GERALDINE SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1309, 28 February 1885, Page 3

GERALDINE SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

The ordinary monthly meeting of this Committee was held in the schoolroom on Wednesday evening, Present — Messrs Dunlop (Chairman), A. Sherratt, Geo. Ward, R. S, Cook, W. R. Lawson, T. Farrell, and W. H. Lodge,

MINUTES. The minutes of a meeting of the old Com. mittee held before the annual meeting of householders, and of the first meeting of the new Committee, were read and confirmed. CORRESPONDENCE. The following correspondence was read and considered From the Temuka District High School, acknowledging receipt of a letter. From the Gapes’s Valley, Woodbury, and Geraldine Flat School Committees, in reference to the election of Members for the Board of Education.

From the South Canterbury Board of Education, notifying that £ll 14s 8d had been placed to the credit of the Committee.

From the same, forwarding the names of the candidates for election to the Board,

The Chairman read a circular which had been sent to various School Committees in South Canterbury, in reference to the election of the members of the Board. THE BOARD ELECTION. Mr Cook moved —“That this School Committee record their vote in favor of Dr Foster, and Messrs John Talbot and Melville Gray.” This was seconded by Mr A. Sherratt, and carried unanimously. visitor’s report, Mr Cook, on behalf of the Visiting Committee, reported that the stove in the master’s house had been reset, and was now working satisfactorily. They had found that the children were without a vessel to drink out of at the pump. The attendance of the children on the day of their visit was 168, and the school appeared to be in a satisfactory working condition.

In reply to a qnestion, the Chairman said the cost of the repairs in the master’s house was £llss, and it waa resolved, on the motion of Messrs Ward and Lodge—- “ That the Board of Education be written to asking them to grant that sum." At a subsequent period, when the sweeping and' coloring of the wall of the school was brought up, it was resolved to ask the Board for a grant of £5. HEAD MASTER’S REPORT. The following are extracts from this report : “ I have the honor to report that the average attendance for the past four weeks has been 172.3. No. on the roll ; Boys, 129; girls, HI; total, 240. Several children are away, engaged in harvest work. —With regard to the school prizes I beg to state that at the concert held about Christmas time the sum of £l2 9s was realised, which has been placed by the Treasurer in the bank. The delay in the distribution of the prizes is caused by the following circumstance : It was decided that when the prizes were distributed in the schoolroom or Odd : fellows’Hall, a short entertainment must be given by the children. This of course would take a little time for preparation. From previous experience I have found that more than one entertainment in a year interferes with the success of the school work, and has an injurious effect at the Standard examination. I proposed to give a little time to this immediately after school hours, hut I could not do so till the end of February as my time was occupied in the preparation of sholarship children and other work. As there is now np cause for delay I believe the prizes will be given to the spholars op the basis of the Inspector’s report.—l am, etc., Thos. Hughes, MISCELLANEOUS.

In reference to the choosing of the prizes, the Chairman stated that he, with the late Chairman and Mr Hughes, had been appointed a sub-Committee to select the prizes. It was resolved that Mr A. Sherratt be appointed to act in Mr Pearpoint’s stead, and that Miss Hamilton, the Head Mistress, should also be included in the Committee Mr Sherratt thought tliaj; gome suitable prizes could be obtained in Geraldine as cheaply as elsewhere. The Chairman and Mr Lodge were appointed to confer with Mr Hughes in the arrangement of an entertainment to be given when the prizes are distributed. It was resolved that the Visiting Committee should report to next meeting on the stafe of rhe walls in the school rooms, Mr Geo. Ward brought under the notice of the Committee the nuisance the hive of bees were in the outer wall of the school building. One of his children had been badly stung. —The Visiting Committee were requested to have them removed. —Mr Sherratt said that if a board were removed and gas tar spread about, the smell of it would drive the bees out. Messrs Farrell and Lawson were appointed visitors for the month. This bqing all business the Committee adjourned. .