Women Students' Debating Society

The Women Students' Debating Society continues to prosper. Its meetings have been held fortnightly before the meetings of the whole society, and its thanks are due to those gentlemen who have, at some personal inconvenience contrived to be at College at 6.45 p.m. on Saturdays to act as judges and advisers. It is worthy, perhaps, of note and certainly incapable of explanation that each of these gentlemen in addressing the society has laid stress upon the fact that, though deeply sensible of the honour done him, he has come in great fear and trembling. Whether his fears, of whatever nature they were, have been justified, each one has neglected to state.

The syllabus has been, with two exceptions, the same as that adopted by the whole society. On August 1st the subject under discussion was—"That Ambition is a vice rather than a virtue," and on August 15th,—"That the reading of magazines is detrimental to general culture." The speakers have been numerous but not very many have been eligible for competition for the prize offered by Miss Mellsop to the best speaker. This involves speaking in at least half of the debates. There is still one debate to be held, but Miss Sampson, having been placed first on three occasions may be declared the winner of the prize.

It is rumoured that before long the Society will produce competitors for the Plunket Medal.