HOUSEHOLDERS’ MEETINGS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 2 May 1928, Page 8

HOUSEHOLDERS’ MEETINGS.

THE YEAR’S WORK AT M'OHOIA. The householders’ annual meeting was held on Monday, with, an attendance of ten parents, presided over by Mr A. T. Main, chairman of retiring committee. The secretary, Mr T. Hey, read minutes of last annual meeting, which were confirmed. The chairman submitted his report for the past year as follows: — “Early in our term of office Mr W. Stevenson resigned through leaving the district and a minute suitably expressing hi s value as a committeeman was duly passed and inserted in the minute book. Mr Bernard Lee was elected to fill the vacancy. During the year we had the paths and road entering the grounds tarred and the Education Board granted our request that the school and teachers’ residence should be painted and the roof of- the residence wa s wholly renewed. The boxthorn hedge which fronted the school grounds for so many years has been removed and replaced by a serviceable netting fence at a cost of £lO towards which the Education Board granted the sum of £5. subsidy. General routine work wa s attended to and members were very consistent in their attendance at the monthlv meetings. The committee regrets exceedingly that owing to circumstances beyond its control a number of children left the school and now attend elsewhere, with the unfortunate result that the school has gone back to a one-teacher school. We were indeed sorry to lose the services of Mis 3 Bremner, as assistant teacher. She had endeared herself to the little children and is much missed by them. Owing to unfortunate differences existing between the headteacher and the committee for some months past the majority of the members feel they should stand down from further nomination, with the hope that a fresh committee may possibly work to better advantage. We leave office feeling we have done our best at all times in the interest of the school and the scholars, and if our efforts have been unavailing in some respects it has not been for lack of team work. “As chairman, I would like to thank my fellow committeemen for their loyal co-operation at all times and especially would like to maintain the great help Mr Hey, as secretary, has been to me. The secretary has no light task and his successor will have no easy task in following in the steps of Mr Hey. “In conclusion I wish the incoming committee a most successful year of office. They have a nice little credit balance to start off with and the retiring committee will watch with great pleasure the school’s future progress.’’ The secretary submitted the balance, sheet for the year ended February, 1928, showing a'credit balance of £l3 15s Bd, and the amount of credit at date of meeting as £l3 6s Bd. The report and balance-sheet were adopted as road without discussion.

On the motion of the chairman a hearty vote of thanks "was accorded Mr T. Hey for his invaluable services as secretary, and Mr Hey suitably replicd. Mrs Smith, headteacher, gave the general reports regarding her work at The school during her term as teacher, and it was moved and seconded that she bo congratulated on the very satisfactory nature of the reports that have come down from the inspector. A vote of thanks was accorded Mrs L. Neithe, who had attended the school weekly to give instruction in sewing. A hearty vote of thanks was also accorded the retiring committee for its work during the past year. Before calling for nominations for-a now committee Mr Nairn said the one tiling he regretted not having accomplished was the laying down of a tennis court in the school grounds. He had spoken to Mr R. Symo regarding the position of this court and the headteacher had concurred in the idea of having a court in the grounds, where proper supervision could lie exercised. The chairman hoped the incoming committee would bear this matter in mind and carry out the work in the interests of the children. The matter of drawing the attention of the County Council to the need of some paint and re-lettering on the traffic warning beards was also brought forward for the consideration of thenew committee. The following were elected a committee for the ensuing year: Mr and Mrs I>. Macmillan, Mr and Mrs I. G. Smeaton and Mr Bernard Lee. The meeting ended with a vote of thanks to the chair. At a subsequent meeting of tlm new committee Mr Smeaton was appointed chairman and Mrs Macmillan secretary.

EIVEBLEA. There was a small attendance at last night’s meeting of householders at •Kiv c-rlea, Mr M. F. V'onllaire presiding. The chairman read the annual report, which stated that the year opened with a credit balance of Ids 2d and ended with a credit bal mce of £25 Os Sd. Whether this was a matter for congratulation or not was another matter, for in school affairs a large credit balance -was not at all desirable. The position, however, was due to one or two amounts earmarked for special purposes being at the end of the financial year unexpended, the chief of which was an amount of £8 18s Gd collected for the school library, which had been delayed owing to awaiting the granting of the subsidy from the Department. Since then the subsidy had .be’en granted and the money would be paid out as soon as the books now under order arrived. The committee was in no way to blame for the delay. This sum of £8 18s Gd reduced the credit balance by that amount, and there were also outstanding accounts unpaid at the end of Feb- ■ ruary to the amount of £4 19s sd. These two items ■ reduced the credit balance to £ll I.ls 9d. Furthermore, 1 during the year the committee had received two amounts of £4 each, one for sale of some old timber and iron and one for rent, Which further reduced the ►amount of credit balance to £3 11s 9d, or only 12s 7d more than last year, this being the real credit balance on ordinary capitation received. But for the fact that the committee had reduced the sweeping and cleaning wages by 50 per cent., there would have been no profit, and, indeed, last year’s credit balance would also have been wiped out. Of the two amounts of £4 each previously mentioned, a proportion was intended by the committee to be expended in deepening and tiling the drain at the bottom, of the playing field and the rest would probably bo required to fence the remainder of the two acres intendedl to be planted in trees. For the drain ' the tiles had been obtained from the' f Board and this work must be proceeded with almost (immediately. The total receipts for the year amounted to £B7 IGs 2d, and were made up as follows: Capitation allowance, £25; rent, £4; sale : of material, £4; public donations, £lO 18s Gd; subsidy for tree planting, £S; j refunded from Taranaki Education a Board, £IC 18a Gd; credit balance from It

the previous year, £2 29s 2d. Expenditure consisted of cleaning and sanitary service, £l3 Is lid; fuel and lighting, £10; repairs, 5s 9d; books and stationery, £6 Os 7d; tTee planting, £l6 Os 9d; bank charges, 10s; and contributions deposited with the Taranaki Education Hoard of £lO 9s 6d, making a total expenditure of £62 18s 6d. The committee regretted that during the year Mr 18. L. Webby, who had been chairman continuously since 1923, and had previously to that on several occasions been chairman and secretary, had been stricken with illness, which necessitated his entering hospital. Unfortunately Mr Webby's health had not shown much improvement, and in February he had tendered his resignation. The committee had held it over for a time, but had eventually been reg'retfully compelled to accept it! During his long association with the school Mr Webby had never ■spared himself in any way, and ho alone had been responsible for the great improvements made during the past years. TTia energy had never flagged, and in spite of delays and disappointments he had pushed steadily on and in the end always reached his goal. His loss to the school was a very severe one end the members of the committee missed him sadly. The committee also regretted that during the year Miss G. -M. Brooker, who had been assistant since January, 1924:, had resigned to accept an appointment at Stratford. During her period of work in Biverlea Miss Brooker had done her very best for the school and was extremely well liked by the children, who had done well under her. Miss Marion L. Bremner, who had been assistant at- Mokoia, had been appointed to Biverlea. The committee desired to extend its welcome to her and at the same time to express its deep sympathy with Miss Bremner in the sad bereavement she had suffered since taking up her Biverlea duties, in the death of her father.

During the past year the school work; had again been a great credit to the teaching staff, the inspectors’ reports; being very good and the general pro-i •gross made by the children also satis-; factory. At the examinations four; pupils out of five had attained their pro- 1 ficiency certificates, and a fifth standard boy had gained a competency certifi-j cate. The committee desired to express: its congratulations to Misses Morecraft; and Brooker on the year’s work. ;

Outside the school walls some work was 1 done, but more could have been; done if the residents generally hod come out more numerously whenever a work-, ing bee had been called. The heavy ! boxthorn hedge had been cut and burned and the land for the trees fenced, ploughed and planted with about 1500 trees. These now required weeding and; gaps planting. In connection with the. work done the committee desired to express thanks to all who came and assist-, ed, and also to Mr Johns specially for cutting a running track round- the playing field during the early summer. The report also dealt with projected works, the most important of which was the laying of a bitumen surface on the drive and the area in the immediate vicinity of the building. The 'estimated cost was £52 10s, and it was hoped to put the work in hand at Christmas time. The new lawn in front of the school had been -sown during the spring by Mr Morecraft, who deserved the thanks of the committee for the great amount of work he had done. Thanks were also due to Mr Bobert Gibson for donating spring flower bulbs. In conclusion, the committee hoped that during the coming year it would have the loyal assistance of the residents of the district, who should remember that unless they gave; that assistance the committee was- very badly handicapped in its efforts to make the school a credit to the district.

Motions of appreciation of the services rendered by Mr Webby and sympathy with -him in his illness were adopted. All present were nominated and -the following committee was •elected:— Messrs W. H. Songster (chairman), A. C. Josephson, J. W. Kenyon, D. McLeod and M. F. VouHaire (secretary). WH AKA MAR A. Ait Wlmkamara there was an attendance of 12. There were nine nominations for committee and as there were only five- required a ballot was held, the retiring committee all being elected, viz., J. Dobson (chairman), J'. Potter, W. Hamilton, S. Buekrill, and G. Wfrigley (secretary). The chairman, Mr. J. Dobson, reported : ‘ Last year the attendance increased from 30 to 36. The school has now a roll number of 42. The matter of games was discussed and the importance of same in developing sportng tendencies and “play the game” principles. The insufficient playing area. available precluded the possibility >f many games, so it was decided to do away with the ornamental lawn and lay Jown a tennis court. The lawn is now completed, and the grass well established and by next spring should be ready tor use. Thanks are due to the settlers of the district who participated in the recent working bee of laying down the tennis court, also who have permitted the children to, play football and cricket in their pad-docks adjoining the school: On February 17 the school held its- annual picnic at Mokoia beach, vfr. Hamilton kindly conveyed the children there. A very enjoyable day was spent by all. The committee desired to place on record its appreciation of ;he very efficient work carried out by he teacher and to extend to him its • ongratulations for the success of 'his efforts during the year.

AUEOA. Owing to the meagre attendance, it , was; decided to postpone the election of the committee. PUKEMhA.HU. Mr. J. O’Neill presided over an attendance of seven. The following committee was elected for the ensuing year:— Messrs. \V. H. Harris, A. A’. Sohvieters (chairman), E. Harper (secretary), ,T. ]>. Rowe, F. J. Hilly. PTJNG AHETTU. Mr. E. H. Gray presided over an attend an rs> of nine. The following committee was eleeted for the ensuing year: Messrs. E. H. Neal, S. h. Goodwin, H. Symons, F. El Grinlinlon (secretary), El. H. Gray (chairman). TE K I RI. Mr. E. A. Collins presided. The following eonimiileo was eleeled for ensuing year: - Messrs. El. A. (.lollins (chairman), R. Weston, T. Ooxhcnd, F. Watson' Q, Sayed (secretary). MAE AKA. Mr. H, O. Duckett, presided over an attendance of four. Present: Messrs, R.. G, Gray, F. Affleot, H. Hartley, and H. O, Duckett who declined to nominate themselves as a. committee.