Greymouth

New Zealand Tablet, 27 November 1913, Page 49

Greymouth

At the first elocutionary competition, held in connection with the Catholic Boys’ Club, Greymouth, Very Rev. Dean Carew presided. The accommodation was taxed to its utmost and the whole proceedings were of a very interesting and promising nature. The programme was opened with the orations, readings, recitations, and impromptu speeches following in the order named. -The subject selected for the impromptu speech proved a very suitable one to the competitors and Interesting to the audience, and some very novel arguments were put forth by the budding orators. * How I would end the strike,’ was the query each competitor had to concentrate his thoughts upon and endeavor to tell the audience the logic of those thoughts. At the conclusion of the four items the Rev. Father Clancy announced the results, remarking that, after listening to the young competitors he was sure that New Zealand, and the Coast in particular, had nothing to fear in the line of elocution. The lads, he said, had signs of a future in the elocutionary world, and the competition was one of the most pleasant he had had the pleasure of adjudicating. In announcing the results he made special reference to the winner of the prepared reading, his reading being almost perfect, and he had awarded Master J. Deere 140 out of 150 marks in this section. The following are the results: First prize and elocution championship—J. Deere, 343 marks; second, James Bell (late of Dunedin), 308; third, W. Trouland, 287; fourth, F. Conaghan, 276. The gold medal for the first prize was a beautiful Maltese cross presented by Mr. M. Quinlan. There were nine competitors. The president of the club, Master W. Ryan, thanked the Very Rev. Dean Carew for presiding; also the Rev. Father Clancy, who had so kindly consented to adjudicate. He also thanked the public for their attendance and for the manner in which they had appreciated the work of the club, which he hoped gave satisfaction to its founder, the Rev. Father Fraher.

The usual vote of thanks to the chairman was carried by acclamation.