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The Spike: or, Victoria University College Review, June 1924

V.—The Church Service

V.—The Church Service.

On Kaster Sunday afternoon there was a procession in academic -costume (the first time in Wellington?), led by Professor Brown as Vice Chancellor of the University, and the Hon. C. J. Parr, as Minister of Education and Visitor to Victoria University College, from the Town Hall down Lambton Quay to St. Paul's Pro-Cathedral, where what was supposed to be a Jubilee Service was conducted by the Venerable Archdeacon Johnson. We believe many thanks are page 12 due to Mr. Johnson for acceding to the request of the Jubilee Committee and conducting this service at a very busy time; and so criticism of the business may seem ungracious. What follows, therefore, must be understood as being an entirely unofficial opinion, coming from a present student, who had nothing whatever to do with the arrangements, and, moreover, fully appreciates Archdeacon Johnson's kindness.

The service, as it turned out, was a sort of addendum to the usual Easter rejoicings, run on approved and orthodox Church of England lines. The choir of St. Paul's very kindly participated, and ran through a couple of psalms and an anthem in the usual in-coherent way. The hymns were Easter hymns. Practically the only portion of the service which bore any relation at all to the Jubilee was the reading "Let us now praise fainous men," and portion of the sermon. Now it must have seemed, to say the least, anomalous to a good many of those students, both past and present, who participated, probably on the understanding that the service would be very simple and undogmatic in form, to be confronted with what actually happened; especially in relation to the Jubilee of the freest and most undogmatic of institutions, a modern University. It has been suggested that any procession held in the future on like occasions might finish up at the University itself, an Alma Mater owning love and allegiance far more in these days than any church of a sect can do—a suggestion with which we are in cordial agreement. With this part of the celebrations, at least, we fancy a good many people must have been grievously disappointed. Of course we do not speak for everyone. Some were quite satisfied.

After the service adjournment was made to the main hall of the Girls' College, where the excellent Christian Union provided one of their inimitable social teas; a very successful, cheerful function, bar one plate of pikelets that had unfortunately missed the butter when it was shared out. A sad lack of vitamines, this. We believe, however, that on request to an indefatigable official, butter was immediately and courteously supplied. This may seem a small, 'almost trivial point, but it is on a succession of these little things that the tout ensemble, the happy effect of the social milieu, rests; therefore we mention the butter. Mr. Rishworth sang; everybody circulated, talked, ate, drank, got caught in everybody else's gown, and was generally and completely happy.