COLLEGE GOVERNORS

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 25, 29 July 1932, Page 11

COLLEGE GOVERNORS

WIDER REPRESENTATION

It is the belief .of- Mr. :W. H. Denton that the Wellington College Board of Governors should bo reconstituted so as to provide for wider representation. He opposes strongly the system of ex oflicio representation on the board, and maintains that there are bodies, such as the ex-pupils' association, which would give whole-timo service to the colleges, instead of the naturally divided attention of .one with wider 'in.tcrests. At the meeting of the Wellington College Board, of Governors yesterday, presided over by Mr. G. Mitchell, and attended by the Mayor (Mr. T, C. A. Hislop), Mr. Denton lefcrred to a miuute of a previous meeting, which stated: "A letter (27th April) was read from _ the Town Clerk forwarding a copy of a I clause it was proposed should bo sub- I mitted to Paihament as an amendment of clause 2 of the Wellington College and Girls' High School Act, 1887, authorising the Mayor of Wellington to retire from office as a member of - the governing body, and for the City ■ Conned to appoint a councillor to act " in his stead. The Town Clerk asked for the approval of the board to the proposed legislation. It was resolved that the clause as drafted be approved." ; Mr. Denton asked that the motion be rescinded, and said it was irregular for the clause to have been put before the board without a proposer and seconder. It was not.ibrought forward in a form m which'it could be understood. He had strong views on how the board should bo constructed, and obviously members iv au e\- offieio capacity had many other calls upon their time. Vhen th Mayor and councillors had special knowledge of various things, their advice could bo obtained. He also objected to a resolution concerning the aboard's business coming from the council. ■ Mr. Mitchell gave it as his ruling that the resolution had been adopted 'unanimously by the board at its ingTho Mayor said that he had many calls upon his time, and it was impossible for him to give attention to all the positions the Mayor had to fill. In the case of the Technical College Board of Goveradrs and other bodies, there was a councillor on the board. He had approached the Education Department, the chairman of the College Beard of Governor!, the Prime Minister; and the council, and atf a matter of convenience atvked'tthe City Solicitor to prepare a suitable clause, which was sent tp the necessary quarters. Even if the Tescinding motion was carried., the Mayor would often bo unable to attend the meeting of the board. ': Mr. Denton spoke of his previous efforts to gain wider representation on the board. In 190S, he said, the Old Boys 5 Association made representations ■to the Minister of Education (the Hon. George Towlds), and they, were favourably received, but nothing camo of their efforts. Iv 1925 'the board passed the following resolution, moved by Mrs. E. W. Kane, and'seconded by Mr. K. Darroch:—"That this Board of Governors approach tho proper authori- ! ties to ask that special legislation be put through at the earliest opportunity to reconstitute the board, with reference to different and more extensive ! representation." A sub-committee was set up, but there was nothing on record | of its operation. Mr. Denton asked that tho lesolution be rescinded, and a wider one be passed in its place, but his motion was defeated. He intimated that he would bring up tho matter of wider representation on the board at the next meeting. ■ '