ENCOURAGING ORATORY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2750, 26 June 1924, Page 3

ENCOURAGING ORATORY.

AT PALMERSTON N. HIGH SCHOOL. At the Palmerston N. Lunch Club on Tuesday, three pupils of the Palmerston N. High School, each delivered ten minute speeches. The lads were John McKuight (of Foxton) “The Renaissance,” la n Campbell “Captain Scott,” and Graham Crossley “The Future of Humanity or the Optimist Justified.” At the conclusion of the speeches, the budding orators were accorded an enthusiastic ovation and were accorded -a. hearty vote of thanks. The hoys were accompanied by Air b’hn Murray, vector, who stated that oratory was practised as part of flic regular school course, and although the special object was the annual debate with the Napier Boys’ High School, the prospect of speaking at the Lunch Club was helpful as this new object would prove an incentive to excel. They also had I heir regular class debates.

John McKnight is a Foxton pupil and has a decided literary bent and we have pleasure in reproducing his speeeli which indicates careful preparation. John declared that the Renaissance was usually 7 regarded vaguely as a well-known indefinite period of time. The word denoted that the transition was a re(urn to life from dormancy. He spoke of the Renaissance as the dividing period between ancient and modern history. Being by essence a transition, its beginning and ending defied definition. The nature of the changes was easier to define. The idea of re-birth contained in the word implied that Europe awoke from its slumber and began an' entirely new life. The nations were led by Italians into a fresh stage of energy. The main work of the Renaissance was (he creation of new nations with new political and religious conceptions, and a new system of international relationship, thus forming the basis of a new civilisation. The re-birth of civilisafon found its origin n Italy 7 . On account of special opportunities for re-nnitiiig with antiquity, the Italians were ready to revive (lie positive and plastic genius of fhe old world. Alen of fhe Renaissance period devoted their most strenuous activity in intellect to scholarship. After describing the processes of fhe Renaissance, the young speaker dwell briefly on its injurious results to Italy—its substitution of languages, fatiguing the spirit of the nice, and diverting fhe revolution of a literature which began with Dante. The final outcome of the Renaissance was the formation of a common culture, a common intellectual atmosphere, a common currency of ideas for Europe. The intellectual association and communion which was generated by the Renaissance had been growing closer, more subtle and pervasive. Beginning with common interests in humanism based upon common literary 7 and linguistic ideas, it bad broadened into common activity in science, info common receptivity of ideas. Through the art of planting, and the exploration of the globe, it was gradually extended to all quarters of the universe. That Darwin’s theory was discussed with the same intelligence in Europe and America, in Russia and the Antipodes, that Sir Harry Lauder’s songs stir the vocal chords of human feeling in a score of sundered nations, is due to what we call the Renaissance —that rude awakening which found its origin in Italy five hundred years ago. The speeches by the other pupils were .of equal merit and the High School is to be congratulated upon the encouragement given lo oratory at the institution.