SOUTH RANGITATA SCHOOL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1566, 9 April 1887, Page 3

SOUTH RANGITATA SCHOOL.

Tbe following report of a'meeting of the Committee baa baen transmitted to us for publication Minutes of the monthly meeting of the South Bangitata School Commitiee, held on April Ist, 1887. Present—Messrs McLeod, Taylor, Airay, Cadwallader, Robertson, and Mason. Mr Mason was voted to the chair. A letter was read from Mr Ruddenklau apologising for not being able to attend.

MINUTES. The minutes of the previous meetii g were lead and confirmed.

inspector's report. Tbe Inspector’s report was received and read as satisfactory.

mb rrowne’s letters.

Mr McLeod proposed, Mr Robertson seconded, and it was unanimously agreed to “ That tbe Board of Education be written to, complaining of Mr Browne’s conduct with regard to bis letters tv the Timaru Herald and Temukx Leader, and that the matter be thoroughly explained.” Tbe following report for submission to the Board of Education was then-drafted : “The concert, which was he'd in the schoolroom, was got up by two members of the Committee, viz.; Messrs McLeod and Taylor ; none of the others took any part in it whatever. The piocceds of this concert went to buy some firewood for the use of the school, and it was agreed that tbe remainder should go towards the buying of some prizes or presents for the school children, which accordingly done. About two months before the examination a trsat was given to the children. About this time a friend of Mr Browne’s came down from Christchurch to see him, and he got this gentleman to bold a sort of examination in the school. As a proof of this statement, a certain family in the district bad objected to this gentleman examining the school at all. However, on the day on which this examination took place, M r Browne sept all the children belopging to this family borne, so that they would not be examined. About a month ago Mr Browne sent an account to Mr McLeod to pay the expenses of his (Mr Browne’s) friend, although he was cot authorised to get this gentleman to examine the school at all. Aftep this gentleman’s ex : iipiipafiou of the school Mr Jjrqwpe put all t)ie children in the school, except one, back one Standard | that is, he "put them track into the.Standaid below which they bad beep working in. The result of the present examination bj the Inspector was that all the children yvilL the caption of one whp was not pul Dack passed iheir Standards. Some of the children passld tjie Standard previous to the last Tbe "prises or

presents, one for every child in the school, were bought a month or so before the examination, and were distributed according to the Inspector’s report, which was as follows ;

Standard IV.—lst prize, Jessie Taylor. Standard lll.—lst prize, Helen O’Ha'loran ; 2nd, Leonard Greenaway; 3rd, Kate Cadwallader.

Standard ll.—lst prize, John Can&van ; 2nd, Edith Taylor. Si udard I—lst prize, Sybilla Greenaway and Elsie Greenaway (equal) ; 2nd, Walter Kelly. A few special prizes were also given. These were given with, the exception of one, according to Mr Browne's views, as follows

For the beat writer in the school— Helen O’flalloran, For the best attendance—lst prize, Walter Kelly ; 2nd, Robert Kelly ; 3rd, Annie Waller.

There was besides these a prize for the best conducted boy or girl in the school, and for this Mr Br • > ue would not give bis opinion, so that wo had to use our «wn judgment. The reason that we gave the prize to the girl that received it, waa that Mr Browne had written a letter and even sent a telsgrara to this girl while he was in Wellington for bis holidays, rather than send them to any of the elder pupils, so that wo naturally thought that she waa his favorite in the school. Now Mr Browne tries to persuade the public that the prizes were of a very paltry description. There were 25 prizes bought, some as high as 4s fid and ss, but the average price was 2s fid each, which were thought to be very good prises for a small school like the Rangitata. Mr Browne was asked from the very beginning to take part io getting the prizes or something, but he refused to have anything to do with it. We earnestly hope that the Board wili consider over this report and severely reprimand or censure Mr Browne for the movement he has taken in writing such loiters, as he had nothing whatever to do with it. Mr Browne says that he is constantly in the habit of inciting his scholars to do what is right in the sight of God, and hate the contrary. Now, Mr Browne was the cause of a great deal of dissatisfaction among his scholars, as the day after the prizes were distributed be told the children that this one and that one ought not to have got a prize, and so on. The scholars were perfectly satisfied with their prizes until Mr Browne c«used the dissatisfaction amongst them. Mr Browne says In his letters that he wishes to inform the public of some vary improper proceedings which took plane in the schoolroom on March 16th. Now the Committee are not aware of any improper proceedings taking place but what Mr Browne himself was the sole originator of, and we must say that the Rev. Geo. Barclay did nothing but whit was perfectly right. He was asked by three members of the Committee to distribute the prizes, and he did so, taking as a guide the Inspector’s report, which we think was a proper one. The following is the balance-sheet : Receipts—Proceeds of concert and dance, £l2 Is fid ; lea and sugar sold, £1 Is 3d ; interest of £6 in Bank, la 3d ; total, £l3 4s. Expenditure Mrs Marshall (refreshments), £3; music for dance, £1 2s fid ; tickets and advertising; 13s ; piano hire, 10a ; chair for school, 12a ; candles, 4s; firewood for school, £1 ; total £7 Is fid ; prizes for children, £2 17a fid ; refreshments (Mr T, Barr), £2 ; lollies, 7« fid ; music for dance, 12s fid ; stamps, is ; nuts, 2s; candles, la 6J; grand total, £l3 3a fid. Wm. Mason, Chairman (pro km).