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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 13, No. 23. September 28, 1950

Conference and Congress

Conference and Congress

Anyone who goes through [unclear: varsity] without experiencing life at [unclear: one] of these NZUSA or SCM affairs, and preferably both, is missing some of the best that our university life can offer.

There have been many reports of these gatherings, but the reports have all been partial and inadequate; and anyone who is thinking of going should bear this in mind. This particularly is to some extent understandable—a full report would have to be too long to get past any editor, and the spirit of the last congress, for instance, could only have been expressed by a poet—and poets are few. I have previously criticised Salient's report.

If you are considering coming, then I would suggest that you glance at a few reports to get an idea of what was going on: see the first issue of Student, for this year; the first issue of Critic; the Dominion of 1.2.50; the Listener of 3.3.50. With regard to Don Anderson's article in the Listener, although its middle portions were good, its tame opening and softly human ending belle the vigour of the congress. He also said that we spent our time talking to one another—and that is, in its way, accurate. But talking to one another is not always a sterile form of human activity and it was not sterile at either the Congress or the SCM conference. Some of its effects will not be seen in immediate material results; it is so with all education. There is that curiosity however, which in turn fits a person to live. This sort of process took place at Curious Cove and at Auckland. It will not stop there.

The resolutions to which the daily press gave reports of because of their controversial nature—though they were important—were to some extent a manifestation of that process.

Insights that came from living and thinking together, teachers and students in this new university in Queen Charlotte Sound, will issue in more effective individual and social life. The same goes for S.C.M. conferences. There are some differences, though presumably they will not be the same each year. As an indication only, perhaps it can be said that the Congress has greater diversity, but the S.C.M. conference is in fuller possession of a clear view of its aim.

There is no need to emphasise the delights of a Sounds holiday.

And now, so far as prospective members of conference or congress or both are concerned, comes the main point; all this was tremendously enjoyable. Ask any of us who were there.

E. B. Robinson.