NATIONAL CRATORICAL ASSOCIATION
Kansas Makes Recommendations Which Are Embodied in the Resolutions Passed at the St. Louis Convention.
There was held in St. Louis, November 9, a conference of the representatives of the State Universities for the purpose of organizing an oratorical association, national in character, which should include only State Universities. And while there were but four Universities represented in this conference, telegrams and letters were received from several other State Institutions showing what seemed to be cordial support of the movement, Kansas was among the states not represented at this conference, but since the conference it has been decided that the University of Kansas should enter the association.
The delegates present at this convention unanimously adopted the following resolutions:
First. That we aim at the promotion of a General Oratorical League, to include as large a num ber as possible of the American State Universities, and to be composed of district leagues; the State Universities within each geography
GEO. L. DAVIS.
President of Oratorical Association
ical district to hold an annual competition, and the victors in these district contests to meet in a national competition. Although important adjustments would be required and many hindrances might be encountered in an attempt to realize this project, we believe that the very magnitude of the ideal which involves the difficulties, involves corresponding advantages, and that by realizing this ideal not only oratory contests, but also the cultivation of oratory in American Universities, might gain a new prominence, importance, and worth.
THE NATURE OF THE ORATIONS.
(The second resolution sets forth the character of the oration, and it is seen that the old style memorized oration, with its studied gestures, is eliminated.)
Second. That, while we make these expressions, we are conceiving of the cultivation of oratory not as acquisition of arts of rhetoric and elocation alone, but rather as including also development of all the intellectual and personal powers required for the work of the public speaker in dealing with living problems; and that we propose a radical departure from the present method in oratorical contests and approve the plan suggested, in anticipation of this meeting, by Professor Edgar George Frazier, Head of the Department of Public Speaking, at the University of Kansas, in accordance with which, memorized declarations shall be replaced by the discussion of some question of great import, upon which the contestants shall have made thorough preparation; while the particular phase of the subject to which any one speaker in a contest must confine himself shall be unknown to him until the day of competition. We suggest that a list of subdivisions of the general question, shall be made known as soon as possible after the general question is proposed, and that each oration shall have for its subject
one of these subdivisions; and that lots for the assignment of particular subdivisions, of the general subject to particular men shall be drawn four honors before the beginning of the contest. By this plan each contestant would know the list of subdivisions during his period of preparation, but would not know which subdivision he would be called upon to discuss until the day of the contest.
ELIGIBILITY OF THE CONTESTANTS.
Third. Each University shall determine its own method of selecting its representative. Each contestant must be a bona fide, undergraduate, resident student at the institution he represents and must be pursuing studies that amount to at least ten hours a week in a course leading toward a Bachelor's degree and must have sustained that relation for at least three months immediately preceding the contest. A student who has won a place in a final contest shall never again compete in either district or final contest. The eligibility of each contestant must be certified to by the President of the institution which he represents.
THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
Fourth. The time and place of each contest, the method of appointing judges, the distribution of expenses, the length of orations, the selection and subdivision of subjects, the provision of medals or the absence of them shall be decided and arranged by a Committee composed of one member elected by the faculty and one member elected by the student body of each competing Institution. This whole Committee shall act together in making the enumerated arrangements for the National Contest and it shall divide into a number of sub-committees corresponding to the number of sections in the league. These subcommittees shall make the enumerated arrangements for the district contests.
METHOD OF CHOOSING SUBJECTS,
RANKING.
Fifth. It is the judgment of those here assembled that the subject and subdivisions should be the same in the district contests as in the final competition; that each institution in the League should be invited to propose a subject; that all the subjects so proposed be submitted to each institution for an expression of preference and that the subject preferred by the largest number should be the one discussed; but that the list of subdivisions should be made out by a person or persons not connected with any of the institutions of the League; moreover, that the method of ranking should be by the numerals, one,two, three, etc. Only in case this method results in a tie,should the method of percentages be resorted to.
Sixth. We appoint as a committee, to correspond with other state universities in promotion of the plans herein formulated, Edward Cary Hayes, Ph.D., Professor of Economics and Sociology in Miami University, Edgar George Frazier, Ph.B., Professor of Public Speaking, University of Kansas, and Alexander St. Clair McKenzie, Professor of English in Kentucky State College.
COMMITTEE ON ORGANIZATION.
Seventh. That we approve of the suggestion of Professor Hayes to the effect that we seek the co-operation of the authorities of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Company in promoting a contest between state universities to be as nearly national in character as possible, the finals to be held in St. Louis in connection with the World's Fair, and that we appoint Professor Hayes as our representative to negotiate with the World's Fair authorities.
fiction, visits were made to Hon. Walter B. Stevens, secretary of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Company, and to several of the heads of executive departments, all of whom responded cordially to the proposition. Mr. Rogers, Commissioner of Education and Congresses, of whose department the proposed exercises would be a feature, gave permission to express the support of the World's Fair authority in as strong terms as might be chosen. In view of all consideration the 22nd of June was thought to be the most desirable date. The authorities of the World's Exposition also agreed to provide for the victor a trophy of such elegance as to comport with the dignified character of the competition.
In pursuance of the seventh reso-
The committee on organization is now corresponding with a view to choosing the general subject and making up the list of sub-topics; and it is believed that the committee will be ready to make its report on this matter either before the Christmas holiday or immediately after it.
THE DEBATING COUNCIL.
The Debating Council of the University of Kansas is an organization composed of two representatives from each of the six literary societies and three members of the faculty. It is the function of this Council to arrange all preliminary debates in the University and to attend to all matters connected with inter-state contests. At present debates are held with the Universities of Nebraska, Missouri and Colorado. The debates of last year were marked by Kansas gaining considerable of her lost prestige in the forum. The teams, considering the present system of supervision, were unusually good, winning six out of nine judges.
However, the feeling that the present method is decisively defective is growing. And it is highly probable that Kansas will see a revolution in the system the coming season. To remedy these defects the Debating Council is considering a new plan, the details of which will be known in a short time. The faculty members of the council are Professors Burdick, Frazier and Lawrence.
S. E. BARTLETT, President of the Debating Council-
The council this year is gratified with its efforts. The progress in debate is not unlike a revolution. Two years ago here was no course offered in public speaking at the University. Last year two courses were offered. Today there are three. In previous years the successful contestants in cratery received cash prizes. Those who represented the University in debate received nothing. This year arrangements will be made to give the successful debaters some mark of honor,—an equivalent to the "Ks" given in athletics.
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