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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 13, No. 8. April 27th, 1950
Special General Meeting called
Special General Meeting called
The boat had been rocked bard. But on Sunday night, amid the flurries of a southerly, it looked as though the [unclear: lull] had broken, and the storm was veering around to another direction.
There were enough people at an Extrav. rehearsal to requisition a Special General Meeting to censure the Executive for its "ill-advised action."' The Executive headed by its new President, was heading for stormy waters.
"That this Association severely censures the Executive for its ill-advised action in requesting the attendance of the Dean of Canterbury without first consulting the wishes of the student body."
It will now be necessary for the Executive to meet and fix a date for the Special Meeting. This is not going to be easy, because Extrav. rehearsals, Process, preparations, Undergrads Supper and the Ball are all looming on the horizon.
Its task in facing a Special Meeting will be made no easier by the amount of sensational publicity which has been given to the question outside the College. So many side issues have already been roped in that it is going to be difficult to have the question debated on its own merits.
As we go to press, no date has been fixed, but it will probably be either late this week or early next week—to get it over before the holidays. The main worry of the Executive will be to defeat the almost inevitable conclusion that they are "Communists." For a liberal group, it is a difficult situation. If the usual red herrings are dragged in, then it will be hard to demonstrate that it is possible to hear views without committing oneself to agree with them. Students at a university should be capable of seeing that point of view if the issue is not clouded for them.
Another question which the Executive has to settle is whether the motion is tantamount to one of no confidence: the movers of the motion may not have framed it as one, but the Executive could well regard a motion of "severe censure" as casting such doubt on their ability to act, that they could refuse to carry on.
In such a situation, the Association would then be faced with another period of uncertainty—for [unclear: better] or worse.
New President Alison Peace is faced with a stormy future; one which, as she and her Executive might well argue, seems to be largely complicated by sensationalism and misunderstanding.