TUAPEKA ATHENÆUM.

Tuapeka Times, Volume II, Issue 88, 16 October 1869, Page 3

TUAPEKA ATHENÆUM.

ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the subscribers to the Athenasuin was held in the hall on Monday evening at 8 o'clock. The attendance was very thin. Mr. Gk Morison waa called to the chair. The minutes of the last general meeting, held in October, 1868, being read and confirmed, the chairman called upon Mr. Jamison to read the Committee's report of their doings for the past year. The report was as follows : — Annual report of the Tuapeka Athenreum Committee and Mining Institute, 12th October, 1869. In presenting to the subscribers and supporters the 4th annual report, the Committee have great pleasure in being able to state that the progress made during the last twelve months has been very considerable. It "will be in your recollection that, at our last annual meeting, this building had only been a few weeks in occupation, was comparatively without furniture, the stock of books limited, and the debt considerable. Your Committee are happy to state that since then, they have had the Hall furnished suitably for any public purpose, several valuable additions made to the Library, a catalogue published, a Magazine Club established, and about £200 of debt has been liquidated by a graiit from Government. During the year the following donations have been received . — From Mr. De Carle, 9 maps of parts of Australia ; from Mr. Hughes, an eight-day clock ; from Mrs. Wood, her valuable work, entitlod "Bush Mowers ;" from Mr. Keen, "Treatise on Habit ;" from Dr. Halley, " Rambles of a Philosopher ;" from Mr. Charles Nicholson, " Parry's Medical Writings," to all of whom the Committee have recorded their thanks. The advantage of the additions made to the Library, ia shown in tho great increase in the number of books circulated ; for against 401 books taken out in 1867-8, there have been 1451 changed last year, besides magazines, 218. No doubt this marked improvement is owing, in a great measure, to the attention of the Librarian, Mr. Thoruley, to hia duties as well as to the system and order, the Committee have been able to iutroduca here, which they previously were unable to maintain. The Hall is being used by the Foresters, by the Band, and for the Readings, &c. It is gradually being niore appreciated. Insurance has been effected in theJ3um of £550, to cover building, books, and furniture. . The Committee, in retiring, commend to the attention of their successors, the desirability of having this section fenced and planted with trees, the sections at the corner of Gabriels road disposed of on lease, and a small increase being made to. the salary of the Librarian. In conclusion, the Committee are happy to report, that the whole affairs of the Athenaeum are in a satisfactory and flourishing condition. Mr. Searle proposed, and Mr, Crow seconded, "That the report be received." Mr. Russell proposed, and Mr. M'Neill seconded, " That it be adopted." The report gave very great satisfaction to all present. There had been twenty meetings of Committee held during the year, and the attendance at these meetings was as follows : — Stenhouse, 20 ; Jamison, 19 ; Morison, 19 ; Matthews, 15 ; Ferguson, 15 ; Brown, 10 ; Tolcher, 10 ; Hay, 2 ; Halley, 2. The balance-sheet showed the receipts during the year to have been, including a small balance from last year, £363, and the expenditure, £360. The balance-sheet was also received and adopted. Mr. Jamison moved, as an amendment to one of the laws, " That three, instead of five, form a quorum." Carried. The nomination of candidates to replace the retiring Committee was then proceeded with, when the follow-ing-named gentlemen were proposed and seconded : — Messrs. Brown, Pressley, Forbes, "Wootton, Jamison, Simp-, son, Crow, Searle, Tolcher, Ferguson, Downes, Morison, Stenhouse, M'JSTeill, D. Johnston, and J. Russell. As the attendance of subscribers was so small, it was thought advisable, in order to prevent " incompetence re-electing itself," to send voting-papers, bearing the names of the sixteen nominated candidates, to all the subscribers, and give them an opportunity -of electing a Committee suited to their mind, There being no other "business, the meeting was duly closed.