WESTPORT NOTES

Grey River Argus, 17 October 1936, Page 11

WESTPORT NOTES

(Ou r Own Correspondent). Technical High School: WESTPORT, October IG. Air A. Taylor was in the chair at the monthly meeting of the Board of Managers of the Westport Technical High School held last evening. Those present were Mrs Bird, Messrs F. Hunter, D. P. A'lumm, T. Parfitt, C. W. Knight, F. Calinon, A. Phillips. A. Garvey, J. AV. .Tope. A motion of appreciation of the services rendered to the school by Sergeant-Major Jordan was carried unanimously. The Director of Education wrote regarding teaching on Temperance, principally the overuse of alcholie liquors. The visiting, School and grounds committees submitted reports. The chairman and Air .Tope were appointed to interview Mr Hogan, street contractor, in connection with repair work at the tennis court. The Principal, Air Metson, submitted an interesting report of proceedings aT the recent educational conference held at Wellington. The meeting accorded Mr Metson a vote of thanks for his review. It was decided that meetings of the Board be held in future at S p.m. Messrs T. Parfitt and A. Phillips were appointed a visiting committee for the month. Monthly Report: The Principal, Mr Metson, submitted the following report at last evening’s meeting of the Board of Managers of the Technical High School:— Day School —the roll continues to fall and is now only 111. Several boys still attending have sent in applications for positions in the P. and T. Department or in the Railway; some have not yet had a year at school. The changes brought about by recent legislation have undoubtedly resulted in many young boys leaving post-primary schools, while older boys find it difficulty to obtain a position. The attendance has been adversely affected by sickness and bad weather; the mumps epidemic has not yet run its course, and has been prevalent in all parts of the district. Airs Benjamin, part time teacher of cookery, has had to undergo hospital treatment, but Mrs M. Levestam (a former teacher) kindly came to our assistance. Miss Joan Marr is again taking the girls at singing for one period a week in preparation for the concert.

Evening School. —In the few classes that are still in operation the attendance is fair; it is pleasing to see that several who left the day school have immediately enrolled in the evening classes. Fees still outstanding amount to £1 7s 6d. Alanual classes —These continue to make good progress and a satisfactory amount has been paid in levies, especially' bv the boys taking woodwork. These *is litle doubt that the near future will see an extension of manual training as part of the education policy. The Public Works Department has prepared plans for extension to our workshops, and the work should be completed ready for the first term next vear.

Examination entries —Two boys are sitting for the Training College entrance examination, one boy for the Junior University scholarship, nine for matriculation and school certificate, and six present pupils and some past ones for the Public Service Commissioner’s shorthand-typist examination. Christchurch visit. —The visit of two teachers and over thirty pupils from Christchurch Technical College from September 19th to 22nd was a great success, the weather fortunately remaining fine all the time. The visitors were all billeted, were taken to Tauranga Bay and other places of interest and after the games were played on the Alonday they were entertained at a social at school. The matches were very keenly contested. Westport won the football by 11-10 and Christchurch girls won the basketball by 17-14.

Our' thanks are due, and have been expressed, to those friends of the school who billeted the visitors, and to those who provided cars; also to Douglas Robertson and his orchestra who gratuitous!}' supplied the music for the social, and to others who helped in any way. These inter-school visits have created a very friendly spirit between the city school and our rather isolated one, and many friendships are made, and letters exchanged, and the visitors obtain unforgettable impressions of new scenes. School Sports.—The boys’ football team was successful in winning the Foote Shield, which is competed for by the town teams in the tnird grade. The girls’ basketball team played very well throughout the season and against strong competing they were runners-up to the Technical School Old Girls’ team.

The annual cross-country race was held on October 1, the championship was won by Patrick Mullooly and the handicap event by Ralph Crowell. It is to be regretted that many of the boys take little interest in this event and do not improve their physical fitness by training for it. The shooting classification practices were fired recently and the Lady Godley Cup was won by a first year boy, Walter Barton, with 86; W. Kissell scored 85. We have to thank a supporter of the school for presenting two silver cups for a competition on the full sized range.

Sergt.-Major Jordan of the N.Z.P.S. is retiring shortly from his position as instructor. For over ten years he has regularly visited the school cadet company, and has done very much more than his simple duty. He is an efficient instructor who gets the best out of the boys; he has given a great deal of time to musketry instruction on the range and has taken a keen interest in the school. The officers and cadets of the school company are grateful to him for his good work, and I personally am pleased to acknowledge publicly our appreciation of his services. The annual athletic sports of the school arc tentatively fixed for Thuisday, November 19. A commencement has now been macle with summer games. The grounds are looking well and the cricket pitch should be in good order this year. General.—After 12 years of efficient service Miss A. Gilbert has resigned from her position as office mistress. Miss Gilbert has shown exceptional neatness and method in her book-keep-ing and preparation of official returns, and has earned the warm praise of visiting auditors. Her efficient woik has contributed a good deal to the smooth running of the school and her resignation is regretted. In compiling lists of class books for next year, I am as far as possible, using New Zealand publications, but some of the essential books must be procured from England. I am cut- | ting down the requirements to the | minimum, but parents must realise that | it is essential for the pupils to have i text books. I propose also to use a i portion of the sports contributions for providing class sets of books which

may be used as additional readers. Some forty books have arrived, or are to some to hand shortly from the High Commissioner's Office, London, and they will be added to the Library.

New Books: The following books have been added to the shelves at the local library: — Across the Frontier, by Harry Edmond; Hunted, bv John A. Lee; Trent’s Last Case, E. C. Bentley; Wings Above the Diamantia, by Arthur Upfield; Grip of the Four, AL Cross; Into the Net. by L. S. Alackinlay; The Schooner Sybil, by E. L. Lou;'Don’t Wait for Love, by J. Ames; Sudden Outlawed, by Olive Strange; Young Alan From the Country, bv E. Al. Aibanesi; At Last, by Olive ‘ Wadsley; Yuan Hee See Laughs, bv Sax Rohmer; The Great White Gods*, by Edward Stricken. Claim for Debt Fails:

Before Air 11. Alorgan, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, McElwee and Co (Air A. A. Wilson) claimed from Peter Page (Air 11. A. E. Alaitland) the recovery of a debt incurred in 1929. The defence pleaded the Statute of Limitations, the debt being more than six years old and plaintiff relied on a letter received from defendant’s wife which, it was claimed, revived the debt. The Court held that under the special circumstances the letter from the wife did not constitute a sufficient acknowledgment and plaintiff was non-suited accordingly.

Shipping: The Waimea and Kaitoa are in port. The Kaimai and Karepo are due here this week-end.