SPEECH CONTEST

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 269, 10 August 1938, Page 4

SPEECH CONTEST

Annual Competition At Wellington Girls' College Seven pupils of Wellington Girls’ College took part iu the Majorie Niehiolls speech competition which was held at the college yesterday afternoon. The competition, which was held in the college hull, was attended by a number of parents and friends. Miss G. Isaac, Miss Beryl Jackson, and Mr. Harold Miller were the judges. The speakers and their subjects were as follows: —Alexis Entrican, “T. E. Lawrence” : Kathleen Fuller, “Abraham Lincoln”; Kathleen Eckboff, “Caruso”; Pamela Hills, “Our Queen”; Patricia Hills. “J- P- Firth” ; Muriel Taylor, “Benjamin Disraeli” ; Ngaire Carver, “Lenin.” The placings were: Patricia Hills, 1; Kathleen Eckhoff, 2; and Ngaire Carver, 3. Summarising the opinions of the three judges, Mr. Miller said that some of the speakers had been very good indeed. All had faced the difficulty of making themselves heard against a very loud wind, and on© or two had been inclined to drop their voices at. the end of sentences. The subject of the speech was of importance. A good subject was half the battle won. In this r«y>ect the judges had taken into consideration the age of the speakers and the fact that, their own interests would naturally differ from those of the speakers. Almost all the speakers had shown a tendency to adopt a slightly theatrical intonation, but their voices had been pleasing to the ear. The arrangement of subject matter had not been as good as possible, 'and in one ease the most important part of a man’s career bad been dismissed in a few words. It could not bo taken for granted that the audience was familiar with that part of the man’s career.

The winner’s choice of subject had been a happy one. It was one which had appealed to her audience and had enabled her to establish contact with her hearers. She had not spoke too fast and had introduced a little humour into her speech—-a thing no one else had attempted to do. Kathleen Eckhoff’s voice and manner had been particularly agreeable and he thought, that if she continued she would improve and become a very good speaker. She had told a story well and her phrasing- had been good, but her voice had been rather low.

Ngaire Carver had chosen a subject which might, have been more effective with an adult audience. Her opening had been particularly good but she had lost points through a lapse of memory.