FIRST STUDENTS' CONGRESS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 20, Issue 499, 14 January 1949, Page 24

FIRST STUDENTS' CONGRESS

Camp Conference at Queen Charlotte Sound

was an assembly of kings or princes who met to discuss international questions of common interest. _ To-day kings don’t confer together any more, but almost every other social or vocational group meets in congfess at some time or other. Next week the University students of New Zealand will hold their first Congréss at which all the colleges of the University of New Zealand will be represented, with additional delegates from some of the teachers’ training colleges and Australian Universities. And as students are nearly always serious, sintellectual, and ‘deeply concerned (for the time being) with matters of art, education, politics, and religion, their congress will deliberate on topics which, if not always international in character, are certainly of interest to most thinking people in the country. That is probably why the Talks Department of the NZBS has decided to record in advance extracts from several of the addresses to be made by the guest speakers, all of them prominent men in their own fields. Four of these Oe er a congress

talks will be heard from 2YA, at 7.15 p-m. en Monday, January 24, Tuesday, January 25, Thursday, January 27, and Friday, January 28-while the congress is in session. The other talks will be broadcast at a later date. The list of speakers is an imposing one; the titles of their addresses even

more so. Dr. A. G. Bogle, for instance, who is a former Rhodes Scholar now at the Dominion Physical Laboratory, will speak on "The Scientist and the Community"; -H. C. D. Somerset; a pioneer .in community centre schemés, will discuss "Further Education of the New Zealand Community"; Gordon

Tovey, Superintendent of Art Education in the Education Department, will talk on "Art in the New Zealand Community," and even Professor G. W. von Zedlitz has called his address "The University and ‘the Community." No Elephant Although’ this may seem reminiscent of a talk by Professor D. Daiches Raphael which was reprinted in The Listener a short time ago under the (continued on next page)

(continued from previous page) title The Elephant and Society-*I don’t mind (the New Zealand intelligentsia’s) excessive concern with society," the Professor said, "but I wish they would show a little originality in their titles" -it does give some idea of the aim of the congress which is, in the words of the Students’ Association, "to show the interaction of responsibility in the 20th Century community, especially of the University towards the community and vice versa, and of the student towards both." Altogether 16 three-hour sessions are planned, each starting off with a lengthy address or paper delivered by one of the guest’ speakers. In the second hour of each session the congress will divide. into discussion groups working under chosen leaders, and in the third hour the guest speaker and group leaders will conclude the discussion in "open forum" style. Besides the address mentioned above, Sir David Smith and Sir Thomas Hunter will speak on "The New Zealand University," G. H. Ormond Wilson, M.P., and J. Marshall, M.P., will discuss "New Zealand’s Political and Economic Future," A. B. Thompson will talk on "Some Aspects of Educational Planning," H. McQueen on "The Maori Today," James Bertram on "Writing in and for New Zealand," A. D. J. Barker on "The Listener’s Approach to Music" and "An Attitude to Science," E.

Plischke on’ "Design and Living," and’ the Rev. Luke H. Jenkins on "The University and Religion." The opening session will be. addressed by the Minister of Education, the Hon. T. H. McCombs. Since the students are on vacation, however, care will be taken that intellects are not unduly strained. The setting of the congress would in fact make an ideal picnic spot. It is an old ped Force convalescent camp at Curious Cove in Queen Charlotte Sound, wd during the nine days of the gathering (from January 21 to 30) there will be plenty of opportunities for recreation of all kinds, including fishing, swimming, boating, and other pastimes. _ To provide organised sport, loads of equipment and a recreation expert from the Department of Internal Affairs will be there, while evening entertainment will take the form of film shows (with material from the National Film Library and the Film Institute), recitals of recorded music, and the organisation of "brains trusts" from among the guest speakers. Concerts, bonfires and an allday picnic will add to the general fun. The student representatives have been selected mainly for their work in the various political, and associated groups at their own colleges, while the cost of the congress is being met partly from the individual students concerned, partly from funds raised by the colleges, and partly from other sources.