CAPPINGS & DECORUM

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2180, 19 June 1914, Page 8

CAPPINGS & DECORUM

QUIET CEREMONY AT CANTERBURY COLLEGE (By Telegraph.—iroas Association.) Chrlstehurch, June 18. In the Canterbury College Hall this evening a joint gathering was hold iinder tho auspices of the Professorial Board and the Students' Association in order to publicly distinguish those who secured degrees. This action was taken as tho outcome of the decision of the New Zealaud' University Senate to forward to degree-winners their diplomas by post, and to hold no public gathering on account of the noise and disorder which had sometimes characterised those meetings in tho past. This evening's . function was of .' a : very' orderly and. quiet '-character) showing : that when .student's are-placed in Llio. .position of hosts, their .-behaviour could, b'o most exemplary. The guest of: the' evening was the Hon. H. D.VBell, and there were also' upon-the 'platform Mr. J. U< Adams- (chairman of the Board of Governors)',* and members of the Professorial Board. 'The degree-winner's entered the hall 1 while! tho audience stood. -"•;"• i'' '■ The.Ho'n.yH. D. Bell took the position of chairman, and on rising to speak, was. greeted with applause and cheers. 'Her.s'aid that this was the first timo that £j)qle who at the' University; of Now Zealand had received their without -any more to-mark .'iliq occasion than a .piece' of. paper. In this matter ho could say thiit'»he. wasion tho side of tho students. (Applause.) Ho believed, however, that Canterbury' students had somo.sense of decoritm.''(Laughter.)"' He had 'always believed' tha't "there-, were immemorial and' prescriptive rights for, , students,' when degrees wore being, conferred, to attend and make a noise. (Laughter.) They would;understand, therefore, that ho felt that they wero all engaged in aireffbrt4b shbw wcroipas'sing from -thß-"undergraduate- 'to tho graduate that they .would bo fittingly'welcomed by the undergraduates of the college, and congratulated by the other colleges of tho Dominion, and by their own College Council and Pro-fessorial-Board and Students' Association. He stated that, in speaking, ho felt less embarrassment because he had joined them in this respectful protest against the absenco 'of those,better entitled to speak at such a ceremony. (Applause.) Mr. Bell Went on to say that he was a-member of Victoria College Council, and sat on'that body as a representative of the. professors, so that he' knew something of tho conditions ■under which tho present■ position had arisen.. Her was on tho side of the professors; and believed-that the College Council, without the presence of professors, could hot perform its functions tu besl advantage.