EONGOTAI COLLEGE

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 89, 12 October 1934, Page 14

EONGOTAI COLLEGE

ANNUAL ORATORY CONTEST

Last night, In the presence of a largo number of parents and boys, the third annual-oratory* contest of Rongotai College took place. Two cups are competed for on these occasions, the Baliard Cup for those under the age of 15, and the Burge Cup for those over 15. This year there were seventeen junicy entrants and twelve seniors, so that it was necessary to bold preliminary contests and reduce the number to six finalists in each section.

The junior speakers and their subjects were: —W. G. Smith on "Louis Botha," E. J. Gow on "Socrates," R. E. Graham on "Abraham Lincoln," W. R. Familton on "Garibaldi," D. A. Muir on "Thomas Edison," G. H. Cole on "Nanscn,"

The senior speakers and their subjects were: —H. E. P. Downes on "Bismarck," R. F. Ward on "Masaryk," A. Marks on "Lenin," D. W. S. Gendall on "Hindenbnrg," F. Chambers on "Wolfe," L. Rose on "Peter the Great."

The judge, Mr. C. H. Weston, K.C., placed W. G. Smith1 first among the juniors, with W. J. Gow second. In the senior section D. W. S. Gendall was. first and F. Chambers second.

Very few marks separated the speakers, and the standard of speaking throughout the contest was exceptionally high. For such young speakers the boys showed considerable platform sense, and their clearly and well delivered speeches gave evidence of wide reading and careful preparation.

At the conclusion of the evening the principal, Mr. F. Martyn Homier, paid n tribute to the energy and enthusiasm of the president (Mr. R. Hogg) and to the interest taken in the society by its vice-president (Mr. J. A. Heron).