SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING.

Shannon News, 6 May 1924, Page 3

SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING.

A meeting ol tiie school committee was held on Thursday evening. Air J. Murray (chairman) presiding. A letter was received irum hire Education Board asking if the Goman,ittee were .prepared to mieet them with oneilliird Qi the oust of tar sealing the playground, viz., £25. It was decided io reiuse jiot recognise any iurtuer expenditure, os tiie Board had agreed to do the .work if tire committee supplied t tlie giia-vel and sand and pre-

pared the surface. It was a recommendation to incoming committee to' .complete the plan ot improvements started by their predecessors. Application is to he ( made lor installation of electric light, and heating connections for the school and teacher’s residence. The secretary was instructed to get <1 notes far nine cords of 21 1 rata and a truck ,of one-foot, MEETING OF HOUSEHOLDERS. The ahntuial meeting of Shannon held lust, evening was very, poorly attended, those present being made up mainly of the outgoing and incoming commit fetes. C\wing to the number of nominations received far tiie new committee .not. exceeding the number required, no election was necessary. Mr Jus. Murray (chairman of the aid conunrttee) (presided. ANNUAL REPORT. The annual report of the School Committee presented was .as follows: T on the 30th >APTU, 1923, the number of children on the school roll was 400, the present roll number being 372.

Messrs J3urns and Black ie, Inspectors nf Schools, had visited, the school on June Ist, 1023, and again ,on September 4th and sth. They had reported on tilic work of the school as being satisfactory/ Mr Powell, the Board's Clerk of-. Works, had visited the school on different occasions during the yea,)'. Visits were also made by the Departmental medical officers, the Board's Truant Officer and' by the Physical Instructor. Two changes of ihe permanent staff of ,thc school had occurred during the period'under review and in each case, the cl tango was duo to promotion on the part of the teachers concerned.. On October 12th and 13th a highly successful school carnival was held. As ta result thereof Ihe canvmiittee had been enabled to make several much needed improvements in the school grounds, and further improvements tire now in progress. The annual school picnic was held at Plimmerton on February I.6th land a visit to the Imperial Squadron was made on Friday hist. The improvements to the grounds carried out from the special funds, consist of tile draining, erection of playing apparatus, horse paddock drained and the other work in progress is the putting down ,of tennis courts, cricket bitch, improving football ground and 1 lie laying out of the grounds in front Of the"school facing the street in flow-

ers and shrubs. —The report was confirmed.

SYSTEM OF NOMINATION. Tlte chairman (Mr Murray) in- i:eleiTing to the lack of interest taken itv householders, took strong exception to the system of receiving nominations. He" stated the meeting had not received the publicity it was entitled to. He complained that tiie no min a.t ion papers had not reached him until about three (lavs before nominations closed and under the present system he contended it was nnfa.ii* to expect, the chairman of the committee to undertake the responsibility of getting ' nominations, as the elia.i’rmau and secretary could practically get a comm.iit.tec together to siuiit themselves, in his opinion the chairman should be neutral. * Fie thought, the old system of householders nominating members at the householders’ meeting wa-s much fairer, and providing the meeting was given full publicity those interested would be sure to attend. At present the only publicity was by notices in shop winrlows as 'the Board would not go to the expense of advertising. Mr Gustafson agreed - with the previous speaker and he moved that it be a recommend nit-ton to the ■.incoming 1 committee to get. til ie old system of receiving no mi nations re-instated and that the Board he asked to send nut 1 forms and notices earlier. Mt* G. P. .Anderson seconded die motion. He stated the meeting wanted more publicity than in die past. Xoibody seemed to know the meeting was to fltie held, and three days was -too short ti notice, lie did not think .Shannon was alone in this respect. The motion was carried una.nfmou,s_ ly. HOT DRINKS FOR CHILDREN COMING A DISTANCE.

■Mr Blackwood asked if the Committee had made any provision at the school to provide liot, drinks at luncheon lor children coming a distance during the winter months, lie stated that in' other districts such provision w-as made. He did not expect the Committee to hear the whole expense, but he felt sure the parents would be prepared to assist. It would no.t entail a lot of labour, seeing that they would soon have electric heating and a good water service. He moved and Mr Brown seconded till,at it he a recommendation to the incoming committee that, provision be made in that direc-tion.—-Carried. THE NEW COMMITTEE. The following is the pew comimiltee: Messrs R. Tippler (chairman), R. Downes, S. Anderson, W. Christian, E, Warfington, D. Gust of sen, W. N. Ili'own* G. Welkins and W. Carlyle ''secretary). Mr Jas. Murray, in vacating the chair, said he regretted doing so,' but ho found lie had got too many irons ip the fire. He thanked the eomniit*!ee present- and old commit teem.cn, who,, lie said, had always supported him loyally to a man during his eight years of office. (Applause). Mr R. Tippler thanked the new committee for electing him to the chair and eulogised the work done in the interests of the school by Mr Murray.