TECHNICAL SCHOOL BOARD

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 September 1945, Page 2

TECHNICAL SCHOOL BOARD

ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN EXTRAORDINARY PROCEEDINGS An unusual situation deyeloped at last evening’s annual meeting oi tne Board of Managers of the Greymouth Technical High School, when equal votes were cast for the former chairman, Mr J. B. Kent, and a new member, who ■ was attending his first meeting since his appointment, Mr. F. L. Turley, in the electon for the chairmanship of the Board for the next term. Mr Kent refused to have the matter settled by a “flip of the coin” or by drawing a name out of a hat, suggesting, however, that either he, as chairman, or the Principal, Mr W. M. Stewart, as acting-chairman, had the right to exercise a casting vote. This was not agreed to by the supporters of Mr Turley, and Mr Kent began to don his overcoat with the intention of leaving for home. Members eventually decided to hold the election again, and this time, by virtue of the fact that he nominated Mrs Blair for the position, • making the contest triangular, Mr Kent managed to secure a vote originally cast for Mr Turley, and he was reappointed. When nominations were called for the position, Mr Kent did not vacate his seat, and no motion was passed appointing a temporary chairman to conduct the election, and; on the motion of Mr J. H. North, Mr Kent was nominated for a further term. Messrs W. Braithwaite and J. J. Haddock then nominated Mr Turley for the position, expressing the opinion that the chairmanship should go round. A show of hands resulted in each candidate securing five votes, Messrs Haddock, Braithwaite, Bird. J. N. McNulty and W. McGilchrist declaring for Mr Turley and Mrs Blair, Messrs F .H. Denton, D .S. Kennedy, G. Gillespie and J. H. North casting their votes in favour of Mr Kent. Neither candidate voted. Mr Kent suggested that he being chairman should have a casting vote. “No man in this room knows better than Mr Kent that he can’t do that,” asserted Mr Turley. Indicating that he had considered retiring from the position, Mr Kent declared that when he saw things happening it made one determined to stay on. He objected to things being manoeuvred. “That remark is out of order,” stated Mr Haddock. “But it has been made,” said Mr Kent. “It is not worth bothering about,” was the opinion of Mr Turley. “I object to remarks such as that,” said Mr Haddock. “There is no QUESTION OF MANOEUVRING.” Mr Turley pointed out that the meeting was out of order, a chairman not having been appointed to control the election in the first place. Mr Kent said that the Secretary (the Principal, Mr W ,M. Stewart) should be appointed in the time.The Secretary asked if he then would have a casting vote, but this met with a chorus of denials from the supporters of Mr Turley’s nomination. Mr Haddock suggested that the best way to settle the matter was to place the names in a hat and draw one out. “I certainly think it impossible to have a Board such as this choose its chairman in such a manner,” said the Secretary, who indicated that he thought the present chairman should remain in power until his successor had been appointed. Mr Braithwaite rose and began to prepare for a name to be drawn from a hat, when, in reply to a question, Mr Kent intimated that he was not agreeable to such a procedure, the method not having his trust. “I can’t even adjourn the meeting seeing I am not chairman,” he continued, when it appeared that a stalemate had been reached, “but I think I’ll go home. There is no use in slopping here if there is no meeting.” “If he wants to go home he has a perfect rig’ll to,” remarked Mr Turley, who declared that, nevertheless, the business of the meeting would continue.

DISTRUST ALLEGED Remarking that he was even suspicious of that, Mr Kent said that, so far as he was concerned, things had come to such a pass that there were some things that he could not trust. Messrs Bird and McGilchrist indicated to the meeting that they had voted for Mr Turley because of their desire to see the chairmanship go round. “I think we have come to a pretty pass when a Board as small 'as this cannot trust each other,” asserted Mr Gillespie. “What is the trouble?” enquired members as Mr Kent began to get into his overcoat. “If we can’t come to some arrangement as to what to do, it is no use me wasting my time here,” replied Mr Kent. “I come here to run the business of the Technical School, not to quibble about nothing,” he added. “There is no need to talk like that. What’s wrong?” asked Mr Bird. “I didn’t know who was going to be nominated chairman when I came to the meeting.” After further discussion as to what was the best procedure to adopt, it was decided, on the motion of Mr Turley, that the election be declared void and held again, the Secretary to be appointed chairman for the purpose of accepting nominations. Mr Turley, however, indicated that the chairman was not to have a casting vote, and, in the event of a draw, should decide what to do, whether the names were to be drawn from a hat or not. The Secretary maintained that the chairman, in that case, should retain his status quo. Mr Gillespie moved that Mr Denton be appointed to take the chair, and, as a member, have a deliberate and casting vote. This suggestion was immediately counteracted by an amendment moved by Mr Braithwaite, that MiHaddock take the chair. “Now we are back where we started,” he commented.

In an effort to clear up the position, Mr Bird said that the Board should imagine that it was meeting for the first time, and that there was no previous chairman. In that case there would be no one to give a casting vote, and the same should apply in the present instance. Addressing the Secretary, Mr Haddock said that he, as chairman, should have final say and could say whether the names should be drawn from a hat. “If you want my opinion,” said the Secretary, “it is not a proper way to elect the chairman of the most important educational body in the community.” “What then do you suggest?” asked Mr Haddock. “I think the chairman should retain his status quo,” reiterated the Secretary. “The tossing of a penny and the drawing of a name out of a hat is not the proper way to select the chairman of such a scholastic board as this.” “It is quite a common way,” attested a number of members. “When you come to think on the matter in cold blood members would not like to think that their chairman was elected in such a‘ way,” asserted Mr Stewart.

Mr McNulty moved that in the event of a tie in the election a com be tossed or a name be drawn from a hat, and this motion was carried by five votes to four, Messrs Kent, Gulespie, and North and Mrs Blair dissenting, while Mr McGilchrist did not vote. PRINCIPAL’S OBJECTION “I don’t mind saying that my own opinion is that whoever is the person in the chair at the time, he should have a casting but not deliberative vote,” said the Secretary. “Is the Board to be guided by the majority rule or not?” asked Mr Haddock, pointing out that the motion to draw the names from a hat had been carried. . . , “I have not declared it carried yet,” replied the Secretary, who did so then. Mr McGilchrist said that he had never seen a meeting where the chairman did not have two votes. “You are out of order; there is a motion before the meeting,” declared Mr Haddock. “Yes, heads I win, tails you lose,” remarked Mr Kent. “Does Mr Kent think ,” began Mr Haddock. “I don’t think, I know,” interjected Mr Kent. “We may be in a position to say we know too,” retaliated Mr Haddock. Mr Haddock moved and Mr Turley seconded, that nominations for the position of chairman be called for. “I must say that I am exceedingly unhappy about the position, and must ask that the Education Department be asked for a ruling,” said the Principal, adding, as a suggestion, that the election be postponed. Mr Turley again requested that the majority rule be abided by. “Let us conduct our own business,” requested Mr Braithwaite. The Secretary, continuing, said that he had never heard of a chairman not having a casting vote. “A majority has asked that a certain thing be done,” pointed out Mr Haddock. Stating that everyone did not vote, Mr Denton suggested that the motion be taken again and the voting be made compulsory. ‘“We can’t do that—it would not be democratic,” declared Mr Haddock, this remark drawing forth laughter from Mr Kent. The previous election was declared void as the Board could not reach finality, and the Secretary again called for nominations, receiving three: —Mr Kent, nominated by Messrs Gillespie and North; Mrs Blair, nominated by Mr Kent and Mr Kennedy; and Mr Turley. The Secretary suggested that as there would be a three-cornered election the voting should be by paper. Mr Haddock objected to this, and moved that there be a show of hands. “I don’t know whether I have the power or not,” said Mr Stewart, “but I would be prepared to rule that the voting be written.”

It was decided that the votes be recorded on paper, one name only to be indicated. The election resulted in Mr Kent being re-elected with six votes, Mr Turley securing five and Mrs Blair one. “That being so, I will hand the meeting back, with full confidence in the chairman,” declared the Principal.

Nominations were called for the position of chairman of the Finance Committee, and Mr Kent nominated Mr Denton, while Messrs Braithwaite and Haddock nominated Mr Turley. A show of hands resulted in Mi Denton securing five votes and Mr Turley four.