VALUE OF COMPETITIONS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 209, 23 May 1918, Page 4

VALUE OF COMPETITIONS

OPINION OF AN ADJUDICATOR';

Mr. W. Esprey, of Sydney, one of the adjudicators at the recently-held competitions in Christchurch, was present at the meeting held in connection with the formauon of a Competitions Society in Wellington last evening. Mr.' Esprey, who was welcomed by tho Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke), said thai he had just completed a strenuous fortnight in- Christchurch, where the talent in a majority of tho classes was of a high standard. What had struck him, too, in Christchurch was tho good sportsmanship which prevailed among those who did not attain a high enough standard to entitle them to awards. Ho had'also adjudicated four years ago inDunedin, whore tho committee and citizens had extended to him tho greatest hospitality and kindness possible, a remark which also applied to Christchurch. He was delighted to find that tho idea was > being taken up here, as literary, musical, nnd elocutionary competitions wero a great educational factor in any community, more so than other institutions which favoured examinations, as it gava students the chance of public appearances—if successful, three appearances, viz., at the competition, in' the'finals, and on "demonstration nights," a fact which urged them on to further study in tho different branches of art. It was said that even a bad performance was a good lesson, as it showed others- what not to do. In Nnw Zealand he had found the standard fairly high, so good at times that the adjudicator was at his wits' end to make the award.