TEMPERANCE WOMEN

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 106, 31 October 1936, Page 18

TEMPERANCE WOMEN

BISHOP FOSTERS MAORI BOY

A meeting of the Wellington Central Branch of the Women's Christian Temperance Union was held in the Y.W.CA; recently. Mrs. J. C. Webb occupied the chair. The devotions were read by Mrs. Bolton Smith, a Visitor to the meeting. Another visitor was Mrs. Newton, who brought greetings from the Gonville Union.

Mesdames Davidson and Turner re-; ported on the business and social side of the annual district '■■ executive,' at which the Wellington Central/Union had been the hostesses. Reports'ffonT the branches in the Wellington district showed hopeful signs of enlargement. A cake,, scone, and produce, stall for the headquarter'? fund, organised by four members, had been generously contributed to by supporters of the union. Members were asked to sell the temperance wall calendars to assist the funds: • ' ' ; •""■•

The chairwoman spoke eulogistically of the services of the president, regretting very much her, retirement this year. The hope was, expressed that members would do well in the New Zealand competition for new members. Extracts from the Dominion president's (Mrs. Hiettj New Zealand convention address were read.

Every year a "Maori Day", is on the calendar of;. the New Zealand unions, and ithis year it took the form, in the Wellington Central Union, of ah appreciation of- the fine work of the late Archdeacon, Chattertpn, of Tauranga, who. was very much loyed by,, the Maoris. He believed in the abolition of the liquor.traffic, and was a firm supporter of^terrriperance. Through Bishop SuterSan'd Mrs. Chatterton .attending a temperance meeting in about' 1885 in Te Wairoa, and seeing a young Maori boy of 12- taking the minutes and singing-melodiously, the Bishop, during a later; visit,, asked the boy if he would ;cc|me 'to him^'to be educated, His parents'!-permission being granted, the boy joyfully;accepted the Bishop's offer, talking twelve miles to see him. From that tihie onwardsi Mr. Chatterton acted as a foster father to this boy, who is now the1 first Maori Bishop of Aotearoa. It was decided that. a letter conveying the union's sympathy was to be sent to 'Archdeacon Chatterton's widow. •

Warm thanks were expressed to the cake stall holders and to the chairwoman. '■■;"■