Salvete cives,
Quo usque tandem abutere patientia nostra?
i)
The situation with the website is to be regretted, to put it in Whitehallspeak. The new Board is surprisingly energised and, having dropped the ball, we are now on it, to combine my clichés.
Please wait a little longer. You will be thrilled to know that work is actually in progress. Although it is primarily the responsibility of the Communications Secretary, in practice, it bestrides various BoT portfolios like a colossus, requiring "input" from the Serjeant (alumni relations) the Schools Secretary (the Courier Round, et al.) and yours truly (sponsorship). We've taken the novel approach of trying to do it properly rather than throwing up an ad hoc spacefiller.
Now that my exams are concluded, I will attack my particular responsibilities with characteristic vim and alacrity. (I can’t speak for the results. I suspect fair to crappy.) Much of the work is done, as I drafted a sponsorship pack in January. However, there's always more to do, for example I’ll have to launch an epistolary blitzkrieg over the summer and next year. I suppose there will be other stuff to do with you know, money but I don’t really know what that’s about. Incidentally, if any of you were or know people who were Treasurer I’d be interested to hear their advice on sponsorship, and show them what I’ve come up with. (Feel free to email me;
ogw4@st-andrews.ac.uk. ) I gather from my spies that we once targeted some of the national newspapers. Is that correct?
ii)
Jess and James are laying down plans for next year, but it would be a bit ambitious to publish a term card at this stage. I can spread some unofficial official information, as Sir Humphrey would say.
Ideas Raised at the Motions Forum
This House would get its tits out for the lads.
This House believes the Channel is wider than the Atlantic.
THW steal from the rich and give to the poor.
THB feminism is dead. (Or something similar.)
There must have been more than that because I think we by the end we had gathered about 15 viable ideas. We shall see. The following debates are taking shape in Dr Frankenstein's laboratory-the odd limb and ligament is yet to be attached, and there are repugnant fluids seeping everywhere, but ultimately we hope to bring to life:
-a literary debate, or possibly a Harry Potter debate, not quite being the same thing;
-a disarmament debate (possibly THB the UK should unilaterally disarm);
-a debate on the right of individuals to bear arms (which might replace the disarmament debate, or vice-versa;
-a debate on the American presidential election, as close as possible to polling day. We had originally contemplated an attempt at wit, but it was thought that people would prefer the battle lines to be drawn seriously, so it may be a "THW vote Republican/Democrat" affair. We can still make an entertaining evening of that, if we get the right people to speak.
I suspect the Parliamentary will be in the first (Michaelmas?) semester this year, as, of course, will the Freshers' Debate.
I needn't add that you can post your suggestions/mordant commentary here.
Valete
Owen