COMPETITIONS FOR WELLINGTON

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 209, 23 May 1918, Page 6

COMPETITIONS FOR WELLINGTON

MUSICAL AND ELOCUTIONARY SOCIETY FORMED AN ENTHUSIASTIC MEETING .Competitions for students of. music, singing, elocution, and literature are not new to Wellington. They flourished in this oily a few years ago, and then languished and died. An effort to revive these competitions found expression at a public meeting held in tho No. 1 committee room of the Town Hall last evoning, Tho chair was occupied by the Jlnj-or (Mr. J. P. Luke, C.M.G., M.P.), who initially expressed tho interest which the proposal had created. In his opinion the study of music and elocution ir, Wellington had suffered somewhat during the period of the war, and, in illustration thereof, mentioned tho work of the city organist (Mr.Bernard F Page), whoso valuable and highly educative organ recitals had not received the' j support they were entitled to. In regard to the proposal which had been placed before him, ho had given it very careful consideration, and had concluded that they were justified In forming the basis of an organisation which would conduct music and elocutionary competitions with benefit to the citizens and students of the city. Though he did not pretend to any musical knowledge he was and anything he could do £o help along the competitions would ho done. (Applause.)' Mr. F. G. Cray thanked tho Mayor for his courtesy in presiding. . He referred to the competitions having had their genesis in his native city of Ballarat (in Victoria), from whence they had spread to New Zealand, and dwelt particularly on the success of competitions in Dunedin, whero ho had also been connected with their management. In Clirislchurch there had been a record entry last year, and. that society had established two scholarships and given a sum of .£250 to the Red Cross Society. The sub-committee had stressed their opinion that the competitions should be conducted on a sound bifsiuess basis, and to that; end they proposed to get subscribers and guarantors. Already they hud approached several gentlemen, and in no case had they received a negative reply. They hopsd to have 120 or 130 sections in the competitions. It was proposed to elect officers and a committee, in all some twenty-two. He was also in favour of having a ladies' committee, which would not only grace the proceedings, but would lend material assistance. They also had the offer of tho services of a gentleman who had acted as secretary of competitions in the south. The speaker said that they must remember that their boys were fighting for them at the front now, and probably for some time to come, and to help them they must not relax in their efforts to help, and this ho considered an excellent opportunity <o{ doing so. Ho moved:—

"That this meeting approves the suggestion of the provisional committee to establish a Wellington Musical and Elocutionary Competitions' Society, and that an executive committee be appointed, -consisting of the following gentle-men-Messrs. J. TI. Hdliwell, F. G. Crnv, M. Can, W. E. Fuller, A. E. Hunt, W. P. M'Lauchlan, E. Palliser, A. Menzies, 0. M. Bowden, W. fiimm, A.'G. Wallace. W. E. Jackson, L. P. Partridge, G. T. Goodwin, J. Evans, C. M'Jntyre, J. C. 1 Port, J. M. Clark, 0. C. Mazengarb, and G. W. Jenner." Mr. W. E. Fuller seconded the motion, which was carried without discussion. Mr. J. It. Helliwell said they had been actuated by a feeling that tho com. petitions must be conducted on a sound financial basis. He informed the meeting' that they could not hope fci conduct the competitions nnder an expenditure of MM or i700,> but when they remembered that tho revenue of tho first competitions held in Wellington amounted to .£IBOO and for the final competitions .£I2OO, they would, if the competitions were carefully conducted, he in a position to hand over to patriotic funds anything from ,£SOO and J3IOOO.- Referring to a suggestion that bad been raised, ho said that it had been decided that no teachers of music or elocution should be elected to the executive committee. Mr.. Helliwell moved that all present be enrolled as members of the society. The motion was seconded by Mr". C. M. Bowden and carried unanimously. On the motion of the chairman it was decided to ask His Excellency the Goverto become patron of the ; society. i The Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) was electjed president, on the motion of Mr. l'\ On the motion of Mr. W. E. Fuller, it i was decided that vice-presidents _be apI pointed in any .number as determined by ! the committee. In seconding the motion I Mr. Cray said that in the appointment j of a number of vice-presidents they were following the lead of Auckland and Christchurch. The motion was carried. The chairman said that it was proposed to. hold the competitions early in November next. , A hearty vote of thanks to the Mayor for presiding (moved by Mr. Helliwell) closed the meeting.