The Marlborough Express. Published Every Evening. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 1891. WINTER EVENING AMUSEMENTS.

. «. It has puzzled not a few to know how the young people of Blenheim "put-in" their evenings m the winter time. There are occasional dances, the Ambulance Classes may take up a night a week for a few, and probably a choir practice does the same for some of the others, but we look m • vain for anything like the improvement societies that are common m other parts of the colony. This has been brought home to us particularly by an Oamaru paper; an article m which sets forth what is being clone there. They have a Musical Society (we had 'overlooked the fact that Blenheim has one also) ; St. Luke's Church runs a Debating Society, the Wesleyan Church ditto, (none of our churches seem to go m for this kind of thing), there is a Chess and Draughts Club, Collegiate Classes are m full vogue, a Shorthand Writers' Association has been started, and a Dramatic Club and Savage Club are now being formed, while a Girls' Club has been m existence for some time. With this record fcr a small town like Oamaru we want to know whether it is not time something was done m Blenheim. Some months ago we suggested a Literary and Debating Society as a start, and would like to see something of the kind attempted again. The great difficulty m the way of these Associations is that they are generally run on lines that are too restricted, whereas if the boundaries were enlarged, and several new features brought m, there might be some chance of achieving success. For instance, it would be as well to include chess and draughts m the programme, and an entertainment on Savage Club lines would go well, and such a Society could join the Home Reading Association lately formed m Wellington, and so extend the practice of consecutive study of literature. Debates on the matters m hand, or essays on given sub Jßcts to take the place of the lectures which the members m • Wellington are fortunate enough to secure, would all help. Something m the way of a start to break the ice is all that is needed. The Society need not be too ambitious, but there are surely young men and women enough m Blenheim to make a start. One great advantage of such clubs is that they lead to a more sociable Reeling m the community, and at the same time help many to use time profitably which at present hangs somewhat heavily on their hands.