Raetihi school board chairman retires

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 14, Issue 639, 4 June 1996, Page 3

Raetihi school board chairman retires

The Chairman of the Raetihi School Board of Trustees, Keith Leary, retired from the chair last week after four years of holding the reins. The committee and teachers gathered to farewell Mr Leary at an evening function held last Wednesday, 19 May. Principal Grant Fountain, presented Mr Leary with two travel bags as a farewell gift. Mr Fountain thanked Mr Leary on behalf of the staff and committee for his hard work and commitment to the position. "The school has seen some difficult yet challenging times in four years", Mr Fountain said, "Mr Leary has managed to cope with family life, his own work, the responsibility of running his family farm and his obligations as chairman to the school, taking it all in his stride."

Mr Leary thanked the teachers and committee for their support. He said his service was due to his wife, Carol, who told him he had to stand for chairman. "On reflection, the position certainly opened my eyes to a totally different profession. Instead of just being a 'cocky' down the farm, I suddenly had a job to do which I knew wasn't going to be easy." Mr Leary said he owed a lot to Collette Taylor, the then deputy principal and later acting principal, when he first took up the position. "Collette was very helpful and it was she who paved the way, making things easier. It's time for me to move on to other things and let someone else hold the reins." The new chairperson is Pricilla Stout, who took up the position last Thursday.