GREY TECHNICAL SCHOOL

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 August 1943, Page 2

GREY TECHNICAL SCHOOL

HOSTEL FINANCE POSITION

The financing of the Hostel, which is the responsibility of the distinct from the Education Depai nient, formed a subject foi keen “is cussion at the monthly meeting the Board of Managers of the Grey mouth Technical High School, .ast evening, when it was intimated a report on the situation // „ tabled at the next feting by a special Sub-committee. MiJ. B. Kent presided, also present being; Mrs G. Blair and Messrs W. H. Pa^V/L ~' Kennedy, F. H. Denton, E. O. Henry, W. D. Taylor, T. Pratt, and J. «• Haddock. „ _ rp _ The discussion arose trom a re port made by Mr Henry on a visit of inspection of the Hostel made y him as a member of the Visi.mg Committee for the month, in which lie referred to a number of iscffiue ' ments, including a dozen wire mattresses and other articles. He want led to know what the Loard was do | ing about the position, he ha ! mentioned the needs of the Hostel ;at previous meetings. | “We can all say what has got to be done, but no one will say how we are ! going to get the money, rejoined the Chairman. The Auditor would raise ! objections if the money were paid I out of the School Account. I Mr Haddock, who said he sup- ■ ported Mr Henry’s attitude, added ■ that he was strongly against raising .the fees of boarders, but that ap- ' peared to be the only alternative, it would be only a matter of time when it would not be possible for Mrs Stewart (wife of the Principal, Mi W. M. Stewart) to carry on. He suggested that a .grant of £5 a month be made to her till the end of the vear to enable her to purchase certain of the requirements. With tnc : raising of the school-leaving age I there would be more boarders next

year, and that would improve the finances. , ~ r I Mr Henry emphasised that Mi. Stewart herself had voiced no com- . olaint. ’ The Chairman: I want something constructive from the Visiting Committee. If I had anything in the drawer you could have the lot. Mr Haddock inquired, if it was possible to raise a mortgage on the building, Mr Parfitt replying in the negative. Mr Henry contended that Mrs Stewart should have £2OO handed to her to enable her to put things in order. A , The Chairman declared the Hostei could not pay its way on the present fees. Mr Stewart suggested that the Board had been too philanthropic trying to run it on too easy fees; £l2 a term was fantastic. It would possibly take a long time, but he believed the situation would remedy itself eventually.

The Chairman: I am not prepared to make a grant till we get the report from the sub-committee at the next meeting. We want to see where we are going. When we get that report we will have to adjust the fees so that the situation will balance itself, and we will have to arrive at an arrangement to run something to wipe out the debt and start afresh. Tell the people it is not a recurring affair, and they will respond. OTHER BUSINESS Mr Denton and Mr Taylor were appointed the Visiting Committee for the next month. A credit balance of £lO6l was reported in the school account. Accounts totalling £157/9/2, including £64/10/8 for the Hostel, were passed for payment. The Director of the Army Education Scheme expressed appreciation of the services of Principals and staffs in connection with the work, and Mr Kent conveyed the Board’ thanks to Mr Stewart and staff for their work. Mr Stewart reported that school subscriptions received amounted to £3/10/-, making a progress total to date of £l2B/7/2. Other receipts amounted to £l/14/6. The principal payments had been: Rugby and basketball, £l3/4/7; library, £l5 10/5; boxing, £B/1/3; social, £2 11/4. With an account outstanding of 7/6, the balance in hand was £ .132 1/4.

The Principal and staff were complimented by the Chairman on the patriotic shop effort, when £2Ol had been raised —only £9 less than the record takings at the previous .shop. Mr Stewart reported that live boys and five girls had been withdrawn, either through removal from the district or to accept positions, leaving the present roll number at 307, comprising 165 boys and 138 girls. This compared favourably with the position last year, when the number at this stage was 289. The average attendance for the period was 90.5 per cent. Manual training classes continue to function normally in all three centres. From time to time difficulties crop up, as is inevitable in a programme of training so widely scattered and involving so much transport of children from small, outlying schools, but these are met, as they occur, as successfully as possible. The chief difficulty which is met is in connection with motor transport. In the evening classes enrolments continune to be made, and these are sufficient to balance the dropping off of students which generally has to be looked for throughout the session. The attendance in one or two of the classes is still at a lower level of regularity than it should be, but in general attendance is satisfactory.

TWO MEMBERS RETIRE Accepted with regret were resignations of two men who have been members since the inception of the school in 1923—the Chairman, Mr IT. Eldon Coates, and Mr W. H. Par- ; fill. Each indicated that he would not accept nomination for a further term —in the case of Mr Coates as employers’ representative and in that of Mr Parfitt as a representative of the Canterbury Education Board. Nominations for a successor to Mr Coates will close on August 25, while Mr AV. Braithwaite has been appointee; to succeed Mr Parfitt. Mr Coates had been Chairman for 18 years. Mr Coates, who was not present, forwarded a letter of resignation, in which he said he had indicated some time ago that he would not be available for re-election, and ’ expressed appreciation of the many courtesies he had received from members, wishing the Board good fortune in the future. ' j Mr Parfitt, moving that a letter of appreciation of his services "be forwarded to Mr Coates, spoke of his long and courteous service, saying lie , had proved a tower of strength to : the school. He had been instrumental in negotiating the purchase for £l6O of the site on which the Hostel now stands, a tender for £5OOO having eventually been accepted for the building. Mr Coates’s energy in the cause of education had been untiring. i Chairman, Mi’ J. B. Kent, said he did not think anyone in the district had done more for the cause of I technical education than had Mr ■Coates. After he left other public bodies that had become his particular hobby and in his position he had eil r-> r; d° mu . c h. He seconded Mr I arfitt s resolution, adding that too much could not be said of the enthusiasm . which Mr Coates as Chairman had engendered. Mr W D Taylor suggested that the Board should suitably recognise Mr Coates’s services with a social

function, and it was decided to consult him on the subject. Mr Parfitt, alluding to his own retirement, traversed interestingly the early history of the school from its inception, recalling that the first commercial mistress was Miss McIntosh. Touching on the purchase of land, he referred to the controversy over the selection of a site on the Recreation Ground, when some had contended that the people s birthright was being given away; he disagreed, his contention having been supported by a large public meeting which had requested that three or four acres be obtained. At that time the site was under very thick bush, and about £l2OO had been spent in clearing it, and the school was eventually opened in 1923. Hostel fees had proved a debateable topic, but at that period the cost of living was much cheaper and fees were fixed at as low a level as possible. He hoped the Hostel would never be given away for some other purpose. Mr Parfitt paid a tribute to the various Principals and members of the staff, and alluded to the mark made by former pupils throughout the Dominion. He suggested that the woodwork class, under Mr W. A. Judkins, might erect an Honours Board to commemorate the war service of so many of the old boys. He promised that he would continue to do all he could to foster the progress of the school and district, than which nothing would give him greater pleasure. Mr Kent moved that the Board place on record its appreciation of Mr Parfitt’s services, saying that as a former Mayor and member of the Board he had made a splendid contribution. Mr F. H. Denton seconded the resolution, which was carried with acclamation.