The Competitions

Press, Volume C, Issue 29515, 17 May 1961, Page 7

The Competitions

Sir, The Competitions Society’s classes in speech at St Luke’s Hall on Friday afternoon were due to start at 2 but unsuspecting patrons who arrived on time found the first-class half over. It seems that the judge wanted to leave early. The next class was under way by 2.55. forty-five minutes in advance of the advertised time. Competitors were not previously notified of these changes. One, emerging for the first time, was considerably upset because she missed her turn and had to be included later. Her performance suffered accordingly. Many teachers are rather sceptical about the value of the competitions, but have been impressed by their improvement in recent years. Teachers, competitors, and public accepted the official programme in good faith and it should have been rigidly kept to. The Competitions Society would do well to ensure that in future festivals such a state of affairs does not recur.—Yours, etc., SPEECH TEACHER. May 15, 1961. [The secretary of the Christchurch Competitions Society (Mr O. H. Houison) said: “T h e adjudicator announced on the previous day, when the particular group of competitors in these respective classes were in attendance, that owing to unforeseen circumstances the class would be held half an hour earlier than stated on the programme. Every effort was made by the society to contact the competitors concerned. and to our knowledge no competitor missed the opportunity to compete.”]