COMPETITIONS.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18364, 23 April 1925, Page 12

COMPETITIONS.

CONFERENCE OF SOCIETIES. (PRISS ASSCCUTIOS '.BLIGR&U.) WELLINGTON, April 22. The first conference of competitions societies opened to-day. Mr E. J. "Wcsney, InTerc.irgill, was elected chairman. There was a good attendance of delegates, all societies being accounted ior with the exception of Dunedin. Mr J. AY. Carr, Wellington, said they no longer need feel ansietj- re[rarcling the success of tho movement. The only anxiety was to .supply what tho public wanted. A federation had liecn formed in Great Britain, and it might be advisable to form such * body in Xew Zealand. One advantage would be the development of choral singing. Tiio -Mayor of Wellington extended a welcome to the delegates, and, m doijiy so, said that competitions developed iatent talent among young people. That in it&elf was sufficient to say that inch societies were doing good among the various communities. Mr J. Gaughley, Director of Education, expressed the view that competitions should not be encouraged lor children under fourteen or even sixteen years. Too ruich attention in New Zealand was paid to tho material side of life and not enough to the aesthetic side. In this latter direction, competition societies could do much good. Competitions, however, meant an intense strain on competitors, ,-vnd that was not good for young children, and ho did not th.ink it aided their development in the best wav, leavinK distinctly harmful effects. Children should not appear in public until they reach sixteen. In a school sense their appearance was unsound. He did not tmnk children should l be asked to express themselves in this way until they reached a much later .age. lhe.v could not expect to produce a finished product such ad was required for competitions at \ tender age. Children were coached in an intensive way, and though thev enjove. 7 competitions, it only served" to uiaKe them precocious. He urged the conference to consider the suggestion he made very seriously. Choir singing was worthy ot every consideration. _ ~ , Jlr Carr said that Mr Caughiey s criticism had lecn very sweeping and Btrnck at the verv foundation of competitions. The conference, however, would give tho suggestions; made every Consideration. The conference proceeded to discuss a motion in favour of a federation ot competitions societies' which niefc witli general support and was carried without dissent. *■

Deputation to Sir Jame3 Parr. V deputation from tlie newly-formed New Zealand Federation of Competitions Societies waited on Sir James Parr, Minister of Education, to-day, urging the co-operation of the Department with the competitions movement. Tho sneakers were Messrs F. G. <l r aY> president of the Federation, and H. A. Huggins (Wellington). Mr Grav claimed that the Competitions Societies were educational institutions. The work followed parallel lines to those of the Department. He repudiated the .criticism that competitions resulted in nervous strain on Young competitors. Experience showed that adults were more susceptible. The Societies had not had the support from the Department hoped for, and he ashed the Minister that the children •■attending the competitions in school time should not be penalised. Mr Huggins submitted, -that ■-. the work of the Focieties was merely an extension of scliaol studies. The crowd' ed school syllabus did not permit _ a close study of the threo arts which the societies sought to reach. The Federation was working *for pure love of art. He cited Earl, Jollicoe's terais© for tho competitions, also Messrs Parker and .Roland Foster, musical experts. In Wellington the Society had founded 'training scholarships for competitors, and thoy were proving a big success. The Minister replied that ho knew little about the competitions, but many engaged in teaching were adverse to the competitions going contemporaneously with school work. He . had not discussed! tho question, but. ; would bo guided to a large extent iu his judgment on what the Departmental experts and teachers had to say. Ho promised to consider carefully the whole question.