MEETINGS

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 December 1929, Page 2

MEETINGS

BRUNNER W.E.A. ./" ! ' . -Despite the inclement weather the Grey branch of the W.E.A. travelled to Wallsend on Sunday at the invitation of the. Bruriner Circle, where a successful meeting was held with an attendance of 26 members. “Escape,” a play by John Galsworthy, was sent as a special subject for the day from Christchurch, and it proved entertaining and interesting. The story opens in Hyde Park, where a young demobbed army captain interferes with a plain-clothes man while he is attempting to arrest a woman of the streets. An altercation follows, and as a result of a blow the policeman dies. The chivalrous, but unfortunate officer is sent to Dartmoor Prison, from which he escapes. Then follows all the excitement of the man hunt, his near escapes from capture, and most important of all, the different people who befriend him and attitude of the uneducated labourers ,who hunt him down. In the final scene he seeks refuge in the sanctuary of the Village church, where he gives himself up to the police, to save the. parson from a guilty conscience. The tutor, Mr Johnstone, set down some questions dealing with the play, and also suggestions for discussion, which became varied and interesting.

i HOKITIKA SCHOOL COMMITTEE. (Our Own Correspondent). HOKITIKA, December 3. The Hokitika School Committee met last evening. Present: Mr A. C. Armstrong (Chairman), Messrs J. H. Wilson, W. H. Shannon, R. J. Redder, W. E. Richards, H. W. R. Sweney, F. Chesterman, J. J. Breeze. Mi’ Sweney acted as secretary. The Kanieri School Committee wrote offering to subscribe £2 per annum towards the Dental Clinic, also a. letter,to the same effect from the Arahura Road School Committee enclosing £2 for the Clinic. Mr J. Conning wrote stating that he could not. reconsider his resignation as secretary. The resignation was accepted with regret and it was resolved that a resolution expressing the Committee’s appreciation of the good work done by Mi’ Conning be placed on record. Arrangements were made to carry out the Secretarial work of the Committee, the Chairman to carry out the w.ork and Mr Sweney to act as minutes secretary. A letter was received from the Government Statistician asking if-, the Committee would enquire if housekeepers would keep books (provided by the Department) showing the cost of living.—Resolved that no action be taken.

Resolved that the appointment of Miss J. E. Dale as assistant teacher also the appointment of Donald Anderson as Commercial Instructor be approved. Tenders for the supply l of 300 loads of sand were received from T. Stopforth, J. Cameron and E. B. Coyle. The latter’s tender being the lowest, was accepted. The Dental Clinic Officer reported 397 attendances during the month. It was stated that replies had been received only from Kanieri and Arahura regarding the circulars on the Dental Clinic finance. Mr Shannon, for the Visiting Committee, referred to some depressions in the lawns, which required levelling and a shaft was necessary for drainage purposes. The Rector reported the Roll numbers as Primary 328, Secondary 101. The average attendance had been good. The Rector asked parents to send their children regularly right up to the break-up day as irregular attendance at the latter part of the year would affect the school grade. During the month several members of the staff were off duty through illness. Miss Joyce has been appointed temporary teacher in place of Miss Brown who has accepted a position in Akaroa D.H. School. Miss Joyce took up her duties yesterday. The Drill Instructors and Agricultural Instructors had paid visits and reported satisfactorily on the work of their departments. The High School Board had visited the school when the Rector stressed the urgency of a hostel, and asked the Board to consider the proposal to convert Government House into a hostel for country pupils. The proposal is being considered by the Board. Some 31 pupils were presented for proficiency exam ination, 26 gaining proficiency and 3 competency, there being two failures. During the caretaker’s illness the lawns had been mown by the boys who received the allowance made for that work. . .

The following are the Proficiency passes: Proficiency: David Conning, Sidney Diedrich, Ronald Guthrey, Alistair Johnson, George Johnston, William Johnston, Charles Holley, Avon Laing, James McDougall, Jack Roberts, George Stapleton, William Veale, Kenneth Wallace, Daisy Chinn, Mavis Christensen, Dorothy Hughes, Marjorie McCarthy, Evelyn Macfarlane, Audrey Olsen, Joyce Parkhill, Eva Randall, Lillian Sherman, Amelia Sherriff, Jessie Thomson, Ruth Wieblitz, Jean Ziegler.

Competency: George Delbridge, Jack Knowles, Edna Fowler.