ST. ANDREW’S DEBATING CLUB

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19277, 15 September 1924, Page 9

ST. ANDREW’S DEBATING CLUB

MEMORABLE JUBILEE GATHERIN'©^;

Jubilees of organisations of one sort and another bare been somewhat common about Dunedin of late, but it is not given to many debating societies in such a' young community To boast a record of httfj ft century of existence. The St. -ABdatw’* Literary and Debating dub, how evef. claims that distinction, and on , night it brought a most successful;season to a close with a hearty and largely Sfcrr tended jubilee gathering. The chairman* Mr A. C. Cameron, presided, anti were some 60 or 70 present, including a dozen gentlemen who took an active in the doings of the club in their younger I days, and whose names are flow. familiar iu the community as hnneehoUH words. /• .w.-dsM The Chairman, in welcoming thosejpftH sent, expressed the pride of present bers in the distinguished pied by past members of the club,, read a letter from the patron, the..B : Waddell, who for nearly 40 yean?. inspiration and guide of the club ties. Dr Waddell recalled literary studies carried out by, many years ago, and expressed wishes for its future. One of the chief events of the was a debate between present members on the provocative subject, the older generation is responsible present deplorable state of affairs. ’ D. M. Halloch and P. Smcllie, ing present members, drew a wholly convincing picture of the of society, and threw the whole the shoulders of the past genera Messrs W. K. Brugh and H. K. for the older generation, denied that present state of affairs was deplorable,' anH pointed to the happy heritage that ha<* been handed on to the youth of to-day.® The subject was treated in lighter and all the speeches caused much-amgse-v; ment.- : ■ Wl No vote was taken, but after the debattr Mr W. Gow, in the absence of the Rev. Hector Maclean from town, briefly summed, up some of the point. He drew attention, to the grave dangers of the present pros r perity with its attendant loosenings pf tl*e moral fibre and challenged the younger men. “What are you going to do about it?” He mentioned that he had bceil- a vice-president of the club in 1879. After a lavish supper had been eftjoyM/ Mr A. C. Cameron proposed the toast Of' “Old Members.” Mr J. G. Patterson, ijn,-. replying, briefly touched on the honourable history of the club. Its jubilee was dated from a reference appearing in the Deacons’ Court minutes' of September 7, 1574, Though the club had altered its, from time to time it had always remained , the same society. He referred to debates, ; that had been held in the eighties /jn- thp,; sending of New Zealand troops overspjiflf, for use against Russia, on the harbour,; socialism, and on federation with - tralia. He paid a tribute to Dr Waddell for his rare gift of inspiring love;, ,o£,. literature in others. Mr J. A. Park, another pioneer of .ther club, in the course of a few remarks,; vigorously denounced the press for $lO character of its news, and the prominencegiven to the sordid, the seamy, and, trivial, which he said gave qiute a wrong.,; view of the present condition of society* ; j; Mr D. H. Rogers, in an exceeding!if humorous speech, and Mr R. GHkison aiko -, spoke on behalf of past members. - , r The toast of the “St. Andrew’s Debating - Club” was happily proposed by Mr A;., Burn, who heartily congratulated Hi© -J chairman and his committee on the-excel'- - lent session just past and the succesk'tif the present gathering. He emphasised t6te r importance of the work the club - was doing. The -toast was acknowledged by TSr G. P. Inglis on behalf of present members. : During the evening songs were contributed bv Miss E. Bell and Mr J. Leech, and A violin solo by Miss E. Brown. Hearty votes of thanks to the ladies, to the mustcians, and to the chairman and the king-;-ing of “Auld Lang Syne” brought ' a memorable gathering to a close. : j