Perspectives

Pam Logan joined the New Zealand Speech Board of Trustees in 1992 and resigned in April 2022. During her 30 years, she has been Board Chair, Vice-Chair, and Chair of Examinations, as well as worked on countless syllabi, the Know Your Syllabus publication, and edited Clipboard for several years. She continues her involvement with Speech New Zealand (SNZ) as an examiner.  

In July 2022, we asked Pam to give an account of her time with SNZ.

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I first met Speech New Zealand (then New Zealand Speech Board) when I studied with Neta Neale in Christchurch in the early 70s. My first exam was ASB Teaching, when I was examined by Berwyn Gibbons, one of SNZ’s foundation members, who also happened to be Neta’s niece. As it was a teaching exam and I lived in Waikari, North Canterbury, my young students for the examination were kindly provided by Des Marsh in Christchurch. I met them a full 20 minutes or so before the exam. 

Through an early Speech Communication Association Conference at the Christchurch Town Hall, I learned more of SNZ by meeting, and admiring, teachers such as Melda Townsley and Nerissa Moore. Little did I know many years later we would all be working as close colleagues and friends on the board of SNZ.

Those valuable and close working ties between SCA and SNZ continued for over 50 years with the annual appointment of Board members as liaison officers. Sadly, the SCA disbanded at end of 2021, however from that has grown Educators in Performance and Communication (EPC) which aims to continue the educational aspects of SCA. EPC is now a professional body umbrellaed by SNZ to support, develop, and register educators in performance and communication in New Zealand. 

There were many other stepping-stones along the way in my growing involvement in SNZ. I particularly recall an open day for examiners in Christchurch where I tried my hand at ‘examining’ and came to the very firm conclusion ‘that it wasn’t for me – I would much rather be teaching.’ However, as I gained experience in teaching and putting students through SNZ exams I learnt so much from the examiners and the genuinely friendly way they communicated the basic skills needed through informal ‘meet the teacher’ evenings. Eventually I did become a trainee examiner and the learning never stopped. 

Annual Examiner Accreditation seminars were a highlight: dormitory accommodation at Wallis House in Lower Hutt, early morning walks before breakfast and a regimented programme of workshops to ensure we were all up to speed. Later we changed to the Karitane/Plunket building above Wellington Zoo with accompanying calls from the lions and tigers. Bonds built during those seminars continue to this day. Sadly, Covid-19 put a halt to these face-to-face seminars, however distance learning took their place. An opportunity for a face-to-face seminar for examiners, along with EPC Professional Development sessions for all teachers, in January 2023 will be highly anticipated. 

Working on the board of trustees has been a wonderful opportunity to give back to the SNZ community. Developing syllabi and the subsequent revisions is certainly simpler nowadays. A far cry from the literal ‘cut and paste’ tasks I recall in the early 90s. Later the addition of learning criteria and objectives to the syllabi made examining more straightforward and was a boon to busy teachers. I know these have contributed to transparency of skills required in examinations – and thus to the overall higher standard of passes for SNZ nowadays. An early highlight for me was touring areas in the South Island taking 'Know Your Syllabus' evenings to teachers in examination centres. There was no power point in those days, only hand outs and overhead projectors as visual aids. Melda Townsley was my counterpart in the North Island. 

Serving as Chair of Examinations and later Chair of the Board brought new challenges of leadership and continuing professional development. Being in the chair for our vibrant 50th Jubilee dinner with many colleagues and staff members from past decades was a memorable highlight. 

It would be fair to say that the work of the Board has not always been smooth sailing. We owe an enormous debt to dedicated staff who have served loyally throughout the decades. Three spring to mind immediately: our first fulltime Manager Ted White (a former bank manager who always seemed to find an extra little ‘pocket’ of money to support the needs of the Board) was our rock for many years, Heather, his wife, who took over after Ted’s illness, and later the indefatigable Maureen Gray. 

Covid-19, as we all know, provided considerable challenges for everyone across the country. I felt particularly proud of the fighting spirit shown by the Board and new staff members in getting through this difficult time, making hard decisions, finding new ways to meet new situations, and coming through that time stronger and with a more cohesive structure than before. 

Today, thanks to my association with SNZ, I have friends and colleagues throughout the country and consider myself privileged to have met and spent time with them all. 

I pay a deep heartfelt tribute to past Board members for their foresight in building this vital nationwide organisation. Now with a revitalised National Office to support the strategies and initiatives of our hard-working Board and with a number of vital, experienced new board members in the mix, it is high time for me to step back and wish Speech New Zealand ‘God Speed.’ 

May you never lose sight of that aim of helping our nation to communicate. 

He tangata, he tangata, he tangata.