster he had a most extraordinary gift of knowing every boy and girl by name. In a school of 600 pupils this is a great feat. But he not only knew them by name. He knew a good deal about them and the kind of homes from which they came. This knowledge was invaluable in dealing with them. In his relations with the staff and with the parents of the children he was always the perfect gentleman. He was very painstaking and a master of detail. He left nothing to chance and everything he did he did well. It is not possible today to measure the extent of his influence during his comparatively brief term of office, but he can

He is justly be looked upon as one of the founders of Karori School. Relations with the school committee were just as cordial as they were with the staff, and they also bear tribute to his conduct and character. As a citizen and all-round Man.

I wish now to refer to Mr. Grant as a citizen and as an all-round man. By a citizen I mean a man who belongs to a community, having obligations to that community that should be discharged. As a citizen he made, of course, his greatest contribution as a schoolmaster. But he was also keenly alive to happenings outside the school. He was a very faithful member of the inter-church committee for the relief of distress and he spent a good deal of time in helping the poor officially and unofficially. I know that the term "an all-round man" is a much abused term. But I wish to use it tonight in its best sense. a man who is what the Americans call "a good mixer", a man who mixes. By it I mean freely with his fellows in all their joys and sorrows. The best avenue for the exercise of the social virtues is certainly in the realm of sport. Now Mr. Grant was a real and a true sport from early manhood. As a student he was a keen footballer, representing the Vincent County at Rugby. He was also a keen tennis player and later on he adopted bowls, which was his last love. There was nothing of the recluse or of the ascetic about him. I think every man should have a hobby or a recreation of some sort. It helps to restore the balance of life and it is a sure testing ground for character. We admit, of course, that there is a danger here also. Some men allow their hobby or their sport to control them. It becomes their god and destroys that very perspective that it ought to preserve. But Mr.Grant was not of that type. He succeeded in the very difficult task of preserving at all times a perfect balance. He never once allowed his sport to interfere with his duties sacred or secular, and that is a notable achievement and rarer than some of us think. No man on the Karori Bowling Green was more highly respected as a man and as a true sport. He was a first class bowler as his record shows. And a man is no worse as a Christian if he is a good bowler. His very proficiency is a standing testimony to the fact that real religion does not impair any man's faculties but tends to improve them. He was a great favourite on all hands and every member of the Club will bear testimony to that fact. On the afternoon of the day in which he entered hospital he went to the green and played a game of bowls. He enjoyed it thoroughly and on coming home he remarked to Mrs. Grant that he had played the best game of his life, little dreaming perhaps that it was also the last.

As a Churchman and Christian. 

I wish in the last place to refer to our friend as a good churchman and sincere Christian. I know that the term "churchman" is not always a happy term, but I wish to use it tonight in its best sense. I know that you sometimes hear folk say *Oh yes, so and so is a very good churchman, but -", and we all know what comes after the "but". He is not too straight in business or he has a bad temper or he is not a success as an employer or he is not a sport, and so on.

But Mr Grant was a good churchman in the best and highest sense of that term. In the first place he was a good Presbyterian, rooted and grounded in the faith of his fathers. He was not the type of man to make a tour of the churches sampling sermons, and we cannot imagine him running after all the fancy cults of our present day - his Father's religion was good enough for him. He dearly loved this Church and this building and he played a very prominent part in its establishment in this place. He was always in his place in the sanctuary twice on the Sabbath unless kept away by sickness. He carried into his church work the same attention to detail that he gave to his school work. He was my session clerk. The session clerk is in many ways the Minister's right-hand man and he has to discharge many duties that call for tact and love and gracious dealing. I will never forget his many kindnesses to me when first I came among you. On many afternoons he took me round and introduced me to the members of the church and I could not have had a better or more capable guide. In all my dealing with him I am glad to say that we never had an angry word or any serious disagreement. I wish then to bear my humble tribute to him as a good churchman. We need more of that type today.

Now I wish in closing and very briefly to refer to him as a sincere and humble Christian and as a Christian gentleman. Mr.Grant was a lovable character. He was naturally of a quiet disposition. He was never a fighter and would rather suffer injustice in silence than make a fuss and demand what he considered to be his rights. He was the type of man with whom we would find it very difficult to quarrel. He was not in his later years strong physically, and in his last illness he suffered a great deal of pain and inconvenience. But he was always cheerful. He was a happy Christian and he enjoyed all the good things that God had provided, and liked to see others enjoying them also. He had what I consider to be the most outstanding and distinctive mark of a good Christian, he dearly loved children and was interested in all their doings and sayings. His home life was very beautiful. He was fond of flowers and a nice garden and surroundings. He was also a devoted and considerate husband. He was deeply attached to his wife as she was to him. They were a well-matched couple and we have no doubt that the gracious influence and strong character of his devoted partner in life contributed not a little to his happiness.

What are the deepest impressions left upon us by his character now that he has gone from us? I think the deepest impressions are these: the impression of a sincere, kindly, devoted and consecrated soul, who in all life's relations and contacts proved to be a perfect Christian gentleman. We could find no more appropriate and descriptive epitaph than this, "He was a good man."

Brethren there never was a time in the history of the world when good men were more needed than they are today. Can we not say with the poet:

*God give us men. A time like this demands Strong minds, great hearts, true faith and ready hands, 

Men whom the spoils of office cannot buy 

Men who possess opinions and a will 

Men who have honour, men who will not lie."

Such is my opinion of the servant of God who has recently been called to higher service. What was the secret of his life and character? It was just this: He was a true and humble Christian. He sought to love and serve the Master who died for all. He did not claim to be perfect, and I have said nothing tonight to prove that he was perfect, but he showed through all his life the gracious influences of the Christian faith in all departments of life. If he could speak to us tonight from the heavenly home what message would he send? I think it would be this:

Follow me as I sought to follow Christ. May the lessons of his life not be lost upon us. May our great sorrow remind us of the brevity and uncertainty of life and may we hear the Master say to us tonight "Be ye also ready for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh."

"Father in Thy gracious keeping leave we now Thy servant sleeping."

Amen.