MAIN SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13845, 5 March 1909, Page 2

MAIN SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

The monthly meeting of the Timaru Main School Committee was held last night. Present—Rev. A. E. Hunt (chairman), C. G. Vogeler (hon. secretary); A. Stead (hon. treasurer), J. McUahon, A. Wilson, J. Radcliffe, AV. Burmester, and H. M. Robertson. An apulogy tor a bsence was received from the Rev. J. Olphert, who had another meeting to attend.

The headmaster reported that the average attendance for the past four weeks had been 719.3, 705.4, (598.8, and C 52.4. The drop in'the last week was caused by the prevalence of measles, most of the cases being among Standdard I. children, but other classes were indirectly affected, and brothers and sisters had to be kept from school in a good many cases. The lowest attendance recorded was 608, but there was now a steady improvement. The essays on " How I Spent My Holidays" had been examined by Mr Howard, the prize-winners being:—Standard VI., boys,' Keppie Maben; girls, Vera Crawford. Standard V., boys, Stanley Satterthwaite;'girls, Nita Holdgate. Standard IV. (a), "Colin Gillies, (b) lleby Shields. The second appeal for dona T tions to the Barclay memorial fund had been more successful, the amount collected to date being £3 19s 3d. At the combined schools' swimming sports, the Main School pupils had gained two first, four second, and three third prizes, though they failed to retain the shield. The prizes won included the medal for the championship of South Canterbury, by... .'.. W. Holdgate. The new'chairs iished for had been supplied by the Board. The piano % required overhauling.. The chairman said that the first prilse essay on the school holidays was of exceptional merit for a boy, and one who could ..write so well now should be able to do something above the ordinary in ..later, years. The Barclay memorial proposal did not seem to have excited the. sympathy: of. the parents to the extent- that was anticipated. The Main School had only collected £3 19s 3d asthe .result of two appeals, and it did not appear at present that they had any hope of: raising a sufficient amount to warrant them in establishing a scholarship. He noticed that even at AYaimate, where Mr' Barclay lived, and • where, if'anywhere, they might have expected a generous response ,only £ll had been raised. At a meeting of the Memorial Committee held on Monday last, it had been decided that the matter should be brought before ..the annual meetings of householders.' - Miss D. C. Hardcastle wrote in acknowledgment of the congratulations of-the Committee on her attaining first place among -. the candidates of the Dominion for the Junior . National Scholarship. She ■ thanked the Committee for their kind congratulations, said that • she would never' forget the happy time she had spent at the .Timaru Main : School, nor the teachers, who had -taught her and-enabled her to get a good place in the examination, a'nd'that the. Main School had given her'a good start. The letter .was. received with', expressions of approval. -'-;''\ '. Mr Stead reported on a: visit of inspection which he and the Rev. Mr Olphert. had'paid to the school that afternoon, when they had found everything going smoothly. '■■ The treasurer reported having received the incidentals for the quarter, amounting to. £26 10s 3d, from the Board of Education. After passing the accounts that night there would be a .balance of £lB odd. '•-.

N The accounts amounted .to and after passing these; and holding a short discussion on - the weakness in arithmetic as disclosed by the examination report the Committee rose.