The Optical Magic Lantern Journal (August 1900)

The Optical Magic Lantern Journal and Photographic Enlarger. 95 referred to by Mr. Smart was not carrying out the spirit of the instruction of the Board. Mr. G. K. Smith moved the approval of the minute. There had really been far too much heat introduced into the discussion. (Hear, hear.) This was not what could be called an important subject, but it was well that the Board should oxercise a certain amount of deliberation over it. However, there was a limit. It was difficult to find out what regularity would be in such a matter. He explained the steps which had led up to the decision of the Committee, and concluded by remarking that there was no necessity for careful examination of every word contained in the minutes. The Board ought not to be hypercritical. Canon Holder seconded. Mr. Macphail moved as another amendment that the last clause only of tbe minute, to the effect that lanterns be not meantime used in any other school, be deleted. He was in favour of lanterns being generally used. This was seconded. The Clerk then explained, discussion having ceased, that Mr. Smith’sand Mr. Macphail’s amendments would be put against each other, and the successful amendment would then be put against Mr. Smart's motion. Mr. Smart objected to this method of conducting business, whereupon The Clerk (Sir Thomas Thornton) said he had been Clerk to Dundee public Boards for more than 30 years, and that was the method that had alwaya been -adopted. Mr. Smart—I was speaking to the chair. The Clerk—But you are attacking me, and I never advise the chair in any other way than I am now advising. Mr. Smith’s amendment to approve the minute having been put against Mr. Macphail's to delete only the clause referring to other schools, the former was carried by nine votes to six. The final vote between Mr. Smart’s motion and the successful amendment was, for the motion (6)—Mesers. Macphail, Osborne, Smart, aud M’Burney, and Mrs. Martin and Miss Shaw: and for the amendment (9)—The Chairman, Mons. Clapperton. Canon Holder, Messrs. Dunbar, Macdonald, Mudie, Reid, Smith, and Williamson. Mr. Smart asked that his dissent be recorded. The Lanternist as Lecturer. By GEORGE E. BROWN, F.I.C. Continued from page 91. & N\RAVEL and touring are, of course, iM always popular, but they lose half \ their colour if the lecturer has not himself been over the ground. But let me pass to the second section. Treatment. I may briefly outline the construction of a lecture thus :— 1. Briefly sketch what you propose saying. 2. Say it. 3. Briefly epitomise, by way of conclusion. But let operations 1 and 3 be done gently and without too much seeming, the aim of the | lecturer being to let the audience imagine they are anticipating arguments and conclusions as the lecture proceeds (human nature is such that they will put this down to their own facility of thought and rot to the lecturer’s careful prologue), and that they are afterwards themselves summing it all up and pronouncing the verdict. Thisis where tact comes in. Arrange, if possible, a quarter of an hour or so of talk before the lights are lowered. You can then see whether you are making yourself heard by those at the back. If you have what is colloquially called ‘the gift of the gab,” you will not need to write the lecture—at least you may think you do not. As a matter of fact you most probably do need it. It is so easy to make use of words which are not the most apposite possible. Avoid long words. Try toget plain English. Read some of Ruskin’s essays like “ The Crown-tried Olive ”’ for thoroughly good English words. Then in your written lecture substitute whenever possible the simpler for the more ornamental word. Keep sentences short and crisp. I know a man who has a popular lecture on ‘Colour,”” at the commencement of which he says ‘‘Ether is a half-proved entity.” His lecture is a failure. It deserves to be. Take it ' for granted that your audience knows nothing about any subject whatever. In these days of , snippety-snack journals, you are pretty certain to be right. Therefore assume nothing. Never use a technical expression when a non-technical one will do, or if you do, explain the technicality. Arrange your slides so that they need no explanation—or as little of it as possible— with the pointer. Admit no slide that is not distinctly relevant, however fine it may be. Humour is the salvation of many a bad "lecture. Unfortunately, humour does not make people laugh like reference to beer or Scotch whisky does. A 4tting pleasantry is of the greatest use at the opening, it puts the audience at ease, it assures them that at any rate, if they are not to be greatly instructed, they will not be bored. But unfortunately the early joke often fails to reach the mark, in which case the poor lecturer is obliged to fall back on beer, or the District Council, or the Gas Company. Before I pass to a few notes on section 3, let me insist that whenever possible the lecture must develop as it goes along, each fact giving a wider-outlook, and while making plainer what has gone before, opening the prospect in new directions. I know in many cases this is impossible, but it is the ideal to aim at. Delwery. Learn your lecture by heart. It is not tedious to doso. Arrange a series of