points if he crosses in front of group. (10 points) Grouping: Arrangements on stage. Have they given themselves plenty of room? (10 points) In the above, teams are judged against ten important points and these are defined. Similarly, other sets of important points should be used in considering action song, poi, dress, etc. It is no use using vague terms like ‘communication’ which mean all things to all men. If judges mark against specific headings they are in a much better position to show a group where it is going wrong, and their judging is less likely to be influenced towards giving the highest points to the group with the nicest tune or the most colourful dress, or the one that they heard last.

Attitude of Competitors The final point concerns the attitude of competitors towards competitions. Too often the results are treated as tests of personal prestige by those who lead and teach, and this causes some distressing examples of bad sportsmanship by those who lose. Some competitions, which provide valuable monetary prizes, engender a do-or-die, far from friendly attitude on the part of some competitors. One wonders if there is not good reason to cut out these monetary prizes and instead to divide up the money amongst all the teams in proportion to the distance they have had to travel. This would remove any element of greed and would provide an incentive for teams to travel to competitions even though their chances of winning might be slim. I have tried to be provocative and I hope that other judges and prospective competitors might write to ‘Te Ao Hou’ with their thoughts on this most important aspect of modern Maori culture. If we are to use competitions as a method of raising our level of performance, we should perhaps try and establish some sort of standard competition procedure. Many interested people feel that it would fulfil a long-felt want if Adult Education or some similar body could sponsor a weekend seminar to discuss and give guidance on judging standards, and to air views on such controversial matters as stage approach, costuming, individual or group chants after whaikorero. Judges, teachers, leaders and competitors would benefit greatly from such a meeting of minds. Alan Armstrong is Te Ao Hou's record critic, and the author of ‘Maori Games and Hakas’ and (with Reupena Ngata) ‘Maori Action Songs’. He is club captain of the Ngati Poneke Young Maori Club.

At Hawera and Patea there have recently been established Maori Educational Advancement Committees similar in organisation and aims to the group which for some years has most successfully operated in Wanganui. The artist Buck L. Nin, who is of half Maori and half Chinese descent, recently held a very interesting exhibition of his work in Wellington. Aged 24, Mr Nin comes from Kaikohe. He was educated at Northland College and at the Schools of Art in Auckland and Christchurch. He is at present working as an artist in Christchurch, and next January will go to Brigham Young University in Utah, U.S.A., to complete a B.A. degree. His paintings, abstracts and near-abstracts that show a lively colour-sense and a vigorous grasp of form, are most promising.

ADVERTISER'S ANNOUNCEMENT ‘E aku hoa, haere koutou i roto i nga ara o te hari me te koa o te Hoa, me te mohio ko Tana e pai ai ko te noho pai o Ana mea katoa. Koia ra, kia kaua te tangata e tomo ki roto o te whare o tana hoa ki te kore tana hoa e pai mai, kia kaua ranei e whakapa ona ringa ki ana taonga, kia kaua hoki e whakahirahira, a, kia kaua rawa e rere ki runga i a ia. E koutou kua whai matauranga, whakaaroarotia enei kupu.’ Baha'ullah. ‘O MY FRIENDS! Walk ye in the ways of the good pleasure of the Friend, and know that His pleasure is in the pleasure of His creatures. That is: no man should enter the house of his friend save at his friend's pleasure, nor lay hands upon his treasure nor prefer his own will to his friends, and in no wise seek an advantage over him. Ponder this, ye that has insight.’ Baha'u'llah. BAHA'I FAITH P.O. BOX 1906 AUCKLAND