PLEASANT GATHERING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 140, 15 June 1932, Page 12

PLEASANT GATHERING.

A pleasant afternoon was spent by members of tho Returned Sisters' Association and their friends at the Evelyn Firth Homo on Saturday afternoon. The afternoon, which was given by Miss Bird, matron, Sister Brayshaw and members of tho staff of tho home, was organised in an endeavour to assist the wives and children of those returned soldiers who, during the present sad times, are finding it hard to find employment. Misses Early, Bagley and Martyn and other members of the committee of the Returned Sisters' Association also contributed to tho success of the afternoon. Songs were sung by Miss Arthur and Mr. Dellow and afternoon tea, com-

petitions and tho renewal of war-time acquaintances helped to pass the afternoon pleasantly. Tho prizes for the competitions were won by Miss Stronach, who was presented with a beauti-fully-mado metal trinket box, the work of one of tho patients; Miss Sellers, who received a . very artistic, hand-made basket, and Mrs. Woolley also a trinket box. Tho two latter prizes were also tho work of returned soldiers, who are at present in the home. During tho afternoon a stall full of novelties, the work of Miss Bird and Miss Brayshaw, as well as many other gifts, were sold. At the conclusion of the afternoon Sir George Richardson, in thanking those who had endeavoured to make the afternoon a anccess, spoke feelingly of the distress among the families of many of the men who, in the hour of Empire peril, had not hesitated to risk lives and health in answering the call to arms, and who, with their families, were at the present time, in hundreds of instances, suffering tho greatest poverty and distress. There were, he said, many cases In which the children had neither the clothes nor the shoes to attend school. The Returned Soldiers' Association, he assured those present, appreciated whatever was done to help the families of its more unfortunate members.