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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 13, No. 12. June 15, 1950
Elections and Freshers
Elections and Freshers
There must be a number of freshers—and non-freshers too, for that matter—around the place who say "What is the Executive? Who are these people?"
In just over a week, the Association will be able to decide the latter question for itself: we'd like, for the benefit of those who haven't much idea, to outline the executive set-up.
Every year about this time—at the end of June—the Association gets the chance to select a new executive. Obviously, with over 2000 students here, it wouldn't be possible to run the affairs of the Association without some sort of permanent body.
This consists of 13 people. Five of these are officers of the Association; that is, they are chosen directly for the offices they hold. These are the president, the men's and women's vice-presidents, the secretary and the (new office of) treasurer. Apart from those officers, there are four men and four women committee members. Once they are selected, these executive members meet at odd intervals, seldom less than once a fortnight, to get through the business of the Association. And there is a fair bit of that, ranging from the control of all the finances of the Association, to the indirect control over all student activities and behaviour. Extravaganza and Procession are their responsibility, so are the occasional staff student affairs. And then there is, of course, the Cafeteria.
That 32/6 of yours is administered by these 13 people, and from a purely mercenary point of view, it is as well to know how the money you pay in is spent.
The voting for all Executive positions is by a preferential system. When the student goes into the main hall to vote next week, he will be given a paper with the list of candidates on it. These are to be numbered in order of preference, starting at one and working down to seven or eight or whatever the number of candidates is. From the time the voting closes, the Returning Officer and his assistants take over—and it is no mean feat to get the 700 or more votes counted by the time the results are to be announced at the AGM two nights later.
So that's the story. You know what you are voting for and how you vote. We can only hope now that you will be among those who do vote. Out of 2300 and more students last year, less them one-third of the possible number actuallly used their votes.
We hope that, you will be one of the people who will see that the number is higher this year.