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Social Committee Notes

The Social Committee, since the last issue of "Spike," has done quite a number of interesting things.

The equipment has been improved and added to. Where there was one twelve-inch dynamic speaaker, there are now two permagnetic speakers mounted on baffles four feet square installed in an easily detachable manner in the rafters of the gymnasium. The amplifier was rebuilt by D. C. Rose (the previous music controller), improving both its power and fidelity. New records have been bought, but an enormous quantity would be required to prevent students becoming too familiar for pleasure with the records. An excellent microphone (borrowed) is being used. The executive has voted money to buy one; but they are rare.

In the kitchen the work of the committee has been eased by the purchase of new cups, tea-towels and jugs.

The committee up till recently was: Margaret Anderson, Margaret Beattie, Gwen McDowall, Vivienne Rich (convener) Piers Abraham, Bob Barraclough, Gib Bogle (secretary), Guy Evans, John Ziman. Lately Margaret Beattie resigned and several new members have joined. They are: Mary Rose Miller, Elizabeth Millward and Hilary Wilton, to whom Vivienne Rich will teach catering, and Colin Smith (general purposes and M.C.), and Charlie Withers (assistant radio-physicist to Guy Evans).

Some new ideas have been tried in the social life of the college over the past year During the vacation a sub-committee of the Executive (Margaret Beattie, Gib Bogle, Dick Daniell) organised a Christmas Ball (December 16th), a picnic to Titahi Bay, and some tea dances. At the Winter Sports Ball, 1945. a new scheme of supper distribution was tried and worked very well. Supper is provided continuously from 9 till 11 p.m., and the dancers go downstairs for it when they feel like it. One of the best innovations of the committee is the lunch-hour dance, held on Tuesday afternoons. However, this dance is not as well attended as could be expected, the average number being about thirty.

The procedure of giving free tea dance double tickets to all students who do some work for the social committee, such as sweeping the hall or wiping-up the dishes, has been adhered to. Although the lack of volunteers is nothing like what it was in the grim days of 1943, when free tickets were introduced, it is felt that those students who are willing to do something for everybody should be encouraged, and that the work should not be always done by a few.