SCHOOL COMMITTEE ELECTIONS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1889, 27 April 1892, Page 3

SCHOOL COMMITTEE ELECTIONS.

LAWEENCE.

There was a very small attendance of householders at tbe annual statutory meeting, held in the District High School on Monday evening, for the purpose of electing a school committee for the ensuing year. Mr D. M'lntosh, chairman of the retiring committee, presided.

The minutes of the last annual meeting were read and confirmed.

The annual report submitted by the retiring committee was as follows :—: — In presenting their annual report, your committee have much pleasure in being able to record an increased attendance of pupils during the past year. The following table shows the attendance-roll for each quarter during the past and the preceding year :—

1890-91.

years gives an average daily attendance during last year of 261, as against 258 the previous year. The standard examination was held during tbe month of September, the result (97 per cent) being highly satisfactory. The examination held in the following November was alike satisfactory in all the upper work, as borne out by the published report. Of the other examinations, Civil Service, teachers and pupil teachers, that were held during the months of December and January, a considerable number of the candidates took very good positions. There have not been any very important changes in the teaching staff during the year, but your committee feel it their duty to mention that the cordial feeling existing between the teachers themselves, and also between tbe teachers and pupils, has been a source of pleasure as well as profit. The cadet company, under the charge of Mr Darton, has attained advanced proficiency in their drill, and can give a fair account of themselves as marksmen ; and the thanks of your committee are due to those gentlemen who so kindly encouraged competition by presenting handsome prizes. A reference to the balance sheet will show that the funds are in a favourable state, there being a credit balance of £17 2s 3d, and that without any special appeal to the public by entertainment or otherwise.

During the year your committee have held 13 meetings, which were attended as under : — D. M'lntosb, 11 ; J. Thompson, 5 ; P. TJren, 11 ; J. Hetherington, o ; A. M'Kinlay, 8 : G. Jeffery, 11 ; J. C. Arbuckle, 9. The school buildings are to receive necessary repairs at the hands of workmen sent by the Education Board, who are also supplying the school with six new legister grates. The grounds are now in a fair state of order, drainage and other matters having been Attended to.

Under the new Act, you are called upon to elect a committee consisting 1 of nine members. In conclusion, your committee consider thanks are due to your rector, matron, and assistants for the zeal displayed by them in the performance of their duties, and in maintaining the high character which your school has so long borne.

The report was received and adopted. The chairman read the names as follows of the candidates who had been nominated in terms of the Education Act as members of the committee for the} ensuing year .— J. C. Arbuckle, T. Arthur, J. Hetherington, GK Jeffery, A. M'Kinlay, T. Pilling, J. Thompson, W. €r. Urquhart, and P. TJren. — As there were no further nominations, the chairman declared the foregoing gentlemen duly elected as the committee for the ensuing year. Mr Arbuckle moved and Mr M'Kinlay seconded : " That a cordial vote of thanks be accorded to Mr D. M'lntosh, the retiring chairman, for thr diligent manner in which he carried out the duties appertaining to his office during the past year." — Carried. The meeting then dispersed.

WAITAHUNA.

The annual meeting of householders for the purpose of electing a school committee for the current year was held in the schoolhouse on Monday evening; Mr R. M'Ara presiding. The evening was extremely wet, and consequently only a moderate number put in an appearance. The following extracts are culled from the outgoing committee's report : —

Daring the year, the receipts amounted to £49 16s 3d, and tbe expenditure to £37 145, leaving a credit balance of £12 2s 3d at the end of March, 1892. Throughout the year, the attendance at the school has been fairly regular, although somewhat below what, in the opinion of your committee, it might have been. With a view to secure a better attendance, your committee some time ago secured the services of Constable West, who agreed to act as truant officer, and since be has taken office the attendance has been excellent ; in fact, the attendance now is better than it has been for several years back. The average for the year was 73 ; but so far as the current quarter has gone the average has increased to 84. On the 14th August, 1891, the school was examined by Inspectors Petrie and Taylor with satisfactory results, the inspectors remarking that tbe instruction was thorough and that the order and attention were good throughont the classes, four committee are quite satisfied that the teachers are doing good work } and doing it conscientiously.

In conclusion, your committee would most earnestly impress upon parents the necessity of the regular attendance of their children at the school, otherwisean injustice is done both to teachers aud pupils. It is impossible for the ,te ichors, however painstaking they may be, to conduct the school with that degree of efficiency that they might were the children daily at their posts. -

® The following gentlemen were rel elected a committee for the ensuing 3 year :— Messrs R. M'Ara, J. Cowen, W. i Livingston, S. A. Bishop, F. Ellis, T. M'Kenzie, and A. a M. M'Millan. s At the meeting* of the newly-elecfced i committee held subsequently, the follow1 ing officers were appointed: — Mr R. J M'Ara (re-elected), chairman; Mr F. . Ellis (re-elected), clerk and treasurer. , Messrs Livingston and Cowen were apj pointed a works committee. ) II !■ HIT i BAES JUNCTION. The annual meeting of householders for the purpose of electing a school committee was allowed to lapse, because of the heavy rain that fell during the evening. Most of the householders bave a long way to come to get to the schoolhouse where the election is held, and in the boisterous weather thab prevailed it was not to be expected a meeting could be held. Only five goed and true men braved the elements and put in an appearance ; but with that small number business was not proceeded with, and the result was a lapsed meeting. From some of those who attended I have learned that the mode of conducting the elections adopted last year is much simpler and more preferable to the method laid down by the amended Act now in force. I cannot say from personal observation whether this is so or not, merely stating what I have heard. The average attendance at our school for the year 1891 has been within a fraction of nineteen, thus entitliug us to a school committee of five members, under the new arrangements. The income for the year amounted to £24 12s sd, the old committee leaving a balance-in-hand of £6 12a 4d for their successors. This is a nice little nest egg to start the educational year with and reflects credit on the economical tendencies of the old committee. — ( Correspondent). \

WETHERSTONJES. The members of the newly-elected committee are as follow: — Messrs Fulton, Niddrie, Donnelly, Murray, Simpson, Russell and Munro. The retiring committee mentioned in their report that the work done by Miss Smyth during the past year had given the utmost satisfaction, they being very well pleased with her. The inspector's reports, too, were of a most satisfactory character, and the last examination, whilst redounding to the teacher's credit, placed the Wetherstones school at the top of the list iv class work done in the schools of Otago for the present year. At the time ofthe examination the number of pupils on the roll was 37, the average attendance for the year being 305.

BLUE SPUE. Despite the heavy downpour of rain which set in on Monday evening, about thirty householders put in an appearance < at the meeting held in the local schoolhouse on Monday evening to elect a school committee for the year 1892-93. The chair was filled by Mr M'Hattie. After the outgoing committee's report had been received and adopted, nine nominations were received to fill the seven vacancies on the committee, and after a ballot had been taken the following were declared duly elected :— Messrs John Uren, S. Johnston, Silas Hore, Robert Ledlie, Jno. M'Hattie, Charles Campbell, and James Campbell. — The newly-elected committee met at the close ofthe public meeting and appointed Mr Uren chairman and Mr Jas. Campbell secretary and treasurer for the current year.

CLABKS FLAT. Only four householders put in an appearance — viz., Messrs G-. S. Walker, S. French, A. Fraser, and J. Crawford. As all were agreeable to stand as committeemen, they were declared duly elected for the ensuing year, the Education Board to be asked to nominate the fifth committeeman. Mr Walker was elected chairman of committee, and Mr Fraser secretary and treasurer. WAIPOBI. Messrs A. Carniegie, L. Resta, Jas. Ritchie, S. Caudwell, W. Caudwell, F. Knight, and H. Blackmore were elected as a committee for the year 1892-93. TUAPEKA. WEST. Owing to the inclemency of the weather, the householders failed to hold a .meeting. EVANS FLAT. The committee for the year 1892-93 consists of Messrs J. Buchanan, W. Buchanan, F. Dunakowski, T. Rickards, Gr. Brook, Jas. Hopkins, and J. J. Gibson. BEAUMONT, The following gentlemen were elected members of the school committee for the current year : — Messrs W. dimming, J. Johnston, R. Geeves, W. Phillips, and W. Walsh. MILLERS FLAT. The committee elected for the current year consists of Messrs W. Waugh, J. Kerr, R. Richardson, J. Wallace, S Grogan, D. Ballantyne, and D. Walker . Mr Waugh was elected chairman and Mr Kerr secretary and treasurer.

No. on Average Highest dailj Soil. No. attendance. 'tine, 1890 ... 316 259 289 ieptember ... 315 250 288 )ecember ... 313 263 292 larch, 1891 ... 319 262 285 1891-92. nne,lß9l ... 303 254 281 leptember ... 313 270 300 )eoember ... 302 259 288 larch, 1892 ... 321 275 292 ?he result of a comparison between the two