Election of School Committee.

Te Aroha News, Volume XIV, Issue 2098, 28 April 1898, Page 3

Election of School Committee.

Tee following are some additional par ticnlars re the . annual meeting for election of School Committee. Great iqtferssfc was taken in the proceedings, the attendance of the public being greatly in excess of what has previously been the case. Mr Gilchrist having been voted to the chair, the minutes <of last annual meeting were read and confirmed. . The Chairman, in reporting on the year’s business, stated that the number on roll at the end of the year was 225, being an'increase of 7 during.the year. The average attendance for ,the year had been 177, and.in this connection he pointed out that there was great room for improvement in the matter of attendance. These, figures showed that there were about 50 children absent every day, and that proportion was altogether too. large.- At last examination 135 scholars were presented, and 79- per cent, passed." '1 he per centage would have been larger, but for the disarrangement of the teaching staff caused by the removal of Mr Pries tleyJnMihe middle of the year’s work. As regards finance, the Committee opened; the year with a* credit : balance of £7 17s 6d, and closed with a balance to'credit of £l2 10s 9d; the receipts for the year, having been £76 18s 6d, and thejjexpenditure £64 7s9d„ During the year two entertainments were organised by Mr MarsdonV by means of which about £2O had been raised, which had been devoted to procuring additional school fnrnitnre and fittings. In conclusion the Committee complimented Mr Marsdon and the staff on the efficient manner in which the work of teaching and conducting the school had been carried out, and

quoted the Inspector's report on the subject, which was highly commendatory. :• ,•J Air John Comes moved a vote of thanks to the outgoing Committee for- - their services, which was seconded by Mr Gavin and carried unanimously. In ' seconding the vote of thanks, Mr Gavin said that he thought it was a pity to make any change in the Committee, as they had performed their work in such a satisfactory manner. The public were told a lot about,, the .need-for new blood on the various local bodies, but unless it could be shown that the work had not been satisfactorily performed, nothing Vas to be gained by making a change, merely for the sake of that. A certain amount of exper-

ience had to bargained, and as the present Committee had learned its 'business, he thought the best thing; the householders could " 5 8ehd; them back again. P ■' Nominations were then received for the new .Committee, after which the election was proceeded with, Messrs Mclndoe aud J. T. Maingay acting as Bcriuiaeers. As reported in last issue Messrs Gilchrist, Wallace. Hill, Robinson, S*anley, Mackay and Salmon were eh-ctod. . "N ’ After the election Mr James Mills,

>• iiia brief speech, dretv attention ,to I ' that p irt of the report dealing, with the attendance, and expressed the opinion that some action should be taken to compel parents to send ' their children \ to school more regularly. This absents teeism was injurious in many respects, if' "it was an injustice to the children I themselves ; it hindered the progress [ of more advanced and regular attend--1 ants, and it deprived the school or a r\ proper stafTof teachers. The report rK showed that fully a the whole r school was absent every day, and he the Committee were quite j justified in taking proce 'dings' against f the more prominent offenders. He • hoped the Committee w mid fate their cue from this, and act ''accordingly. These remarks met With- the evident approval of most of those present, and • there seems little doubt that some -action will be taken by the Committee \ in the direction indicated. I A vote of thanks to the chair brought the meeting to a close

A meeting was held immediatit | alter the public meeting, and and Hill were reelected Chairman and Seciretary feBpectiyely, and authorised to sign all cheques. >* ‘ ' \ ; It was decided that the Committee "Meetings be held on the [second Mou- ■ d&v in each month> : the next meeting to held ottrMoMay, 9th May. • - ' Messrs Wallace and Maokie were V appointed a Works Committee till next meeting*' i . » ■W. White’s accojunfc for removal of nightsoil, etc., was passed for payment. Te Aroha West. Ob Monday night a meeting was held in the Te Aroha West schoolhouse for the purpose of electing seven ‘persoyto form the School Committee I result of the election was seiss \ % gady. Reynolds,-Peterson.: ‘ ' Heicre the election a vote was put \ the meeting to see if they were in iJavor of the school-house at Te Aroha rJrfant. being moved to-a more central i Ipotf petition tie Board of Edu- • Ktion to buiia » new school {or J Mhnaw.ru. On the vote being pot to ■ JKmeeting it was camsdwithonly 1 two dissenting voices. It was.thought J£L t moving the school-house at Te KToha West would be a useless expense, would not meet the requi;®nents

of the growing settlement of Manawaru, besides being very unfair and unjust to the inhabitants of Te Aroha West, who worked hard to get toe school built, and ,have taken great interest in it ever since. Gordon Settlememt. The following ia the rfesalt. of the election of the Gord >n Settlement School Committee for the ensuing year :—Messrs Newsome, chairman, W. Osborne, secretary, A. Thackray, J. Brady and F. Walker. Waiorongomai. The annual meeting of householders which was held in the school-room on Monday evening, 25th i.»Rt., was not as well attended as it ought to have been. The Chairman, Mr Cronin, presented the annual report, which shows the Committee have been very active during their term of office. The following is the • report : Twelve ordinary and two special meetings have been held, at each of which there was a quorum present. Miss E. M. Jennings was appointed a pupil teacher on August 5 st. The teachers all attended regularly to their duties, and the reports by Inspectors Petrie and Dickinson were considered satisfactory. The average attendance'"of pupils during the four quarters from Ist April, 189.7, was read. Two very, successful picnics had been held, one on the occasion of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, and the other on breaking-up day for the lasi ’Xmas holidays, r For these picnics the sum of £23 8s was subscribed by the parents an-i friends of the children. The school and all the outbuildings were painted by the Board of' Education, and the Committee put a new boarded floor in the shelter shed, repaired wood shed, window blinds, doors, fences and footpaths. The Committee exerted themselves in obtaining a teacher’s residence, with the result.that the Board of Education has let the contract for the building of a very neat- and substantial cottage. ’ The site for this residence was made a present of to the Board by Mr Martin Murphy. A fine library has been established in connection with the school. Twenty- two pounds four shillings’ worth of books have been purchased. Ten pounds was donated, by the Board of Education,- the remainder being made up partly from the receipts of a school concert, and partly from school hire and from donations by some friends. "The sum of Ll 5a was devoted to buying books as prizes for a series of essay competitions among the pupils, the prizes being distributed amongthe different classes. The prizes were presented on Jubilee Day at the picnic. -At the breaking up, of the school for, Xmas holidays a flub lot of useful 4>poks, to the value of £3, was awarded to the pupils for regular attendance; ‘those who had attended the full number; of days, getting first choice, , and the others iiTrotaticm as m the number of attendances recorded. These awards were highly appreciated by the children, aid by their parents also, and undoubtedly have a good effect as regards the children’s attendance at school. The footpath leading to the school being in a bad state of repair last winter, the Committee got it regravelled and otherwise fixed. The sum of £1 was received from thePiako County Council towards the cost of same. The Committee received £l7 in capitation allowances from the Board. At the commencement of the /year the sum to our credit at the Bankwas £1 15s 61 and the sum to our credit now is 10s Id,'. The sum of £lB 5s 5d has been spent in school requirements, The books and accounts have been ( audited 1 by the Board and have been signed and returned as correct. A sufficient quantity of firewood for the next twelve months is on hand. The Committee desire to acknowledge with thanks the treatment the "Wniorongomai Sch>ol Committee h s always received from the Board of Education. The above report was received by householders with enthusiasm. The election of members of the School Committee for the ensuing year was then proceeded with, and the following were declared duly elected : Messrs Cronin, Murphy, Williams, Smith, Jennings, Lawry aud Edwards. At the first meeting of the Committee Mr Cronin was re-elei t)d Chairman, and Mr Jennings was re-elected Secretary. : V.