BOARD’S MINUTES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 41, 18 February 1932, Page 5

BOARD’S MINUTES

FACING THE TASK OF READING ANOTHER CHANGE OF TIME “And now the board can go to sleep for seven minutes,” said Mr. J. Aitken yesterday when the assistant secretary (Mr. J. Bree) had completed the twenty minutes’ task of reading the minutes to comply with legal formality. The Wanganui Education Board is one of the fortunate bodies that completely understands requirements when it comes to a matter of confirming minutes. It has obtained legal advice on the subject. In consequence, members are compelled to sit through twenty minutes of reading so that the letter of the law /may be observed. Ever since the need to read the minutes was made clear the members have tried to comply with law with the least possible inconvenience to themselves and without delay to the business on the order paper. Meetings were set down to commence a quarter of an hour earlier than usual. That arrangement worked smoQthly until a member thought things ought to be speeded up still further. His proposition was that the reading of the minutes should commence at 2.15 p.m. and the general business of the board at 2.45. It was pointed out that in such circumstances the meeting would have to be called for 2.15, which was too early for the members residing in Palmerston North. A compromise was made and it was agreed that the meeting should commence at 2.15 p.m., with the reading of the minutes, but on the understanding that if that task was completed before 2.45 p.m. the board should adjourn, thes allowing the southern members to get to the table in time* Such procedure was in force yesterday. Punctually at 2.15 p.m. the assistant secretary read the formally worded minutes to a board of four members. When he finished Mr Aitken’s remark about going to sleep was made, offering a suggestion as to the best moans of filling in the overdose of time before tin} meeting proper began. Air. E- Tingey (Feilding), later in the meeting, termed the board’s present method as ridiculous. Reading minutes and adjourning for a time was not what was wanted. Members were elected to carry out the duties of the board. One duty was to listen to the minutes being read. He moved, in accordance with notice given, that the meeting revert to the 2.45 p.m. time of starting and that once the minutes were read the business should be gone on with. After discussion a compromise was decided on and, in future, board meetings arc to commence at 2-30 p.m. and go right ahead, minutes or no minutes. “I sincerely hope that is the last we will hear of this business,” said tho acting-chairman (Mr. E. F. Hemingway) when he declared Hie decision made.