NEW PLYMOUTH BOYS' HIGH SCHOOL.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 December 1917, Page 5

NEW PLYMOUTH BOYS' HIGH SCHOOL.

SHORTAGE OP BUILDING FUNpS. MEETING OF OLD BOYS. CO-OPERATION IN RAISING FUNDS. Tliero was a fair attendance of members of the New Plymouth Old Boye' Association at a special meeting held at the Soldiers' Club rooms last evening. Mr. J. R. Wilson was elected to th« chair, and in opening the meeting stated! it had been called by several of the. old boys who were in touch with the. ioard of Governors. They all knew they had lost the school through fire. The . board had for many montlm been endeavoring to obtain from the Government a sum sufficient to rebuild the school. In his opinion the amount offered by the Government was niggardly find totally inadequate to erect any building that would be a credit to anybody, and they desired a building that 1 »voultl be a credit to the school and to laranaki. The progress of the school during lato years had been phenomenal, and this progress should have received | more consideration. It had been sueRested that the Old Boys might assist the board in raising the additional funds required for building. They might initiate a movement that could be taken up by the people of Taranaki as well as by the old .pupils of the school. Although the Old Boys' Association had not been abandoned, It had 'been decided not to hold any re-union*, dinners, etc., on account of so many boing away at the front, but it' was also considered this; was an occasion where work could be. done in the interests of the school The*! should canvass for a greater member* shipi of the Old Boys' Association, placing the membership fe e at such a figure that all hoys passing" through the schooL would join. He had merely opened tw matter, and called on Mr. Percy WeV* stcr, a member of the Board of Governors and an Old Boy, to explain what were the methods suggested to gather in funds. ,

Mr. Webster said tho chairman put the position very dearly. The Gov. ernment had granted £6OOO towards the new building, but this, with the in. nurance, was insufficient to complete the olass-roomß in the condition they desired. A Tequest had boon made to the board by tho Department that they; should curtail the size of the rooms', the board objected to any reduction; and! was rather prepared to instruct tl»e architect to amend tho plans and taild as many rooms as possible with the, funds available. The assembly hall wag absolutely essential for the well-being of the school, and this was th'o opinion of the principal, Mr. Moyes. Where there were 270 boys, "with no assembly 'hail, it would be almost impossible to conduct a school. It was feared that when the plans were considered tho sum available would'be insufficient. The assembly hall would probably cost £2OOO, and he hoped the appeal proposed to be made, with the subsidy from the Government, would raise the money. At the last meeting of the .board a comtnittcei was formed to meet Mr. Moyes, and the result was the calling of the present raeet< ing, with a view to propounding a scheme for the erection of the hall. The board would meet shortly, and he'hoped the present mectipg would elect a committee to meet the board's cohimitteo and Mr. Moyes to discuss the question. Mr. P. J. H. 'Whito Risked if they knew how much it was desirable to raise. Mr. Wcbsjter Said they would not know till this committee had gone into the matter.

The chairman said they would have to discuss other matters, insurance, etc. Mr. White said lie Was one of those Interested in the sdheme for the school rebuilding. Ho had had conversations with Mr. Moyes and the hoard, and they believed the Old Boys' Association could do a lot of good work in connection with raising funds. He believed the Education Department had' meat difficulty in meeting all demand*, They should endeavor to get the people of New Plymouth to realise thattthe nrfiool was a vqry valuable asset, and if they could work up that interest they should secure a successful conclusion. They should re-form the Old Boys' Association and elect officers to take up the idea. He moved: "That steps be taken to re-form tjio. Old Boys' Association and that officers bp elected.''—Seconded by the chairman and carried. Officers were elected as follow* —President, Mr. J. K. Wilson: committee, Mpssrs P. H. J. White, T\ IT. Whiteombie, Trevor Simpson, L. Hoffmann; secretary. J?. H. George; assistant secretary, Athol Wilson. The membership fee was fixed at ss. The secretary was instructed to write to tho board stating that they would la prepared to co-operate with the board in any scheme to raise funds to re-build the school. , : A vote of th&nlu, to the cbair nonejucl|ed tli# mMtiaft