WITH THE OLD COLONISTS.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13063, 13 March 1908, Page 8

WITH THE OLD COLONISTS.

A SUCCESSFUL G A-TIERING.

I The gathering yesterday at Wainoni ;oi" the <ji_ c-o-a.-.-j.i-—a ii_pi;ca on" a I fcaiad scale ol uio jiibik*. i*._ih«*ri.-£ jot lt'i>/--it';.*, a m.A>: succ-e.-_;ui and t-n- ---! joyable aliair. There -.vere soua.ihui'__ ■ one !UJ p.,-i;v./Us i.v..iigregat.s.i together ;oi. tiiv p.t.O-c:_d siopes ol .\\ aiiioni I t'ark i ;;ivre-i.iif'i/i.g gr.-e lings with i s.iiiptnatsv- .a iorty and any years, ago, i am; ;i_ie.i:g ;i..- ,-iru.:g.'-..ss oi tiie eaiay coi'a.i--.ilion o tie- tiiiii.-iuurv l'iaits ; o'er <i_..:i;. iia.- ar rai g-.-ii.-iits mado I_y im: (oui...o.:cii t'.cje ■-.',,.;, r i 1...' ao.e .-...pel vi.vbju o: air Vvix„_, a.'.;.■>! by th.* ohi-. ia:=. the v. ho.y pi.rly ~i,.|,..;-,,;. c m.:.-.. Hi luc- ,-ja en.l Irani:., mo w.-l. -in.r w a-> ii-iiu- ii.;.;v at" y,nu ; to.- am; ;■ .-i-'UC- afioi'.i.d by Ua.no in i i ~a■;':, . ,i,:iL:.. a niiinocr ol iami.y p.c----i i.e_ ta ie ar: oil arrival. On..- of : , i: . iii,.,i-,,i,K oi tin- days :; ;. ;,,.; c. ill-; el lis. ll.li:! , WHS tvJeli Hi la.. .s->. .ng. a;.-.: .ho picnio giounu dol- .„.; 0.-ii v.i-J'i p;ui.ios, e-acii seated i i-.a-u--. t't. .r taiiuiy i>,joket ; p retell toi '' (.ate a gay appi.-aruitce. i A si-iort :.'..-. rvai having eiap*-ed jor ; I'lii-ii.:,. and couvcitvatioie liie paity '. ;..,i Jicr.d to-.:-, lb. sport- i_.ro. it.;. J lere a very g-*;d pis-gi aicn.o ol .-'.orbs wa., carried out, wino oi the -piiguUy *0,..rg oeiico. 01 tiny Miiunici-s or t*>, 1 iui-i liie young mon ot sixty or up- : w ;.i do. li.a'ie eiceiient time ii. tiie rae. ; iiaiKt.-i. ii.*? ea.ouraging cueers ot their ';i, li; js ihe descein-laiit.s of the i'li- ,' j. ; i i;i father- and Alotbcis were not i.-rgo-teii, tM'Venul races. Unrig arrangj(• i 1.,< their special bencht. il.lv, it may be n-.-ted, trial what is a record ia tie' matter ot taimiic.-., »■„ much m evidence, 'fins was that or Air au.i Airs J. Harps r, of the Ferry road, four generauoi-s ot their lami-y b'-iug represented on the oeca:,ajii. '.llieie an- no fewer tiiau 170 in tho family, <iil told. .iiiMci.:.-g •'■-' :r:e„t j_,'ianueriil-un-ii and 7f gr,ui'.;-cl.:i droll. urn parents wore pees. ;.-'• is to Canterbury by the Randolph. 0,, cot the hrst iour bhipi, and iiM'.'.-ivliiy wire as livcsy as a girl and boy of twenty, though their . _gi'„ are respectively n.i and $2. .■siiordy .'iter i-'.'-o o'eiock tho party assembled iv the amphitheatre, wln-re photograph- were taken. Tho shrink- i I age iv the ranks of tho pioneer set-: i tb-rs was very noticeable in the. small > nuniber who were t-iij-ibio to ionn pi.i-i, ; ot the groups ot tin.- i;r.st lour ships. : 'Ihe ooinmitlee then a_s. eiUed on the | stage, when .Mr 0. P.. Hart, chairman j of the committee, occupied the elia-ir. |

Tho Oioiii'ii.an said unit one <■' .::..- ! oh j ecu of the Kailienn'; win- t--> con- • .sider a project to form an Old Colon- j Lsu Association for Caiitvrbury. liie I early settlers were rapidly _ pass:u,u j away, and it was ni*ce->.->ary, if ie- was | widiu'd to preserve the memento..*., and j traditions of tho e-arly days, that some organisation specially ciiarged with the work should ho estubii-sh-ed. With this end in view a draft constitution had been prepared. This provided for _he formation of The CanUM-bury Old .Settii.Ts' Absociation, nnd they would he able, if they approved, to inaugurate it that day, aa a memento of the gathering. Tho draft constitution wa.s then reatl by the Chairman, who moved, "That an Association bo formed, to be called The Canterbury Old Settlors'_ Association, and that tho constitution, now | read, with such alterations as may bo deemed necessary by the Executive to bo appointed, be adopted." iidr Maefarla-iio seconded tho motion, Vhich was carried unanimously. It wass then decided, on the motion of .Mr A. G. J.lowland, "That the rnemberahip of the Association bo open to all either born in the settlement or j arriving in Canterbury prior to 1870." j An amendment, making the period i 1875, was lo.t by a largo majority, j and tho original motion carried. | The election of the fir.-t officer-- m- i suited as follows:—PresideJit, Mr G. ' It. Hart; vice-prcdident, '.Mr J. liar- j per; treasurer and secretary pro tern. ' .Mr A. H. Kirk. Tfio election of four members to form with the officers the ! lixceutive, was {Ki.itponed till the first j general meeting of the Association. A j largo number of members wero en- | relied, and it was decided to advertise ! that applications for mom'tx'TSihip- | would be received prior to tho general j meeting being called. j The meeting- closed with hearty j votes of thanks to the Chairman and members of tho committee. Professor Bickerton then engineered a mimic battle on the lake, and so realistic wn.s it that .Mr ex-Inspector Pwidcr, speaking from his Crimean experiences, pronounced it a wonderfully successful imitation. Tlio Wainoni geyser—without any preliminary j soaping—kindly consented to p'-form I in honour of the occasion, and did so ! with due eclat. ' I Then tho party wended their way j trarhwards and were conveyed home, i having 6pent a most enjoyable day. j'