Once upon a time, not that many weeks ago, the people of the Kingdom of Learning were unhappy. King Andrew was a troubled ruler for his brand was not popular. Rival teas were being consumed by the populace in ever increasing quantities. "Freedom of Choysa is something we hold dear' the Princess of Milk Under Wood was heard to say one afternoon tea time while nearly choking on a piece of rather crumbly terry cake which had stuck in her craw.

King Andrew was struggling manfully to remember something his Third Form English teacher (actually she was from Scotland) had told his class. No that wasn't it he thought, for he couldn't see much significance now in her constant reprimands to the class for their not taking heed of the Form Captain. Ah, inspiration! Some fellow named John had donne a poem..."No man is an island..." was all he could grasp before the fleeting recall had fled. It didn't seem to apply here, thought Andrew. He seemed to be all on his own at most of the weekly tea parties.

Then one eve Andrew obtained a blissful relief, he went off to pursue his love the lore. The remaining faithful lieutenants decided to install one of their number as ruler of the Kingdom. They settled upon the fair Princess Massive and were to crown her upon a Woden's day at high noon.

Alas for the fair Princess, the ordinary and common folk of the Kingdom thought her to be just that. They assembled and told her of their fears. Thankfully the fair Princess and her able lieutenants proved themselves to be good listeners and agreed to limit the fair Princess's reign to the monthly tenancy so much loved by many of her subjects. And all the while the new Queen's messenger Jack would go round the folk of the Kingdom trying to fit their views to his boot.

Things get Serious

It all sounds damn silly doesn't it? But remember the events of the last two weeks of the Second Term. Andrew Tees decided to seek out calmer pastures and was last seen busying himself on the 6th floor of Rankine Brown amid the shelves of leather-bound Law Reports. He was a president with a good deal of popular support as his election and then dramatic survival of a No Confidence motion showed. But he was a politician very much marooned amid an Executive of a rather different flavour.

The fiendish designs of those who vote at Studass General Elections and By-Elections in so producing such a mixture can only be marvelled at. The inevitable occurred and the rest of a sorry story is too well known to Victoria students and the other readers of a national weekly to stand repetition.

An inexperienced Executive was faced with the prospect of a headless future and acted with the best of intentions, bona fide and in good faith in trying to follow the procedure in Part K S.5 of the Constitution. That is, where a vacancy occurs on Executive, SRC may appoint a replacement. But when the vacancy is that of President the SRC may only choose from among the (elected) Executive. At this point the shit hit the fan.

No Choice for SRC

The remaining members of the Executive had come to some sort of agreement and SRC on Wednesday 1st August was told that it could have Caroline Massof. Even the usual alternative of no confidence wasn't open—apparently as we had to have someone to sign the cheques and chair committees.

Even the most blase attender of SRC's (such as myself) could see trouble brewing. Witness an Executive which for very good reasons could produce only Caroline Massof as a person with the time, motivation, experience and masochistic desire to put in the long hours of hard work that makes the Presidency of VUWSA the rotten job that it is. And witness an SRC not at all amused by the microscopic notice it had had of the pending appointment of a President. Indeed few people had absorbed the former President's resignation given the night before.

It was perhaps not surprising then that Motion 162/79, to appoint Massof as President, was defeated. I can only marvel at the inability of some of the people present at that SRC to grasp the feeling of a meeting or to know when the votes are on their side. For no sooner had they recoverd from the shock of not getting their way than they were demanding that the doomed motion be recommitted. It was reput later in the meeting, and again lost. In the meantime other forces had been at work and something of an alternative course was hammered out.

As one of the people behind that alternative I am to blame if it casts the Association into peril... hence these words of explanation. (Oh the joys of blame-spreading!) Two unanimous SRC votes have set us towards a Presidential By-Election at the time of the coming General Election. Massof remains as Interim President till then.

Only one Choice

I believe that this is the best course for the Association to follow. It may be our only course. Of the members of the Executive only Massof is able to step in as President. Caroline Massof is just not acceptable to large numbers of students. Under the Constitution we cannot look elsewhere for an appointed President. Options such as Andrew Tees resigning but only with effect from the finding of a successor (thus allowing cheque signing to continue unheeded) were not thought of until it was too late—something for which I must share the blame. At this point Association politics self-destruct if no alternative is found.

I can't understand why Simon Wilson wants to be President of NZUSA, he'd be wasted on them. The ability of the person who ought to be our President was shown at SRC with the proposal for an Interim President and a By-Election. The merit a acceptability of it have been indicated those two unanimous resolutions.

I accept that there are legal proble raised by a By-Election. I (brief canvassed them at the first SRC. The [unclear: act] of the wise old men (and women-ed.) of Election Committee in seeking legal [unclear: adv] is commendable. That advice confirm that the By-Election was within the [unclear: pow] of the Association.

In that case I have no hesitation advocating a By-Election. That means [unclear: t] students will face both a General and a [unclear: l] Election on 12 and 13 September. They [unclear: v] also face the usual barrage of [unclear: poste] leaflets, speeches and what's-in-it-for-politics.

Advice to the Combatants

As a student who would like see return of quality to Association affairs [unclear: m] I be so impertinent as to give some advice the adversaries?

To the Right:

Forget the details of the Tees-[unclear: rela] friction, bringing out the dirty washing [unclear: d] more harm than good. Rather than [unclear: tilti] at a few choice windmills now and the why not make a better effort to get [unclear: gr] with Studass politics? Do your research, prepared to spend hours serving on [unclear: alm] useless University committees so you can present and productive when [unclear: someth] important finally comes up, canvass [unclear: s] dents to get the support you want at SRC Remember no taction has a God given [unclear: ri] to run this show. It's just a matter getting off your backsides and trying [unclear: ha] At least the five of you are an impress improvement on past years feeble [unclear: attem] at a viable right wing.

To the Left:

Try to remember that you don't have mortgage on administering 'his [unclear: pla] Students aren't silly and will let you [unclear: rem] in power only as long as you [unclear: perfo] properly in your jobs. Remember too [unclear: tl] for a good number of years now you [unclear: h] enjoyed power almost by default, as [unclear: th] has often been no alternative, let [unclear: alon] viable alternative. Don't seem to be [unclear: afr] of facing the electors with Massof—y have nothing to fear if you really [unclear: ha] student support behind you. And [unclear: plea] forget the silly argument that was put [unclear: to] that we shouldn't have a By-Election as [unclear: th] would mean that someone without [unclear: curre] Executive experience could get the job. [unclear: I] been at Victoria for five years now and [unclear: t] year's Executive is the most in experience in that time—only Massof has more [unclear: th] eight months on Executive. More than most yean the undiscovered talent is like to be outside Executive. It I'm even fain correct in that view let's all try a [unclear: lit] harder to seek that talent—we [unclear: certai] need it.

Leslie Brown.

"Exec takes it up the arse, do-daht do-dah....

Just one of the many photos Salient has of the Executive's performance at the end of term Victoria Club. Salient will print the remaining photos just as soon as OLSS agree to.........