DUNDEE CORPORATION TAKES OVER WARD ROAD GYMNASIUM
The following is taken from an extract of Minute of a Meeting of the SubCommittee of the Education Committee on 9th September 1941
The Sub-Committee was reminded that, in terms of a letter dated 14th June 1938 addressed to the Town Clerk by their Secretaries, the present Trustees of Ward Road Gym had indicated that as the Corporation had opportunities of carrying on the gymnasium to better advantage than themselves, they were prepared to assume representatives of the Corporation as Trustees and thereafter themselves to resign office. It was a condition of this arrangement that Mr. George McDowell, the gymnastics instructor and caretaker, then in the employment of the Trustees, should be retained in that capacity notwithstanding that he was not a certified teacher of physical education. It was noted that Mr. McDowell had not been in the employment of the Trustees since the beginning of the war, and that, in accordance with Article X11 of the minute of meeting of 26th August 1941, the Education Committee had decided that he be offered a temporary appointment on the physical training staff of the Education department. Thereafter the Sub-Committee, having resumed consideration of the whole question and having before them the income and expenditure account of the Trustees for the year to 30th April 1941 and the balance sheet as at that date, approved in principle of the proposed transference of the Trust to the Corporation, subject to the adjustment of the necessary details, and it was remitted to the Lord Provost, the Convener and the Treasurer, along with the appropriate Officials, to interview the present Trustees and to report with their recommendations. Extract from Minute of subsequent Meeting Reference was made to Article V11 of the minute of meeting of the Education Committee of 20th January 1942. The Town Clerk reported that the arrangements for the transfer of Ward Road Gymnasium from the present Trustees to the Corporation had now been completed, with effect from 30th April 1942, and the Director of Education submitted a note of the use at present being made of Ward Road Gymnasium by the Education Department and by outside organisations. It was agreed that the supervision and management of the gymnasium be dealt with by the Sub-Committee appointed in terms of paragraph 12 of the minute of meeting of this Sub-Committee of 4th March 1941, as confirmed by Article 1. (a) of the minute of meeting of the Education Committee of 18th March 1941.
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Thereafter Ward Road Gym became a focal point for school P.E. in the City. Children walked or were bused in from their schools across the City for their weekly exercise. The gym also became a popular venue in the evening for badminton, football training etc.