Welsh Journals

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF NORTH WALES, BANGOR While instruction in the recognised courses of learning remains the academic function of our higher centres of education, it is among student activities that opportunities for intellectual development in modern thought are to be found. Thus, at Bangor, the alternatives of land nationalisation and land taxation (in the sense of reform in the rating of land values), and the question, as to whether or not the progress of democracy is detrimental to the develop- ment of the fine arts, has given rise to heated dis- cussion among the members of the English Debating Society, while the Cymdeithas Cymraeg has tackled problems of national importance, such as the need for a National College of Music for Wales, and the success of the Welshman as an emigrant. The performance of Shaw's comedy You Never Can Tell," in the County Theatre, at the end of the winter term, was so successful in every way that it seemed a pity that the performance could not be repeated. The fact that a University College Dramatic Society can tackle Shaw shows that, whatever position the playwright may occupy after posterity has delivered its judgment, the students are alive to the importance of contemporary dramatic literature. Important work, destined, if successful, to have far-reaching results, is being done, especially in two directions, by the Students' Representative Council. In the first place they are asking that the Senate will consent to submit for their consideration all proposed regulations on other than purely academic matters this will assure the Council that the students' point of view on such matters is thoroughly understood by the Senate. The other matter is one that makes for the consolidation of the students as members of a national university, and not of three isolated colleges it is a proposal to form a Central Students' Representative Council, and it is a happy augury that the proposal is heartily endorsed by the Students' Representative Councils of Aberystwyth and Cardiff. THE ADULT SCHOOL MOVEMENT Its Methods The adult schools bear a close resemblance to the Welsh Sunday Schools in more than one respect. The Bible has a foremost place in the schools and there is a frank and open discussion of each lesson. But the lessons in the adult schools are arranged in a different way. Instead of a certain book in the Bible being taken, subjects are selected and references given to various verses in the Bible bearing on these subjects. During the next few months the lessons are on the School of Christ. This subject will be studied in stages, e.g., the first members of the school-the training of the members-the testing of the members. In connection with these stages there is a further sub-division, e.g.. The Master, the scholars, the women members, the foremost group, Judas. The first half hour in most schools is devoted to the Bible lesson. This is followed by a lecturette. These lecturettes dealing with a variety of subjects are given by men in nearly every walk of life: doctors. lawyers, professors, engineers, mechanics, etc., Here are a few subjects of the lecturettes in one of the Schools in Cardiff The Land of Palestine. the Mission of a Leaf, Memory, Housing Problems, the Zionist Movement, Breathing. These show that the outlook of the adult school movement is decidedly broad and comprehensive. Next month we shall have something to say on the week-end lecture schools of the movement. GWENT & MORGANNWG ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY Hon. Sees. Mr. Henry Lewis. Llanbleddian House. Llanbleddian, near Cowbridge. Dr. E. Emrys- Roberts, Romarys, Radyr. The Society's objects are to collect accounts of all the parishes in Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, including descriptions of camps, earthworks, stone circles, churches, castles and anything of archeo- logical interest also local records, history, early references, place-names, customs, superstitions and folk lore, etc to establish classes for instruction in matters archeological to visit places of interest. On the 1st December, 1913 Mr. Iltyd Gardner delivered a lecture at the Central Library Cardiff on The Windows of Gothic Architecture," and another on the 19th, January on What to look for in an Old Church." Dr. Emrys-Roberts is delivering a course of 3 lectures, illustrated by specimens and lantern slides at The University College, Newport Road, Cardiff entitled An Introduction to the Study of Ancient Man. The first lecture was on 16th, February at 8 p.m., the second will be on 16th, March at 8 p.m., the 3rd, on 13th, April at 8 p.m. Mrs Cunnington of the Wiltshire Archeological Society will deliver a lecture at a place and date to be announced later. The Society is young as yet, but already it numbers over 50 members and fully realises that counting of heads is no test of a Society's quality or usefulness. It has made an excellent beginning.