Mar. 30. THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 1163

(11.) A voting-paper shall be informal in any of the following cases, that is to say,—
(a.) If it is not duly signed by the parent; or
(b.) If the candidates against whose names a mark is placed exceed in number the total number of candidates for whom the person is entitled to vote, or if in any other way the paper fails to indicate clearly for whom the vote is intended to be given;
(c.) If, being delivered to the Returning Officer, the sealed envelope containing the voting-paper is not delivered at his office before the close of the poll; or
(d.) If, having been forwarded by post, the sealed envelope containing the voting-paper is not received at the office of the Returning Officer before the seventh day after the day of election, or if, from the post-mark on the envelope or otherwise, the Returning Officer is satisfied that it was not posted until after the day of the election.

(12.) On the seventh day after the day of election the Returning Officer shall open and examine all voting-papers duly delivered to him or received by him through the post as aforesaid, and, after rejecting all informal voting-papers, shall ascertain the candidates (not exceeding the total number to be elected) who have received the greatest number of votes, and shall declare such candidates to be elected.

(13.) If, by reason of an equality of votes given for two or more candidates, the election is not complete, the Returning Officer shall decide by lot, in the presence of the Chairman of the Board, which candidate or candidates shall be elected, and thereby conclude the election.

(14.) Forthwith after the completion of the election the Returning Officer shall notify to the Board and to the Minister the names of the persons elected.

(15.) If any dispute or question arises touching the regularity of any election, such dispute or question shall be determined by a Stipendiary Magistrate in manner provided by the Local Elections and Polls Act, 1908, all the provisions of which shall, mutatis mutandis, apply in so far as the same are applicable.

5. The Governors appointed or elected in the year 1911 shall take office immediately on their appointment.

6. One Governor out of each group shall retire on the 31st December in each year, beginning with the year 1912. The Board shall at its first meeting determine by lot the order in which the Governors shall retire, but, with these exceptions, the ordinary term of office of each Governor shall be three years, or until the appointment or election of his successor. The Chairman shall forthwith report to the Minister the result of such determination by lot. Retiring Governors shall be eligible for reappointment.

7. (1.) If any Governor—
   (a.) Dies, or, by letter to the Board, resigns his seat; or
   (b.) Becomes bankrupt or of unsound mind; or
   (c.) Fails, without leave of absence previously granted, to attend at three consecutive ordinary meetings of the Board—
   he shall thereupon cease to be a Governor, and the vacancy thereby occurring shall be deemed to be a casual vacancy.

(2.) Every casual vacancy shall be filled up in the same manner and by the same appointing or electing authority as in the case of the vacating Governor: Provided that the member appointed or elected shall hold office only for the residue of the term of the vacating member.

(3.) Whenever a casual vacancy occurs it shall be the duty of the Board forthwith to report the fact to the Minister if the vacancy is to be filled by the Governor, or to the Secretary to the Auckland Education Board if the vacancy is to be filled by such Board:

8. (1.) The appointment of a Governor to fill up a vacancy caused by the expiry of the ordinary term of office shall be made in the first week of the month of December at the end whereof such expiry takes place, or as soon thereafter as may be convenient, but shall not take effect until such expiry.

(2.) The appointment or election of a Governor to fill up a casual vacancy shall be made not later than sixty days after the vacancy occurs.

9. The Board shall hold an annual meeting in the month of February or March in each year, at such time and place as the Board shall direct.

10. At its first meeting, and from time to time thereafter as may be necessary, the Board shall appoint a Secretary, and shall appoint him or some other person with authority to receive and to pay moneys on its account. The Board shall in each case forthwith inform the Minister of such appointment.

11. (1.) The Board shall hold its first meeting at such time and place as the Minister shall appoint.

(2.) At such meeting, and thereafter at the annual meeting, and at such other times as may be necessary, the Board shall elect a Chairman.

(3.) During the first election of Chairman a person appointed by the Minister shall preside, and during every subsequent election of Chairman the Secretary to the Board shall preside. The person presiding shall have no vote; ties shall be decided by lot.

(4.) The Chairman’s ordinary term of office shall be one year, and he shall be eligible for re-election.

(5.) If the Chairman shall from any cause cease to be a member of the Board or resign the office of Chairman, the Board shall as soon thereafter as conveniently may be elect another member of the Board to be Chairman in his stead, who shall hold office only until the next annual meeting.

12. At all meetings of the Board the Chairman, or in his absence such member of the Board as the majority of the members assembled shall choose, shall preside, and such Chairman or presiding member shall have a deliberative vote, and in all cases of equality of votes shall also have a casting-vote.

At all meetings of the Board a majority of all the Governors then in office shall constitute a quorum.

13. Subject to the provisions of this scheme, the Board shall make, and may from time to time revoke, vary, and make fresh regulations for the conduct of business at its meetings, for determining how meetings shall be convened, and for such other like matters as may be requisite for the conduct of the business of the Board.

14. Minutes of the proceedings of the Board shall be regularly entered in a proper book to be kept for that purpose, and at every meeting of the Board the minutes of the previous meeting shall be read over and signed by the Chairman of the meeting at which the same shall be read, and the minutes when so signed shall be held to be a true statement and record of the proceedings of the Board for all purposes whatever.

15. The Board shall keep full and accurate accounts of all its receipts, disbursements, assets, liabilities, and engagements, and shall, on or before the 31st day of January of each year, cause such accounts for the year ending on the preceding 31st December to be audited by such person as His Excellency the Governor appoints; and copies of such accounts, when audited, shall be forwarded to the Minister of Education, together with a report of the proceedings of the Board during such year.

16. All things required by the Act or this scheme to be done by the Board shall be done in accordance with and in pursuance of a resolution passed at a meeting of the Board, and no act of the Board shall be invalid or liable to be questioned on the ground that one or more than one of the members thereof was or were incapacitated, or had ceased to hold office, or on the ground that the seat of any member was vacant.

17. Subject to the provisions of this scheme, there shall be vested in the Board the whole control and management of the Hamilton High School, and also the entire superintendence over all the affairs, concerns, and property thereof, with full power to appoint and suspend or dismiss all masters, teachers, lecturers, examiners, and other necessary officers and servants; and in all cases unprovided-for by the Act and the regulations thereunder, or by this scheme, it shall be lawful for the Board to act in such manner as shall appear to it best calculated to further the purposes intended to be served by the establishment of such school; and the Board shall, subject to the Act and the regulations thereunder, and to this scheme, have full power from time to time to make, alter, and rescind by-laws and regulations for defining the course of study and education in the school, and also for regulating the discipline and examination of the same, the conditions upon which the scholars shall be admitted, and the fees to be paid in respect of such admission, and, in general, touching all other matters, purposes, and things regarding the school.

18. (1.) The curriculum shall be framed so as to provide suitable secondary education for pupils intended for agricultural, commercial, professional, technical, and domestic occupations, and may include, subject to clause 17 hereof, any or all of the subjects named in the regulations under the Act, and such other subjects as the Minister may from time to time approve.

(2.) The programme of each pupil shall be determined by the headmaster of the school after consultation with the parents or guardian of the pupil; but no pupils shall be