Atherton State High School 50th Anniversary Celebrations

MINUTES OF THE MEETING FOR THE FORMATION OF AN ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
FOR THE 50th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF
THE ATHERTON STATE HIGH SCHOOL


The meeting was held in the school common room on Tuesday, 21st October, 2008, at 6:00 pm.

Attendance: John Wadley (president of the current school P&C Association), Tony Wybird (our current School Principal), Chris Pang Way, Graeme Turner, Margaret Soper, Judy Snelling, Anne Davis, Kay Toolen & Helen Walker.

Business: John acted at chairperson and outlined the main aims of the meeting:-
(1) To choose office bearers and a working committee
(2) To decide when future meetings would be held
(3) To arrange publicity to attract more members and to disseminate information about dates and activities.

Minutes from the previous meeting of the past students’ interest group, which formed to prepare a submission to the Queensland Government for a share in some the funding available as part of the 150th celebration of State Government, were unavailable.

The meeting was conducted in an informal manner with discussion about the dates of our reunion and those of Mareeba High School. Principal Tony is keen to involve the present students in the celebration from the beginning, in areas which can enhance the curriculum such as in the study of local history, in entertainment with music and the arts and perhaps IT studies and some catering . This is planned for the last week of school before the school holidays in 2009, beginning Monday 14th September. Further discussion followed about other activities for the weekend of the 18th, 19th and 20th. A Meet and Greet Cocktail Evening on Friday, 18th September was a popular suggestion; an afternoon function such as a garden party on the school oval; displays and children’s work and an arts and crafts exhibition in some classrooms; a (dinner?) dance in the school hall on Saturday night. Class year (or year) groups then have the option of meeting on Saturday morning or Sunday for their own activities. The adding of an extra module to the time capsule is another plan.

By the time the meeting had proceeded to this point, all members present seemed willing to be part of the working committee under the chairmanship of Graeme Turner whose father was the first president of the original P&C as well as being Shire Chairman during the Centenary Celebrations of the Queensland Government in 1959. Anne Davis volunteered to be secretary, with assistance from Kay Toolen. Kay has much background knowledge of important historical information collected from previous years and of research projects carried out, data collected and produced in various forms by skilled and talented people associated with the school over the years and she has agreed to be coordinator for our reunion committee. Judy Snelling showed special interest in producing a commemorative magazine and so our first working party had formed.

All agreed that the future meetings be held on the second Tuesday of the month at 6pm in the Common Room in the administration block, so the next two meetings will be on November 11th and December 9th. There will be no meeting in January.

Kay and Anne have been asked to begin work on publicity and will contact the Tablelander's Naomi Cescotto, (or other member of the staff of the Tablelander newspaper) and arrange for an article to be written about the upcoming celebration of 50 years of High School Education in its own campus. This will include an invitation for interested past students, teachers or other community members who have been involved in some way with the school since its beginning in 1959 and still maintain an interest in its future, to attend meetings to help the committee gather momentum and enthusiasm among the many people for whom our Atherton State High School has played a significant part in their formative years.

This must be in the Tablelander by Nov 4th, in order for it to be effective in bringing more members to our next meeting on Nov 11th and in contacting others from far and wide.

Our meeting closed at about 7:15 pm.