Annual Report highlights

from John [unclear: Mo], President of the Students Association

In the workings of Executive there have been the usual long, late meetings, notable mainly for their excessive repetition of arguments. There have also been strong disagreements on a variety of subjects, but a major achievement has been that this debate has never lapsed into the personal quarrels of previous years that have crippled the effectiveness of more than one Executive.

A development within the last year that is worth recording is the increased desire of the Wellington news media to publish the activities and attitudes of students.

With your Executive barely a week in office, the Prime Minister was awarded an honorary degree during a ceremony at which he opened the Rankine Brown building. A student protest outside the ceremony coupled with setting off one of the building's fire alarms during the ceremony was heavily featured and criticised in the nation's press.

Our next publicity was more productive. Various student efforts to paint in a pedestrian crossing on the corner of Kelburn Parade and Salamanca Road were reported and public sympathy aroused when 500 students rose from Forum and marched on down to block the corner from traffic

The newspaper photographs and television coverage heightened public awareness of the issue and eventually forced the City Council to offer the compromise earlier described as too dangerous by a traffic department official.

The Association's representatives accepted the Council's offer to paint in the two crossings where they now lie, though many students were critical at both Forum and a Special General Meeting.

But whatever one's view of the result there can be no doubt that the Council gave way to public pressure aroused from the extensive publicity.

When the Association presented submissions on the University students' accommodation problem both newspapers gave our arguments wide coverage and the Dominion added a favourable editorial. Since this time, WNTV1 has shown a programme on conditions of student flats in Wellington.

The new University year opened with a stage-managed investment of £10.000 in the Wellington City Council's loan. The opportunity was taken to stress the links of our Association with the City. The newspapers here gave excellent coverage, but several students did feel the gesture was too blatant.

Easter Tournament received more publicity than a student sports meeting in Wellington will usually do, and [unclear: thi] [unclear: climaxed] by WNTVI's [unclear: film] of the drinking horn.

Capping we [unclear: gain] public relations liability, [unclear: with] Taj Mahal stunt backfiring [unclear: an] [unclear: excessive] art work on [unclear: we] city council property.

The [unclear: Associa] year publicitywise ended [unclear: w] highly sucessful [unclear: University] Broadcasting and [unclear: newspaper] operate in an excellent [unclear: up] programme which [unclear: includ] project from both in favour of policity on the success of the [unclear: st] ture followed.

These are leading [unclear: examples] of what is, [unclear: my] opinon, an attitude of [unclear: ge] interset in the University. I [unclear: only] point to the is required, I [unclear: lss] the specific countless [unclear: cal] the University, all of [unclear: whom] been very happy to [unclear: co-operate] the Association's efforts to [unclear: sho] many constructive activities.

The [unclear: Assoc] has invested £15,000 in [unclear: loa] the City Council. £10,000 of [unclear: th] funds held in the Student [unclear: Uni] [unclear: xtension] Account and £500 [unclear: fr] accumulated surpluses over [unclear: t] [unclear: ear]. By making these [unclear: invest] interset payable on the these [unclear: re] while keeping a reliable invest.

The [unclear: Assoc] has also loaned £5000 for five [unclear: int] hurches Halls of the Combine [unclear: chur] When this Residence [unclear: arl] the Association it money return the [unclear: as] trust for capital will do so [unclear: ercreational] facilities for [unclear: stude]

As a lastin [unclear: rm] of recognition for his work [unclear: the] Association finances [unclear: Exe] has appointed K. J. Cresswe [unclear: one] of this fund's trustees.

The [unclear: renew] of the Tour of School [unclear: pror] was very successful and [unclear: th] thanks from the many letters [unclear: Only] those schools schools [unclear: invol] [unclear: ington] area were outside the [unclear: ned] the others being concerned [unclear: w] [unclear: unity] to send parties to the [unclear: U] [unclear: ersity] after finals and during [unclear: Un] Day.

[unclear: Organsatic] the welfare "48-hour call" [unclear: pr] is well in hand as this [unclear: repor] a public relations is not [unclear: prima] Association but is, venture by [unclear: y] [unclear: ld] be, a form of or at [unclear: >least] students of their repayment [unclear: f] [unclear: munity] which does duty to the [unclear: port] them, so much [unclear: to]

The [unclear: Comm] [unclear: e] approach to the NZBC [unclear: initiat] Varsity radio programee [unclear: o] [unclear: YD]. With a former student [unclear: doing] announcing, this flourished [unclear: w] extensive student comment on [unclear: pus] events. With comment of transfer the pro- this studevt [unclear: ortunately] reverted gramme has to University [unclear: rtising].

The [unclear: secon] the University's Blues Dinner as most successful. It was [unclear: atten] by the Governor- General, Sir [unclear: renard] Fergusson, who present the sportsman of the Year [unclear: t] to Mr. G. B. Gibons, [unclear: the] her of winner John Gibbons, the [unclear: t] overseas with the [unclear: owing] Eight. Peter Snell was [unclear: al] present and spoke to the guests [unclear: b] Bliues winners.

The [unclear: Associ] is much indebted to the [unclear: efforts] two former officers, Mr. C. J. R. Robertson and Mr. R. J. Pitchforth, for their preparation of a draft of a new Constitution for the Association. One basic feature has already been incorporated with the next Executive merely holding office for six months until the new Executive takes over on January 1.

The proposals will involve little sweeping change but a more efficient system of administration of affairs and the removal of the many ambiguities that have caused difficulties in recent years.

The Association must also express its thanks to the Vice-Chancellor, the Registrar, Dr. G. P. Barton, Mr. I. H. Boyd. Mr. A. T. Mitchell, and many others, for their help in checking out the document.

For students the most frustrating aspect of the past year has been this Committee's difficulty with extensions to the Student Union. Delays have been partly due to faulty architectural estimating and more recently to a delay in Governmental approval of the plans which may, of course, be connected with the country's economic situation.

The area in which the Union is hardest hit is the cafeteria— already inadequate for lunchtime needs. In the unlikely event of early approval being given for the calling of tenders it will still be necessary to provide temporary lunch facilities elsewhere in our Student Union Building.

The national student body completed Its first year under a full-time paid president at Easter, and in August the Nzusa Council must decide whether or not to continue this position.

Mr. Mountain has worked very hard as NZUSA's President and has had to carry deficiencies in his executive. His main difficulty has been operating under an inadequate budget imposed by constituents who have found themselves paying a previous Executive's heavy un-budgeted expenditure and who have also had to subsidise the Association's extravagant northern member.

Mr. Mountain's efforts have been appropriately concentrated in the field of education with the intention of developing NZUSA as an educational pressure group. His efforts, despite the disadvantages he faced, have been considerable. His term, which will finish on December 31. has been beneficial to New Zealand students.

The University's Vice-Chancellor and Patron of the Association has advised the Council of his intention to retire from May, 1968. Throughout his years in this position. Dr. Williams has, in his work, fought for the interests of students. The editor of "The Student Union" gives him credit for the Student Union Building, then the first in New Zealand's Universities being built at all. He also was the driving force behind the construction of the tennis pavilion and courts, and the Boyd Wilson rugby field and gymnasium. The Association will lose a good friend when he leaves. The Association also learnt with regret of the resignation of the University's Chancellor, Sir Duncan Stout, who has been a member of the University Council for over 40 years.

Professor F. W. Holmes, a member of the Student Union Management Committee, is to resign his University appointment later this year. His interest in and help to the Association in so many ways during his time here will be very much missed.