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Orillia School Board : 1878 - 1887 HANDWRITTEN MINUTES OF ORILLIA SCHOOL TRUSTEES MEETINGS OFFERING A GLIMPSE OF THE EARLY ONTARIO SCHOOLS HISTORY, AND LOCAL EVENTS, INCLUDING ELOPEMENT OF THE FIRST HEADMASTER OF ORILLIA'S FIRST HIGH SCHOOL

8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. On offer is a book containing minutes of the Board of Trustees Meetings of School Section No 4 covering the period from January 1878 to January, 1897 that gives an insight of what issues the school board dealt with in those years, including financial support, expenses, school building operation and selection of teachers. The book has 64 pages and includes minutes of 69 meetings, two pages documenting payments to a school teacher for the year of 1879. The school was built in 1876, a little more than a year before this book was started, and 7 years after Ryerson proposed his 1871 Education Act requiring adequate accommodation for students in every school section. The Meeting agenda usually included election of trustees and chair, adoption of annual reports, and approval of various expenses: "it was proposed by Mr. Brailey, second[ed] by D. M. Kaughan that the sum of six dollars be appropriated for Prize + that the Sec[tion] do also procure at same time a Daily Register...that the Sec[tion] be empowered to procure a copy of the amended School Law of Copp Clark and Co." More serious matters concerned repairs, construction and school house insurance: "...a Petition to be sent into the council legalize the Muskoka road passing the school house..", "Section will be instructed to issue tenders for digging a well at the school and also see to the repairing of the plaster at the School House". In 1880 the routine was interrupted when School's first headmaster, Mr. Gardiner, left his wife and eloped with an eighteen-year-old to Detroit, telegraphing his resignation, which made the Trustee Board urgently look for a new teacher: "Several applications for the position of teacher in the room of W. G. Gardiner who has scandalously absconded from the neighbourhood and deserted his post as Teacher were considered by the Trustees but action in the matter was deferred to the future meeting". Finding a new teacher was not an easy task: "The Trustees proceeded to examine three applications made for the position of Teacher in the Sec-n. none of which met their entire approval....proposed that the school be kept vacant till the end of the year, that the Sec. 4 do insert advertisements in the Toronto papers for a male teacher at a salary of 300$ per annum". Only a month and a half later, in the end of December they hired a new Master of the School at a salary of 260$. In addition to teaching schoolmaster's duties included lighting the fires and sweeping the school, and also planting trees: "Mr. Smith (teacher) be allowed to plant shade trees in front of the school premises within the fence adjoining the Muskoka road and that he receive 50 c. per tree for planting the same, with the understanding that in the event of any of the said trees dying during the year that he agrees to replace the same with fresh trees and it is understood that said trees shall be maple and balsam alternately.". The meeting of December 1882 approved 2$ contribution to the Ryerson Memorial Fund. In 1885 the Public School Inspection gave instructions on improvements and repairs to be done, including "wood shed construction, replastering of the school house, increasing blackboard accommodation, and fixing privies". The book contains names of School Board Trustees and teachers, and of some local residents, performing work for the school. Condition: Good, regular age-related wear, several pages are torn out and missing.. Illustr.: /. Manuscript. Book Condition: Good

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