SCHOOL COMMITTEES.

Waikato Argus, Volume IV, Issue 280, 28 April 1898, Page 4

SCHOOL COMMITTEES.

TE AWAMUTU. TIIKBE waa a large attendance of householders at the annual meeting held in the school-room on Monday evening last, Mr John H. Maudcno presided, and read the annual report as follows : '• The attendance at the school has remained about stationary during the year or rather has sliabtly decreased, being 118 at the beginning of the year and 116 at the end. The result of the standard examination was not I'll that might be wished. Eighty-three children went up for examination, of whom 22 tailed and 61 passed. The tracher attributes this result partly to irregular attendance on the part of some of those who failed, and the Committee would impress on parents the desirability of sending their children to school a 3 regularly as possible. The Inspector reported the general tone and discipline of the school and the methods of teaching to be satisfactory. The Inspector also paid his surprise vi3ll a few weeks ago, on which occasion he again expiessed himself as well pleased with what he saw. During the year the committee made application to the Board for needful repairs and improvements and with more satisfactory results than has sometimes been the case. After some correspondence the Board have put the school and teacher's house in a good repair and painted the whole of the outside ; also painted and prepared the inside of the teacher's house. Comment was made a short time ago about the water used by the children for drinking The committee, however, had attended to this matter before, as at the commencement of the hot weather the filter had been put in good working order and the tanks cleaned out. A special filtering attachment has also been fixed to the tank so that it seems as if the school water should be exceptionally pure. Tho committee regret that they have been un able to secure a play ground for the children. When in Auckland one of the memberß interviewed a member of the Board on the subject, but without any satisfactory result. It was argued that the price asked for the only available piece of ground was quite unreasonable, and that unless the price was greatly reduced or the district would subscribe a considerable portion of it there was little chance of the Board providing the money. The school fund has just sufficient for the absolutely necessary expenditure of the school, such as cleaning, stationery, etc., the balance in hand being just about the same as at the end of last year. Tho accounts for the year ending 31st March, 1898, have been duly audited by the auditor. Receipts : Balance in Bank on 31st March, 1897, £7 7s 8d ; graot from Board of Education, £22 10s ; total, £29 17s Bd. Expenditure : Cleaning school and outbuildings, £l3 ; fuel, £2 13s; repairs, 2s 6(1; books, etc., £7 10s 6d ; chequebook, 23 ; balance, £6 9s 8d ; total, £29 17s Bd.—The report and balance-sheet were adopted. At this stage of the meeting the Chairman read a circular which had been received from the Board of Education asking the committee to see that all school property, drainage, water tanks, etc., were kept in good order. The election of the new committee was next proceeded with. The ten candidates nominated resulted as follows :—F. R. Gibson, 27 votes ; C. A. Taylor, 24; W. North, 24; Geo. Ahier, 23; J. B. Teasdale, 22;'P. D. O'Connor, 21 ; T. Gresham, 16 ; T. Davis, 15 ; W. Kirkham, 13; S. Bond, 9.—The first seven named were declared duly elected. The question was raised as to whether Mr O'Connor could stand. On the map being produced it was shown that the candidate resided within the boundary. At a subsequent meeting of the newlyappointed committee Mr C. A. Taylor was unanimously appointed Chairman for the ensuing twelve months. Mr Teasdale is the only old committeeman reelected. Mr J. H. Mandeno, the late Chairman, declined to be nominated again. OHAUPO. The annual meeting of householders to elect a committee for the ensuing year was held in the Council Chambers on Monday evening last. There was a very poor attendance, only two besides thd old committee of seven One would think that greater interest should be taken in a matter of such importance. A dog fight, with a bet of half-a-crown aside, would draw a bigger crowd. When asked if they would come to the meeting, the answer was, " No, they had eomethiug elee to do of more importance " Mr H. Roche was voted to the chair. Mr Mears, chairman of the outgoing committee, then read the annual report aud balance-sheet as follows :—ln this report we have nothing special to mention in connection with school matters. On June the 22nd, in celebration of the Diamond Jubilee of the Queen's reign, the children and a large number of the parents and friends attended and assisted in planting a tree in front of the school, to be known as the " Jubilee Tree." On January 26th the usual picnic was held in the school grounds, when a large number of the children and friends were present, and a very pleasant day was spent. Some additions, and repairs to the school building being required, application was made to the Board for the necessary funds, when the sum of £7 waß granted for the work, which has now been nearly all completed, and the grant will be obtained in the usual way. The whole of the school buildings have just been painted, thereby much improving the appearance of the property. The committee had under consideration the advisability of ploughing up and putting into grass the large playground, and would suggest to the incoming committee that the matter be attended to in due season. The inspector's reports show that very satisfactory work is being done iu the school. Coming to finances, we tiud that our receipts were £l9 18a 7d, including £5 8s 7d balance from previous year ; and our expenditure—tchool cleaning, etc., £4 lis 9d ; repairs, etc., £3 Pis tid ; school stationery, £3 18s 9d ; other accounts, 15s 4d ; total, £l2 18s 4d ; leaving a balance iu bank ot £7 0s 3d. Owiug to a fall in the attendance of scholars, the funds suffered to the extent of 15s a quarter for the last two quarters. On the motion of Mr Edwards, the report was adopted. The following were then duly elected as a committee: Messrs H. Roche, T. Prince, J. T. Edwards, A. Jones, A. Graham, R Mears and C Rauch. At a subsequent meeting of the committee, Mr T. Prince was elected chairman and Mr Roche s. cretary. It wis decided to hold monthly meetings on the first Wednesday on or after the full moon.—(Own Correspondent). KIHIKIHI. The annual meeting of householders was held in the Town Hall on Monelay. Over thirty householders were prcsen\ Mr A. Kay was voted to the chair. The following was the annual report and financial statement of the outgoing committee :-Mis3 Bowden resigned her position as assistant teacher in July, much to the regret of both parents and pupils. Miss Morison was appointed to the vacancy, and is performing her duties satisfactorily. Mr Johns was appointed pupil teacher iu August, but was removed in December, as the attendance diil not warrant his permanent appointment. There is at present a roll number of 91, and last quarter showed an average attendance of only 77, fourteen children being absent from school each day, and this, in spite of the very fine weather we have had. We would ask parents to bear in mind that their children cannot be expected to make satisfactory progress uoless they attend regularly. The school was examined in

the various standards by Inspector Dickenson on October 30th and 3lst. Result : Fifty sevcu pupils passed and eight failed ; order, behaviour and attention reported " good.'' Inspector D ckenson visited the school on March 2.id, and reported the teachiug as "sound and thorough," and the other items in his report were clashed as "good." The teachers' dwelling was repa'red, also roof and spouting, and new palings had been fixed round the garden fence, school and outhouses repaired, spouting cleaned out and repaired, tanks cleaned out aud lined inside, self-acting tap 3 fitted and other repairs to lavatories, minor repairs to school furniture and windows. The whole of the school buildings, including teachers' house, have received two coats of paint, and the committee consider that all these woiks have been carried out by the Board's workmen in a satisfactory manner. The school grounds, about three acres, have not yet been enclosed, a-.ul are covered with gorse, etc., of which the committee had m view the clearing, fencing and grassing. The following is the balance-sheet submitted :-To balance in hand from last year, £2 17s 41; grant from Board of Education, £2O 12s 6d ; sale of old blinds, 4s ; total, £23 13s lOd. By expenditure. £l6 14s Gd ; balance in Bank of New Zealand, £6 19s 4d ; total, £23 13s lOd. The report and balance-sheet were unanimously adopted. The election of the committee resulted in the return of Messrs A. Kay, C. Ogle, T. Wilson, T. Bryant, D. Thomson, J. Clark, and S. Armstrong, there being four rejected candidates. At a meeting of the newly-appointed committee Mr A. Kay was re-elected chairman and Mr C. Ogle secretary and treasurer. It was resolved that the commitsee meet on the last Wednesday of each month in the school at 7 30 p.m. Resolved that from May 2nd and until further notice the school commence work at half-past 9 o'clock instead of 9 o'clock as at present.—(Own Correspondent). TE AROHA. The annual meeting of householders for the purposp of electing a school committee was held in the schoolroom on Monday night, Mr P. Gilchrist being voted to the chair. From the annual report it appeared that the number on the roll for the year was 225, and the average attendance 177. At the annual examination 135 scholars had been presented, of which number 79 per cent, had passed. This percentage would have been larger but for a disarrangement in the staff consequent on the removal of one of the teachers. As regards finance, the receipts had been £76 18s 6d (iucluding £2O raised by means of two entertainments), and the expenditure £64 7s 9-1, leaving a credit balance of £l2 10a 91. The last inspection report from Inspector Dickinson was highly complimentary, both as regards the organisation of the school and the instruction imparted, and reflected great credit on Mr Marsdon and his staff. The election of a committee was then proceeded with, the following being elected : Messrs Gilchrist, Wallace, Hill, Stan'ey, Robinson, Mackie and Salmon. At a committee meeting held afterwards Messrs Gilchrist and Hill were reelected chairman and secretary respectively, and the meetings were fixed for the second Monday in each month. CAMBRIDGE EAST. The annual meeting of householders was held iu the Public Hall at Cambridge on Monday evening. There .were present:—His Worship the Mayor (Mr Bach), voted to the chair, Messrs Clark, Webber, Boyce, Jas. Hally, Brooks, Hewitt, Mack, Fletcher, Carr, Kerr, Hartly, Dickenson, Davics, Plesoher, Harker, J. M. Hally, Ferguson, Empsou and several others. The report and balance - sheet, as already published, was read and adopted. The following were then elected members of the new committee :—Messrs A. Bach, Jas. Hally, F. J. Brooks, C. .Boyce, J. Webber, J. Ferguson and T. Wells. They were the only persons nominated. Mr Bach was subsequently elected Chairman of Committee, and Mr Hally undertook the duties of Secretary. NGARUAWAHIA. The annual mesting of householders was held in the Town Hall on Monday, the 25th inst., to elect the school committee fcr the forthcoming year. The attendance was small. Mr J. Lynch was voted to the chair. The Secretory read the balance-sheet for the past year, which showed a creditbalance of upwards of £l2 ; he also read the report of the Chairman, which stated that the buildings were in a most satisfactory state, and that the Inspector's report proved that the teaching was of a very high standard of excellence. The election of the committee was then proceeded with. There were eight nominations, and consequently a ballot was nakfen, which resulted in the election of Messrs Burr, Morris, Hanlon, McKeown, A. Booth, O'Leary and Coombes. PIRONGIA. There was a very sparse attendance at the meeting of householders for the election of a School Committee for the ensuing year. Mr G. T. Berry was voted to the chair. The outgoing chairman, Mr G. Harper, read the reports for the last year of the Inspectors, which were favourable to the schoolmistress, Miss E. Wills, the discipline and the results of the examination being highly commended. The election of the new committee resulted as follows : Messrs G. T. Berry, G. Berry, G. Harper, J. Russell and G. Appleyard. A. vote of thanks to the chairman and outgoing committee was passed unanimously. At a subsequent meeting, Mr G. T. Berry was appointed chairman of the new committee.—(Own Correspondent). HAUTAPU. There was a good attendance of householders at the meeting on Monday evening, Mr Ward being voted to the chair. The following were elected upon the committee :—Messrs J. Allwill, T. Cowling, R. Crickett, C. Lake, M. Butler and J. G. Ward. Mr Ward was elected Chairman of Committee and Mr Butler Secretary. The matter of moving the school to another part of the district will not be let drop, for the settlers are not at all satisfied with the school being at one end of the district to the disadvantage of those living at the other end. RANGIRIRI. The annual meeting of the householders of the Rangiriri school district took place on Monday evening. Mr Walter Reid was voted to the chair. The report and balance sheet was considered very satisfactoiy. The following were elected members of tho committee for the ensuing year : Messrs W. Hooton, W. Reid, A. Scott, F. Foster, and M. Papesch. The newly-elected committee held its first meeting immediately afterwards and re-elected Mr W. Reid chairman.— lOvvn Correspondent). CAMBRIDGE WEST. Only ten attended the meeting of householders at Cambridge West, and as no one was particularly anxious to be upon the committee, they all nominated one another. However, the result of the ballot was that Messrs E. Allen, A. Hill, W. Perkins, W. Tucker, W. Vesper and G. and J. Keeley were elected. Mr Alleu was re-elected Chairman of Committee. GORDON. The following were elected as a committee :- Messrs Newsome (chairman), Osborne (Secretary), Thackray, Brady and Walker.

RAGLAN. | Mr Henry presided at the meeting of householders for the election of a School Committee for the ensuing year. The financial statement, which was as follows, was approved : Receipts : Balance in bank, 31st March, 1897, £2 16s 7<l ; grants, £7; repairs to teacher's house, £lO os ; total, £2O Is 7d. Expenditure : Repairs to teacher's house, £lO 5* ; repairs to school, 14s ; stationery, 18s 2d ; cutting furze, 18s ; balance, £3 15s 8d ; total, £2O Is 7d. The outgoing committee in th?ir report stated tint the attendance during the past year had much improved. The following were duly elected a committee : Messrs Henry, Smith. Hill, Peeler and Roffey. Mr Henry was appointed chairman. (Own Correspondent). TAUWHARE. At the meeting of householders, the following were elected a committee : Messrs A. Ramsay, Geo. Eyre, John Guest, YV. J. Richardson and J. C. Hobbs. Mr A. Ramsay was elected chairman, secretary and treasurer.—(Own Correspondent). PUKERIMU. Mr J. Fishor presided over tho meeting of householders held on Monday evening. The following were elected a committee for the ensuing year :—Messrs J. and R. Fisher, W. and J. Scott, and J, Anderson. Mr J. Fisher was re-elected Chairman of Committee. WAIHOU. At the meeting of householders, the following were elected a committee : Messrs J. Shine, T. Bellamy, T. Earrie, E. H. Hemphill, C. Cribb, F. Pilling and McKileson. Mr T. Bellamy was elected chairman. —(Own Correspondent). TE AROHA WEST. The following were elected as a committee :—Messrs Leeman (chairman), Candwell (secretary), Eastwood, Farmer, O'Grady, Reyuolds and Peterson. WAIORONGOMAI. The following were elected as a committee :—Messrs Cronin, Williams, Jennings, Murphy, Smith, Edwards and Lowry.