PUBLIC APATHY

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 110, 5 November 1937, Page 15

PUBLIC APATHY

COMPETITIONS LOSS

REVIEW OF AIMS AND METHODS

A SUGGESTED CHANGE

Lack of support by the public, due to the numerous forms of outside entertainment available, Is given as a reason for a loss of over £400 suffered by the Wellington Competitions Society over the year's working. Constructive comment on the position of the society in relation to the public was given at last night's annual meeting by the retiring president, Mr. H. B. Myers. . "The loss on the year's working, although not the heaviest in any one year, stands at £405 10s 5d," he said. "A factor of some importance in this is the loss on the ball—a new experiment—amounting to approximately £130, but without this we would still have £876 deficit This is accounted for by a decrease in income of £185 and an increase of £60 in expenditure. Although we offered probably the best prize list on record this had practically no effect In increasing expenditure owing to the splendid contributions made by the Wellington daily newspapers, by business firms, and private individuals in money and trophies. Incidentally, the provision of more valuable prizes did not have any appreciable effect in increasing entries in the classes concerned, and is of doubtful use. . "The Increased expenditure was due mainly to extra door staffing, judges' fees, and advertising. It became evident, from observation of the capacity of the Town Hall and the degree to which it was filled on demonstration nights In the previous year when compared with the cash returns, and making allowances for memberships, that some overhaul of the ticket system and additional door staffing were necessary. The results justified the steps taken, and the executive desires to record its appreciation of the ready manner in which members assisted by falling in with the new system. DECREASED REVENUE. "The increase in judges' fees was quite unavoidable in the circumstances that had to be met. The total fees are by no means excessive, and compared with expenses under this heading in earlier years, when judges were brought from Australia, the society is getting very full value under this heading." The appreciable decreases in revenue were as follow*:—Door takings £40, sale of programmes £20, advertising in syllabus and programme £50, membership subscriptions £77. "With the reserves of past years depleted before this year commenced,1 it has been necessary for the executive to consider means for augmenting the society's resources In order to keep out of debt and provide a little for reserves. The executive have no thought of abandoning the society, and are prepared ;to do everything possible to reinstate it in a strong financial position. Before deciding to carry on, full consideration has been given to the nature of the society's work, and its relationship to the changing times in> which we live. After all, our greatest source of revenue should be from door takings, and there is no doubt that this source is, shrinking on. account of public apathy. - "In seeking to discover the reason for this attitude, one must take into consideration the form of entertainment to which people have become accustomed in recent years. Our talent reaches a very high standard, but we are hampered in means of presentation. Where you have programmes which, in the main, cannot, of necessity, be settled before a day in advance, it Is not possible to rehearse the show for cohesion, and to provide spectacular dressing, special lighting, and other effects which are features of picture entertainment and of visiting professional shows. Admittedly some improvement, could be effected with better stage facilities and lighting, but we can never hope to enter the field in straight-out competition with the forms of entertainment I have mentioned—nor should we. A DIFFERENT APPROACH. "We have to approach the matter from a different angle and seek to educate our public to the inner value of competitions work. The position must be faced at once. It may be found advisable and practicable by building up a big membership to run off all the preliminaries in smaller halls, admitting only our members, and to run, say, only three public demonstration concerts. This system would save considerable expenditure in advertising, rent,, and starling oyer a fortnight. "It is not the main object of competitions to discover outstanding performers who may be expected to become world celebrities, but rather to raise the general level of performance in the various cultural arts, thereby developing the mental faculties and inducing a wider field of appreciation. Competitors, with their teachers and parents, come to the competitions for what, is practically a public examination at the hands of competent judges. Here are found different points of view which must be explained and reconciled, so that each learns from the other, and an advance is made towards understanding and doing some of the better things of life in a better way. "I am .sure that from time to time even bur hardened adjudicators observe flashes of something that seems good and,new and nearer truth than they have known or experienced before. ASid so in the aggregate the competitions contribute to the advancement of humanity. It is not the individual brilliance of one performer that supplies the fundamental meaning of "it aIL We picture the successful singer as associated with a group of singers or a choir, where his or her influence is a great factor in raising the general level of performance and helping others along in an interest which has the greatest community value and is at the same time a contribution to the useful employment: of leisure. VOICE AND POISE, "A successful elocutionist is not to be estimated on his rendering of any particular poem or piece of prose, but on what value he has gained from the preparatory work—the literary study, the cultivation of voice, and the acquirement of confidence, all of which must contribute greatly to his future value as a citizen and a leader. "The study and practice of dancing is another important contribution to the intellectual and physical well-being of our young people. Here we have probably the oldest of our arts, the first means used by primitive mankind for expressing the emotions. But to consider the practicalities of the matter, what is particularly noticeable is the graceful deportment' which comes to the young performer in adult life, and there is no greater psychological aid to success in life than an atmosphere of physical well-being and confident carriage. "None of the activities I have mentioned can prosper and flourish in private as they do in public performance, and if, as time goes on, it is necessary to submerge gradually the competitive element the public festi-

val will still be- necessary. In the early history of the competitions movement in Wellington there were less than fifty advertised teachers of the ■various arts in the city, whereas in recent years the number reached the vicinity of three hundred, many of them former competitors. The cessation of our annual festivals would have a very serious effect on the means of livelihood of most of these teachers. "As far as our society is concerned, having now completed twenty years of service to the community, and a service which I think I have shown is substantial and lasting, I would say that although not the oldest society of its kind in the Dominion, it has become the premier society in point j of entries dealt with, and in the fact that entries are drawn from all parts of the Dominion. Out of nearly 1000 awards made at the last festival, over 400 went to competitors beyond Wellington city. Competitors feel that they have accomplished something well worth while if successful at our festival, and visiting adjudicators have expressed appreciation of the ■ compliment implied in being asked to judge here. OUTSTANDING PERFORMERS. "Apart from the considerations already referred to of improvements in the general level of the average performance it does occur that outstanding performers are developed who do credit to their country. The cases of Marie Ney and Bebe Witts in different fields of endeavour are familiar to you. Others may be called to mind. More recently we have been interested in sending competitors to the Melbourne grand opera aria contest, and our nominee this year, Mr. Chappell, bids fair td make a very successful career." A motion by Mr. W. J. Mountjoy, jun., that the committee should investigate the conditions governing the awarding of championships was carried unanimously. A plea for the cooperation of the teachers in the work of the society was put forward by Mr. G. W. Morgan. The pieces set in the syllabus come in for the criticism of several teachers, and it was suggested that the teachers themselves could assist in this respect. A motion that all teachers should be notified by advertisement asking them to send in suggestions of items for the various classes was referred to the executive. The officers for the ensuing season are as follows:—President Mr. J. A. Martin; vice-president, Mr. W. I. Cunninghame; hon. treasurer, Mr. H. L. ■Cooper; i, committee, Messrs. Barton Ginger, W. P. McLachlan, J. W. Carr, J. Watchman, J. W. Telford, W. E. Fuller, E. Palliser, H. P. Wood, C. G. P. Whyte, W. J. Mason, G. W. Morgan, W. E. Howe, C. A. Rendle, W. H. Stevens, F. C. Gentry, and E. R. Myera.