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The Spike: or, Victoria University College Review, October 1916

College Notes

College Notes

Honorary Life Membership.

On looking through the pages of "Hermes," we see that Sydney University has conferred upon its students who are upon active service, the distinction of Honorary Life Membership. This seems to us a very graceful tribute, and one that would be highly appreciated by those past and present members of Victoria University College, who are upon active service. Prior to its incorporation the Students' Association made provision in its rules for Honorary Life Membership, but the rules bearing upon this were omitted when the Students' Association became incorporated. We think that the amendment of the constitution to provide for the admission to Honorary Life Membership of the Students' Association of Graduates and Undergraduates, who are at the front, would meet with the approval of all students, and, as a small mark of distinction, would be appreciated by the crusaders themselves. We hope that the suggestion will be taken up officially by the Executive, which will have plenty of time to bring forward a scheme by the date of the next annual general meeting.

The Franchise.

We omitted in the first number of the "Spike" to

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Students' Association Executive, 1916.

Students' Association Executive, 1916.

page 75

report a motion, that came up for discussion at a special general meeting held early in the first term. The purpose of the motion was to extend the rules governing eligibility for membership of the Students' Association—the intention being that Freshmen, who had paid their subscriptions, should be allowed to vote at the annual meeting, and should be given a limited representation upon the Executive. Much that was said in favour of the motion was very true and sound. Such a reform would tend to increase interest among Freshmen in the work of the Students' Association: it would be only fair to extend to a large body of students the right to vote upon affairs that would intimately concern them. Nevertheless, an amendment to the motion revealed one vital weakness in the proposed reform. The amendment was that Fresh men should not be allowed to vote in the election for Life Membership, the reason being that they would not have that degree of knowledge of past students, which would enable them to form a judgment. The movers of the motion accepted the amendment, thereby revealing the fact that it was patent even to them that the Freshman would inevitably be incompetent to form an opinion upon many of the questions, that would arise for discussion. Other amendments restricted the scope for the motion still more, and finally, after it had been amended out of recognition, the motion was dropped. We think that every credit is due to those, who brought up the subject for discussion but our own view is that the change contemplated by the motion would have been a retrograde step.

Trees.

For some time past, the Tennis Club has been severely exercised in its mind over the pine trees, that form a group to the north west of the tennis courts. The Club thinks that, from the aesthetic point of view, the trees are not an improvement to the appearance of the College. It bases its objection to the trees, however, not upon this, but upon the fact that play upon the courts is greatly interfered with by the shadow cast by the trees. We feel a good deal of sympathy for the Tennis Club in its protest. We frankly confess that we think the pines form the ugliest thing in the way of arboreal decoration that we have yet seen, nor can we discover any good reason in page 76 the way of sentiment, that should induce the Council to retain them. Much has been done by the Council to improve the grounds, and for this we are grateful, but surely the Council could devise some substitute for the present pines. A rumour was circulated some months ago that the Council was going to build a retaining wall to prevent the periodical subsidence of the clay banks above the Tennis Courts. Nothing has yet been done, however, though the Tennis Club still cherishes the fond hope that the work may be completed this year.

[This is not our view. See correspondencePresent Editor Spike.]