RANDOM REMINDER

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31726, 9 July 1968, Page 19

RANDOM REMINDER

VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE

“Who's Who” (or should it be “Who’s Whom”?) has become the sociologist's manual. By studying the track gallops of the V.l.P.’s scientists are able to deduce such things as where the country’s elite cluster together, the type of education likely to produce them, and even their marrying habits. But for sheer entertainment, the recreational habits of the upper strata listed in “Who’s Who In New Zealand” make the best reading. Strangely, the recreations of many are not recreations at all, but extensions of their work. Businessmen spend their spare time studying the stock market, historians read history, and one minister busies himself with “ecclesiastical agitation.” A professor of zoology spends his leisure time “icon hunting”—which surely disqualifies him. It sounds positively zoological. One can picture him tracking the dreaded icon through the unmapped

wilds of Fiordland. But others have diverting ways of taking their minds off their work. One oil company manager builds astronomical telescopes; a high school headmaster plays with model trains: the town clerk of one city breeds bantams; and television’s Peter Read collects model soldiers. Precious few of the “in” people have any recreational imagination. Dozens of them list “Rec.” as “gardening, reading,” and dozens more sound too disgustingly healthy—like the boastful all-rounders who list “Rec. hunting, fishing, golf, tennis, swimming, cricket, Rugby.” One member of Parliament says his recreation is, not just plain old tennis, but “A” grade tennis. But a Very Important Woman compensates for him by listing “leisurely swimming.” Poets, naturally enough, have more to say. Allan Curnow’s recreation is “Putting things off, esp. reading, writing.” Denis

Glover’s is “talking, shouting and eleromancy.” In the newspaper world there seems to be an element of one-upmanship. The editor of one daily says he studies newspapers in his spare time; the chief reporter of another says he studies newspapers critically. But the editor of a weekly journal is content with, “drinking, talking and sitting in the sun.” With refreshing frankness, an archdeacon’s daughter admits to spending all her spare time gossiping. A barrister (waxing fat on fees?) lists his recreation as “dieting,” and a .professor of I rench says he delights in the company of intelligent women. A surprisingly large number of those in “Who’s Who” have no recreations at ail. Perhaps, like many lesser mortals, even some V.l.P.’s are moonlighters, spending their “leisure” time working petrol pumps, delivering groceries, or picking potatoes—trying to make ends meet