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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria University College, Wellington N.Z. Vol. 21, No. 10. August 6, 1958

EXEC

page 8

EXEC

Exec. moved into its excellent new quarters in the Chemistry Block with much badinage and even a little discreet horseplay. David Wilson welcomed Exec to its new home. "Salient" correspondent now sits before, almost between two parallel tables with an unimpeded view of the Chairman sitting at a little table across the far end, for all the world like the Mayor of Taumarunui.

Exec Banner

The meeting led off bound by gold chains to the feet of Mr. Wilson, and it seemed no time at all before Elizabeth Beck was in the wars gain. Her error was that she went away to the Office Secretary's desk without asking the Chairman's permission. There was a brief flurry of courtesies and Miss Beck rejoined the meeting coldly.

Shortly after she spent a while putting Exec right on the organisation of the Extrav reunion amid a good deal of boorish guffawing. It may, perhaps, be this that keeps the women on Exec so quiet—the fear of broad Kiwi ridicule. At any rate, no other woman spoke at any length during this meeting.

However it was decided after some bitter wrangling that there (1) would be an Extrav Reunion (2) soon (3) organised by Peter ("I speak as a completely impartial observer on this matter. I couldn't care less about an Extrav Reunion")

O'Brien.

Frameworks Without Walls

Most of the talking was done by Amour Mitchell (amendments to Extrav regulations), Brian Shaw (Res Exec report) and John Hercus (Winter Tournament Report and regulations for Capping Committee, "Cappicade" and Procesh)—a steady drone of little clauses, minutes, deletions, rules and reports that covered 16 cyclostyled pages and sounded like the dripping of a tap.

All this formulation and paper work points to better organisation, but only on paper. Already there have been times when new appointees have not been able to find out all their duties because of the volume of regulations hedged about Association activities. We seem to need an index of offices and attendant duties.

The only working group of the kind discussed that has proper balance of trained men and keen newcomers is Extrav Procesh, "Cappicade" and "Salient" itself are all in a bad way to a greater or lesser extent, without the proper balance between older and younger contributors, the proper degree of loyalty. Without vigorous working groups these elaborate paper structures might as well not exist.

The making of new committees is having side effects also. The creation of a Cappicade Committee has made the Publications Committee nearly redundant except at this time of the year, when the new "Salient" editor is appointed. Publications Committee is obliged to meet once in each term; it has not now met for nearly a year. In addition, all Exec members on it will be new to its business. Much of the value of what the Committee can contribute depends on its continuity.

Spontaneity is being leached out of student activities as Exec becomes increasingly worried about what the downtown public must think; we must depend increasingly on fine organisation, which, in our case, we have not got.

Barry Hume, chairman of the sub-committee on the proposed Arts Festival, was somewhat embarrassed when the question was brought up. The subcommittee was to have arranged dates and advance detail with the other universities in the period between Easter and the N.Z.U.S.A. meeting at Tournament. He said no replies had come from the others and that the whole thing seemed to have mortified on us.

David Wilson

David Wilson

Brian Shaw, contradicting him on this point, said at least two universities had replied, though he didn't say much of the content of the letters. N.Z.U.S.A. will expect to hear what has been done. From the look of it Mr. Shaw, who has been asked to prepare an account of progress for Exec, won't have much to say.

The Arts Festival, first planned for August this year, has gained and lost ground erratically for some time. This much is clear; that David Vere-Jones has made tentative bookings of the Concert Chamber for late July, 1959, and may or may not be able to arrange a booking in mid-August; that Festival must be organised by men with the widest knowledge of Varsity affairs and the widest experience in staging such festivals; that the highest standards must be imposed; that if Festival is to be staged in '59 the groundwork must be done now.

Accordingly a group of students from cultural clubs is taking the first steps to form an Arts Council, which it hopes Exec will ratify, and whose principal aim is to give a firm basis for the organisation of the Arts Festival. It is also hoped that such a Council will suggest the need for at least informal councils of the same kind at the other universities. Only a well-knit group of organisations can run Festival on the scale foreseen.

Life Member

Exec congratulated Mr. Malcolm Mason on his election as a Life Member of V.U.W.S.A. Mr. Wilson rubbed in the fact that it is a distinction that means much more at Victoria than at universities where President and Secretary automatically become Life Members. Last Life Member was Kevin O'Brien (elected in 1954), now President of the (ugh) Chamber of Commerce.

Stale Controversy

Moved Hume seconded Wilson, that we pay to the Registrar of Victoria University the sum of £2,332 being a Building levy of £1 forked out by 2,332 students in 1957.

"A militarist is a man who would have everyone fight for liberty, democracy and the officers' mess."

—Brian Bell.