ORATORY CONTEST

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 October 1940, Page 6

ORATORY CONTEST

SOLWAY COLLEGE PLACED FIRST GIRLS’ ANNUAL COMPETITION. HIGH STANDARD MAINTAINED. Solway College won the intercollegiate girls' oratory contest, which was held in the Assembly Hall, Wairarapa College, on Saturday night. Wairarapa College was second and St Matthew’s College third. Teams of two girls from each college took part in the contest, which maintained the standard set in previous years. The judge -was Mr M. H. Oram, of Palmerston North, and there was a good attendance of the public. Mr G. G. Hancox, Principal of Wairarapa College, presided. The girls taking part and their subjects were: Solway College, Margaret Ryder, “Nora Wahn”; Evelyn Bodkin, “Queen Elizabeth.” Wairarapa College: Elizabeth McLaren, "Winston Churchill”: Alison Morice, “Captain Oates.” St. Matthew's College: Valerie Jackson, “Sir Archibald Sinclair”; Joan Potter, “Beethoven.” The points wore: Solway College 160; Wairarapa College 157; St. Matthew's College 138. Individual points were:, Evelyn Bodkin 81; Elizabeth McLaren 81; Margaret Ryder 79; Alison Morice 76: Joan Potter 71; Valerie Jackson 67. Mr Oram said that had he not been held down by the scale of marks in the competition he would have placed Eli- ». Zabeth McLaren as having given the best example of oratory. He congratulated all the performers on the very high standard and went on to give seme useful comments. In his opinion, he said, one of the tests of oratory was the appeal it made to the emotions.

On the motion of Mr Hancox a vote of thanks was passed to Mr Oram for adjudicating.