ELECTION OF SCHOOL COMMITTEES.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13889, 28 April 1909, Page 3

ELECTION OF SCHOOL COMMITTEES.

GERALDINE D.H.S

There were about thirty householders present, and Mr \Y. A. Sherratt occupied the chair. The outgoing committee's report regretted that during the first part of the year the school was earied on under the disadvantages of draughty halls, ill-suited for school purposes. The new school wits occupied 111 June, and was found up-to-date, comfortable and well ventilated.. The attendance;improved at once, and the roll number was now -04. The secondary department was weak, the attendance being below the department's minimum. The finances were satisfactory; £SO was received from_ the • Institute Bazaar Committee, and it was hoped to got a Government subsidy thereon. The committee could then replace what was lost by the fire, and also make some very necessary improvements to the school grounds. The north end had been levelled and sown down, and nest year the south end should be similarly treated. The usual school concert had not been held, as it would have interefered with the preparation for inspection. A sum of £G was however spent in prizes. The annual examinations had been held, and the staff were to be congratulated on the results, considering the disabilities they laboured Tinder for half the year. There had not been many changes in the staff. Miss Alice Budd M.A. was appointed secondary assistant, vice Miss King resigned; Miss Hughes returned in November, after six months' leave on account of ill-health, and Mr Montgomery, headmaster, was now on leave for the same reason, Mr Stewart of Dunedin being liis locum tenens. The cadets had had a successful year, and by the marks gained and prizes won, showed that their shooting had been well attended to. Private Campbell won tho medal for highest score in South Canterbury class-firing, the team came second for the Sargood and the "Press" shields; and sixteen qualified for marksmen's badges. The relations between committee and staff had been cordial throughout, and the committee concluded by thanking the staff for the way they had carried out their duties. A circular from the Barclay Memorial Fund Committee was read, and it was proposed and carried that the new committee should get out subscription lists. The Rev. A. B. Todd, in seconding the motion, said the Rev. G. Barclay was minister at ' Geraldine for many years, and had taken great_ interest in educational matters in Geraldine and South Canterbury, and the movement for a memorial should be well supported. Mr T. Sherratt raised a discussion on the present system of promoting pupils by the head teachers' examinations be low St. 6. He argued that the inspector ought to pass the pupils. After some discussion the meeting declared in' favour of the pass for St. V being in the hands of the inspectors, as St. V is the Government standard for the lower grades of the Civil Service. Votes of thanks to committee and staff were proposed and carried. Nino candidates were nominated from whom the following were elected : Messrs T. Sherratt, Dr Patterson, G. ii. Creemer, T. Dyer, J. Kennedy, AI. Campbell, T. Sommerville. Mr Sherratt was elected chairman and Mr Dyer secretary. PLEASANT POINT D.H.S. About forty attended the meeting and Mr J. Maze presided. The outgoing committee's report congratulated the householders on meeting in the new school. Reference was made to the bazaar held to raise funds for beautifying the new school grounds, which proved so successful that £l5O was raised for the purpose, and a subsidy had been added by the Education Board. Thanks were recorded to all who had assisted.' Owing to delay in obtaining the money from the Board the improvements had not been carried out. £2O liad been handed over for a shelter shed and £SO to purchase an extra acre of land. New fences had been erected and some additional asphalting done to form a tennis court, at- a cost of £ls, and wire netting erected around it. The incoming committee were recommended to fence off a, garden and lawn in front, and an experimental garden at the back, and to buy a small hot-air engine to pump water for the gardens. The committed had full sympathy with the proposal to raise funds for a Barclay memorial scholarship, but had had their hands so full of other matters that they were ■unable to.do anything. The householders might suggest to the new committee some means of raising funds for this deserving object. The school had passed through the examinations successfully. Of 20 presented, 18 obtained proficiency certificates; five qualified for the Board's junior scholarships, three gained them, and one won a national scholarship. The secondary pupils were also successful. In the Senior Civil Service examination Bernard Jones passed all six subjects, and another pupil passed in three. Four girls gained partial passes for the D certieates. All three matriculation candidates passed. In the Junior Civil Service three passed, two of them in the first sixty. Five qualified for Senior Hoard scholarships, and five girls had been appointed pupil teachers or probationers. Miss Oliver passed partial C, and Miss Pelvin D and two subjects in C. Mr Irwin, secondary assistant, having accepted another appointment, Mr Tait succeeded him, and.the attendance on this side having increased, Miss McKibbin had been appointed to assist. Tho balance-sheet showed receipts £228 14s 6d, of which £22 lis 7d was brought forward, £3B 15s received from Government, and £163 7s lid raised locally. Cleaning had cast £3-/ 2s 2d, apparatus and material £9 2s lOd, prizes £9 8s Bd, sundries £l7 15s Bd, leaving a credit balance of £l6O 5s _cl. Ed, after a little discussion re the BurReport and balance-sheet were adopt-c-lay Memorial, and the incoming committee was recommended to get up an entertainment in aid of the fund. Ten householders wore nominated and the following were elected the com-mittee-.—Messrs Saunders, Halstead, Dossett, Laurenson, Oborn, Miller J 111 " Dr Paterson. Mr Saunders was aitcrwards elected chairman and treasuiei, and Mr Halstead secretary. TEMUKA D.H.S. The annual meeting of houselioldei s was held on Monday night, there being a fair attendance, and Mr D. Mclnnes, chairman of the late committee, presided. . i The report mentioned that during t■ ie year thirteen meetings were held, tie attendance being good. A good number of improvements had been ettecte , all tending for the convenience and comfort of the children. Tho iron fence and the levelling of were completed, at a cost of £99 16s 6d. windmill was shifted and raised, Jn water laid un to the school lavatories, outhouses, and gardens, at a cost o £42, one-third of which was borne by the Technical Association, and a bicyen. shed had been erected, at a cost ot tJ, and additional asphalt to cost had been laid down. 'Tho total amo raised by voluntary contributions, entertainments, and Government subsidy, including a grant of £25 from the ii cation Board was £l5B 2s _d, and has been practically all spent on p

manent improvements. The committee recommended that the school buildings be renovated externally. Some changes in the personnel of the stall were referred to. Tho present roll number, 450, was the. highest on record; and the school had been sxiccessful in the various public examinations, the passes being as follows:—Matriculation _2, Junior Civil Service 7, Education Board Scholarships 3, Class D (partial passes') 2, Class C (partial) 3, completed 1. In addition to these Miss Mary Miles was deserving of special mention for having won a '"Senior National Scholarship -of £SO a year and free university education for three years. The report was adopted as read. The following nine persons were- nominated and elected: MessrsD. Mclnnes, G. Levens, F. Saunders, A. C. Watson, J. Davis, P>. Metson, G. Thomson, A. Colville and P. Acheson. • At the committee meeting helf aftei 1 the annual meeting Mr D. Mclnnes was elected chairman and Mr A. C. Watson secretary. The third Tuesday m each month was fixed for the monthly meeting and Messrs McTnnes : and Levens were appointed a visiting-committee.. WINCHESTER. The annual meeting was attended by nineteen householders, Mr John Opie was voted to-the chair. During the year meetings have attended °as follows:—Messrs J. Wilks (chairman) 9, J. Boston 10, J. Opie 9, T. Lyons 5, T. - Connolly 6, A. McDonald 9, R. Maddren 9. The schopl roll was 87, entitling it to a pupil teacher, and Miss- Anna Geaney was appointed by the Board. The examination results were again excellent, and a resolution expressive of pleasure at the high state of efficiency was passed by the Education Board. The school gardens had been improved by having a water supply in the form of a windmill and tank erected. The total cost was about £36, and thanks are due to the householders for their willing assistance, and particularly to Messrs H. E. Smith, H. E. McGowan, D. Grant, and R. Maddren. The Board- also granted'£s towards the cost. The annual concert provided fu'nds more than enough to pay the cost of the prizes and of the trip to Caroline Bay. The school won the Hurdley shield at" the Timaru flower show in . March. The thanks of. the Committee were duo to Mr Harrison for special donations to the sports funds. As showing the healthiness of the Winchester district, there had been no cases of infections disease among the school children during the past five and a half years, although such cases had been at times fairly common in other parts of South Cantrebury. The balance-sheet showedreceipts £33 18s 9d, and expenditure £3O 7s 2d, leaving a credit of £3 lis 7d, with no liabilities. A hearty vote of thanks was, on tho motion of Messrs W. Harrison and C. Haar, passed to the teaching staff for the very satisfactory way in which the school had been carried on. Mr Kalaiiglier thanked them on behalf of Miss Aimers and himself for their appreciation. Mr J. Mclnnes, in proposing a vote of thanks to the outgoing committee said that the householders were very pleased at the way the committee had worked in the interests of the school. Mr J. Wilks, in reply expressed the pride that the committee felt in the school and he was pleased to find that the householders also were pleased. The'people of Winchester had supported the committee very liberally. Eleven nominations were received for the committee and a ballot being taken it resulted in the election of Messrs J. Wilks, R. Maddren, D. Enright, W. Harrison, A. McDonald, J. Boston, and A. Russell. Mr John Wilks was unanimously elected chairman. Routine business was transacted, and it was doriderl to R°.ked the Education Board for blackboards and to let their foreman report on a leak in the school roof. OTHER RETURNS. The following committees are reported from other school districts, the first-named in each case being the chairman : Makikihi.—J. Linton, J. Median, .1. Adam, P. Reilly, W- Qumn, C. Ticsize, F. Colville. Kohika.—A. J- Hnslett, 0. Hall, M. Sullivan, O. Kirk. Glenavy. —J. Cuthbertson, I. t loming, P. McCarthy, W. S. Williams, ■!. J. Ardagh, J. White. . Orari Bridge—J. South, W. Hewson, jun., T. Marldiam, J. McLean, T. Krlliher. „ , . „ n - i Morven —T. L. Hart, A. Borthwick. G. McPherson, J. E. Middlebrook. T. Hay, S. J. Bailey, J. Caldwell.