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the holding of divine service in the Convocation
hall on Sunday afternoons, when distinguished
ministers, most of them graduates of the Univer-
sity, though belonging to different demoninations,
preached to the students. This practice seemed to
the Senate most appropriate to the idea of a
Christian University, and was found beneficial in
various ways.
The question having previously
arisen on other occasions as to the Principal's status
at the Board of Trustees, it was decided at the
October meeting of the Board, that under the
provisions of the Royal Charter, he had the
right ex offico to sit and vote as a member of the
Board and did not as other members of the Board
retire in rotation or require to be re-elected.
The April Convocation, the first in
the new buildings, was largely attended by the Friends
and Alumni of Queen's and the closoing ceremon-
ies were marked by unusual enthusiasm. It was
announced at Convocation that the Chancellor
had intimiated his intention of giving a gold
medal every year during his incumbency of the office
and that he had announced the subjects of these
essays to be competed for in 1881 and
attached a prize of fifty dollars to each,

1880-81
[?]