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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 4, No. 3. April 09, 1941

Tournament 1941

Tournament 1941

Mr. John Virtue Ilott

Mr. John Virtue Ilott

The same old trail, and the same old tale,
But the fun as fresh as before.

My Lord, I did attend the Olympic games . . .
Maid Modesty forfend I tell my deeds . . .
But such a goodly show of fellowship,
Such turn for speed, such thews, such sleight of hand,
Such honeyed tongues for golden oratory,
I trust I may bear witness to again.

S. S. Mackenzie.

Le Bon Vieux Temps

Being a shy and retiring violet, I have been forcibly dragged by the Editor from my collection of dried flowers and told to write this article P.D.Q., or else ... As the . . . er . . . Official Chaperone, apparently it is considered that I should have had plenty of experience in ferretting out traps and snares for young Tournament players, Secondly, in the capacity of the Oldest Inhabitant of the Village, it is also considered that by now I should have absorbed enough in my ceaseless thirst for knowledge to give some guidance as to the correct behaviour for novices. Those who have attended one Tourney or more will need no further advice and are hereby absolved from reading the rest of the article.

Ah, me! How well I remember my first nervousness as to correct behaviour and procedure at my first Tournament in Dunedin in 1935, and how badly I fell from the Accepted Standards for want of a guide and counsellor. Being but a callow youth, not long left school, I was lured on to the Primrose Path by Evil Companions and soon initiated into the wiles and snares which beset headstrong youths and maidens. Five months' training broke down in a great and glorious binge and I'm sorry to say that I was actually induced to quaff a glass of ale—neat. Still worse, I actually enjoyed it. Since then I have never looked back.

So, as a partial expiation of my sins, I have accepted the difficult and onerous job of Official Chaperone at every succeeding Tournament. This [unclear: involved] a great deal of work in endeavouring to get impetuous youth (especially the female of the species) to stick to the ways of law and order. Nevertheless, I have done my duly as I saw it—so far as I was capable.

The last five years of Tourney have been far more arduous than the first one, inasmuch as I've been engaged on good works full-time—one really needs to go into training for these social jobs about six months ahead as the strain of getting one's charges to bed in good time is something terrific.

Gastronomic.

Now to stop reminiscing and get on with the job. There is little point in adorning this gem of English prose with much geographical information—the information Bureau will carry this out. Nevertheless one or two tips may be useful for visitors to our fayre city. According to Napoleon an army marches on its stomach. If anyone staying in outlying suburbs wants a feed there are always plenty of restaurants in the main city streets open on week-days and Sundays. For those who like eating steak, and eggs at 3 a.m. there are also various resorts open. Tony's, in Lower Taranaki Street, Hot Dog, in Farish Street, Orient in Victoria Street, and the Pie Cart in Wake-field Street near the Town Hall—venue of boxing contests!—are but a few.

"Straight Down the Crooked Lane."

Geography of Wellington appears very complicated but is really fairly, simple. The main streets run under the first range of hills and about quarter of a mile in from the water-front. Trams run through the centre of the city on practically all routes. These main streets are known as Lambton Quay, Lower Willis Street, Manners Street and Courtenay Place, and one can reach all destinations from them. The G.P.O., South Ferry and Railway Station are all about a minute away from these thorough-fares.

The University itself is situate about half-way between the City and the suburb of Kelburn. The two quickest ways of reaching it from the City are as follows: Firstly by cable car from Lambton Quay (opp. Grey Street), getting out at the third stop Kelburn Park. Then about five minutes across the Park. Secondly from the Hotel St. George Corner (corner of Manners Street and Lower Willis Street), up Boulcott Street about 20 yards to Boulcott Avenue (narrow street), thence up the 200 steps of Allen by Terrace to the Terrace. At the top turn left about 20 yards. You strike Salamanca Road. Continue for another 20 yards and then take left hand path up steep hill to Varsity. Sounds complicated but isn't. Total time about 10-15 minutes by each route. Time depending on hair of the dog and earnestness of purpose.

For those fond of that sort of thing there are numerous hostelries scattered over the city. The nearest six are about five minutes away from the University (or 10 minutes if one's desire to lash the acid is not so pronounced).

Organisation.

There has been a great deal of trouble in organising the Tournament this year as you all are no doubt aware. At one time there was distinct doubt as to whether we at Victoria could really stage it. Practically all the older males with Tourney experience are overseas or in camp training. Nearly all the younger men with any experience have been doling their Territorial training from January to March. As a result a great deal of unusual and heavy organising work has fallen on to the shoulders of the so-called weaker sex, and they've risen to the occasion admirably. In addition petrol coupons have proved more difficult to obtain than gold or precious stones so that car transport has had to be cut to a very bare minimum. Yet another disadvantage is that Wellington citizens are not "University-minded" as are those, say, of Dunedin. They do not look with favour on the frolics and pranks of "high-spirited" university students; sometimes with good cause. In fact in the past there has often been real hostility between town and gown.

After this gloomy picture, all but the dumbest of visitors will perceive that Wellington hospitality may not be so hot, and perhaps they'd better pack up and go home now! (Tourney delegates: "Oh, no. Your tickets aren't valid till Wednesday."). But anyone makes a great mistake who gets worried on this score of hospitality.

Not in Our Stars

Tournament isn't the hospitality you receive. Tournament isn't the various honours you win at your various sports. Tournament isn't the lickings and batterings most of you will get from your various opponents. Tournament is exactly what you make it yourself. Personally I've been to six Tourneys and have nearly always been billeted in men's hostels or hostelries (from preference). Therefore I've had to make my own fun. I can assure everyone that it isn't very difficult to do this whether it's your first Tourney or your last, Obviously one keeps reasonably fit until one's specal sport or event takes place. But this doesn't mean you must become a hermit or retire to a cell (the local cops will do this for you later). It's far more soothing to high-strung nerves to mix with people and lead a reasonably normal life than to sit introspectively brooding before your event. But I don't anticipate many will need this advice.

Going to Tournament is similar in principle to making a trip abroad. You'll receive certain hospitality, but how you enjoy the trip really depends on your own attitude and mental resources. Tournament brings new friends with new outlooks and new views. Very often these views may clash radically with your own. People from Christchurch may have an entirely different outlook from those in Auckland on certain subjects.

Speaking from a purely selfish view-point it is only by adapting oneself where necessary to the view-point of other people that one can hope to make either a monetary or a personal success of life later on. The man who is tolerant, a good mixer (not necessarily of cocktails) will usually earn far bigger money and have a far happier time later in life than one who is merely a brilliant technician. And Tourney is a very important opportunity to learn (a la Dale Carnegie) how to win friends and influence people.

Social Contacts.

Still more important—Tournament brings you friendships. To old hands a lot of the fun of the Tournament lies in meeting your old cobbers again and chewing the rag with them. Friendship has very aptly been called the Gift of the Gods but it only comes as a result of one's own efforts. Purely as a result of Tournament friendships which the writer has made he can( or could before the war) go to practically any sizeable town in New Zealand and there meet at least one old Tourney acquaintance who appears only too happy to reminisce about old times once again.

Go To It !

So remember—Victoria will give you what hospitality it can, we'll do our level best to entertain you under rather difficult circumstances. But the real success of the Tournament depends on you yourself and what effort you put into the show. Likewise your own enjoyment depends almost entirely on your own efforts.

In conclusion—if you manage to extract some of the enjoyment that I have from every one of the past Tourneys I've attended, you'll have a remarkably joyous time. And what's more—you'll make certain of attending next year's show.