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SMAD. An Organ of Student Opinion. 1936. Volume 7. Number 13.

An Incitement to Controversy

page 3

An Incitement to Controversy

Rumour is stealing its insidious way around our hallowed halls with a message of strife and combat. One hears that there may be a special general meeting of the Students' Association to quash the motion passed at the annual general meeting preventing past students from holding office in college clubs.

It is indeed a rather disconcerting motion for those old students who still retain a desire to continue tasting the sweet fruits of office. And so they may try to throw it out. Conservatism always becomes indignant when the popular view asserts itself.

However, apart from conservatism, there are some other interesting points. The clubs are run primarily for present students and primarily with present students' money. It is, therefore, self-evident that present and not past students should administer club affairs. Furthermore, when a number of past students hold office they are virtually unassailable, so trained are they in the art of securing re-election, and so great is the influence of their names and years of the younger mind. Then they leave—because of marriage or death. But there is no one left with any experience of how to run the club efficiently.

Certainly past students are entitled to be members of the Clubs—no one disputes that. But why should thhey run the clubs? It was argued that the remedy lies in the present students' own hands. It does. At the annual general meeting the remedy was applied.

There seems to be one difficulty only with the motion as passed. Its terms appear to exclude professors, etc., from holding office as patrons, vice-presidents, etc. A slight amendment to enable them to quality once more would perhaps be desirable. That is a matter which might well be considered at this suggested special general meeting.

But rumour has it that the idea is to quash the whole motion What do you think of that?—J.N.S.