TECHNICAL SCHOOL EX-PUPILS ASK USE OF TENNIS COURTS

Grey River Argus, 11 October 1949, Page 2

TECHNICAL SCHOOL EX-PUPILS ASK USE OF TENNIS COURTS

At last evening’s meeting of the Board of Managers, of the Greymouth Technical High School, a letter was recieved from the Old Grey Tech Association, requesting permission to use the school tennis courts on Sunday. The letter stated that, Forty-six members bad volufeered to join the club, but when the board had decided that no tennis should be played at the school courts on Sundays only two had finally joined. The leLer requested that the board should reconsider the Old Pupils application. Airs S. D. Blair, said that, the association was a young one and, in her opinion, the application should at least be reconsidered. “After all” she said, “the pupils are adaquately provided for, they have long holidays dui’ing the summer months,whereas the old pupils could only play during the weekend. Mr F L. Tui’ley, said “The courts at the school are provided for the children bv the Government. It the courts are to be opened to the club on Sun- . ■ iv. I for one would propose that the pupils also be permitted to play.” Mrs Blair moved that the motion passed about a year ago be rescinded and that further data be gathered fo" the next meeting. The motion was carried. The president, Mr W. S. McClymcnt. welcomed Mi’ P- C. Thompson, replacing Mr D.S. Kennedy, who has Wt the district. The minutes of the previous meeting as circulated was adopted. The following members were -.■•-sent:—Mrs S. D. Blair, Messrs W.S. Medyn: ont, (president) R.W. Ransom. J.W. G’ant, D. Pankhurst, J.H. North, P.C. Thompson, F.L. Turley, W.M. Stewart, (Secretary). PRINCIPAL’S REPORT In his monthly report, Mr W. M. Stewart, the Principal, stated;— School roll and average attendance: Since my last report, three boys and one girl have been enrolled, while seven boys and eight girls have been withdrawn, leaving the present roll strength at 176 boys and 154 girls, a total of 330. Of the fifteen withdrawals, ten have been in their second year, and one in his fifth year. The average attendance for the three weeks has been 92 per cent., a very satisfactory level. Staffing: The three new teachers, Messrs H. 0. Jefcoate, R. F. Peirson and P. J. Bowie, have already proved a valuable acquisition to the teaching staff, which I am glad to report has been at full strength throughout the period. Grounds and premises: We have as yet been unsuccessful in obtaining a suitable appointment to the position of assistant to the caretaker-grounds-man, whose enthusiasm has none the less kept the school grounds and buildings in a most creditable condition.

The Board’s appointed delegates were given an opportunity of presenting the Board’s viewpoint on buildings to a meeting of the Reserves and Town Planning Committee of the Borough Council, and a report of the deliberations will be presented at the meeting. Letters have been received from the Minister of Education and the Department with reference to the gymnasium and the building programme. While in Wellington during this present week as the Board’s delegate to the T.E.A. Conference, I propose, if it can be arranged, to interview the Minister and the Department’s chief architect on th e whole subject, and the results, if any, will be available at this meeting. Finance: Copies of the Department’s letter on finance have been prepared, and are included with this report. Unfortunately, owing to pressure of other matters, it has not been possible as yet to prepare the brief report by the chairman of finance and the principal, but this will be done at an early date. Manual training and evening school: These two departments are proceeding normally. Approval has been given of a grant for the lathe and grinding disc at the Hokitika centre. This brings this centre, in the woodwork department, to a relatively high state of efficiency, and it is a matter of satisfaction that our efforts to this end have proved successful. Miss Mackenzie, senior homecraft inspector of the Department, has visited the Greymouth and Hokitika homecraft centres, but unfortunately no report has been received on Hokitika, while two have been received upon Greymouth. I have written to the Department asking to be supplied with a report on Hokitika, so that the Board may have some idea of any further suggestions for improvement of equipment. Several suggestions have been made for Greymouth, some of them erqbodying improvements for which application has already been made and which have already been installed. The report will be available at this meeting. Evening school attendances continue to be at a satisfactory, though rather uneven level. The attendances at many of the trade and technical classes is very good indeed. Sports and school activities: With the cessation of winter games, cricket and tennis are getting under way, and, especially with the new concrete courts, the indications are for a very enthusiastic and successful season. Early in the term, the annual boxing tournament was held on the sports ground, with our own mat, ring and equipment made by the school itself. The standard of boxing was quite up to its usual high level; in fact, Mr J. Finlay, to whose services as referee we owe once more sincere thanks, expressed the view that many of the bouts were among the best we have ever had, and well up to a high school or even open amateur standard. In school finances, receipts since the last statement I presented have been: — School subs, £42 18s; levies for transport (Hokitika, Reef ton, and Christchurch West) £29 4s 6d; proceeds of socials and sundry, £6 7s 6d. Sports and school activities: Finances: Payments, as is natural at this time of the year, have been heavy. Basketball, affiliation dues, equipment, etc., £l3 4s; rugby, materials, repairs and equipment, £22 Os 4d; transport of teams £4l 5s 3d; entertainment of teams, social, prefects’ dance, etc., £l3 4s. 9d; advertising and sundry £1 Is. With one account of 19s 5d outstanding, the balance in hand is £47 19s Bd.

One heavy contingent expenditure is the printing of the School Magazine, which it is hoped this year to make an especially attractive issue; cricket and other summer games material will also prove a heavy item. The performance of this fund, which, starting from 1937 hopelessly in debt, has since, with one trifling rise in The school activities subscription, kept the whole of the social, domestic, athletic,

lending-library and Magazine activity of the school in a healthy condition without aid of any kind, is very commendable. Materials, services and work are now in some cases three times their former prices, and it is a question for the Board to consider how far it should take advantage of the more generous regulations now in force, to give some worthwhile assistance to this very important side of the domestic life of the school.