The former Labour Club has stirred from its seeming grave and changed its name to Socialist Club. How did it happen?

D. Flude, the outgoing secretary, introduced the motion "That the name of the club be changed to Socialist Club." This on the grounds that "Labour Club" implied an association with the Labour Party. This was apparently an unhealthy connection.

Interest in the motion was demonstrated by the amendments which followed. Bill Dwyer introduced a subsidiary motion; that the term "Socialism" be defined in the constitution as "The common ownership of the wealth of the world by the people of the world."

This comparatively unobtrusive addition would have passed virtually unnoticed if Mr Dwyer had not raised the question that the constitution has apparently gone missing.

An amendment that the Club be called "New Left Club" was made on the grounds that "Socialist" has become a dirty word and savours, in this university, of a better-forgotten past. This received criticism on the grounds that it would wrongly connect the Club with the "New Left Movement".

At this stage a vote was taken on the Dwyer-Bromby amendment and this was only just carried, 15-14.

This would seem to indicate wide variation in the radical complexion of the Club, as does the rejection of the past history of socialism at Vuw.

Amongst the 35 people at this meeting, the idea seemed to be that 1962 could show a revival of political consciousness at VUW; a facet of organised university thought which has been clouded for many years may again assume something like its former brilliance.