THE ROTARY CLUB

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21809, 15 June 1936, Page 16

THE ROTARY CLUB

SURVEY OF YEAR’S WORK CHRISTMAS EFFORT MAT BE DISCONTINUED A comprehensive survey of the work of the Rotary Club of Christchurch during the last year is contained in the annual report of the club, which lias just been issued. Although the Christmas appeal had been conducted in a modified form, the -um of £421 13s lid had been collected, in addition to a Government grant of £2OO, the report says. club had supplied 750 families with hampers, and grocery and meat orders had also been distributed. During the coming year the club would have to consider whether the Christmas effort v as to be continued, and if so whether in the same manner as before. It was .-aid that the directors felt that the rhristmss effort had, more than anything else, drawn the members of the club together in friendship and serv ice. The directors suggested that if tne Christmas effort were discontinued the club should take up some other major activity of a similar nature, and to carry on the traditions that had been established in the past.

As in past years the club had undertaken the sale of basketware on behalf of the New- Zealand Institute for the Blind during carnival week, and the sum of £lsl 17s had been forwarded to tne institute.

A committee had been appointed during the year to consider the various a: poets of the employment problem, and had brought down two reports, both of wh ch had given rise to much discussion. There was no doubt that inc committee performed useful service in bringing these matters before the members of the club.

One of the most important events of tiie Rotary year had been the visit of Titania’s Palace to New Zealand, the report continued. The amount collected in Christchurch for the benefit of the Crippled Children’s Society for ’ho four weeks the palace had been here was more than £972, which was considered very satisfactory. The club had. as in previous years, paid the expenses of 40 boys at the Young Men’s Christian Association camp at Wainui. Had it not been for the assistance given by the club the boys would not have been able to have had the holiday. Although there was a credit balance ol only £1 Is Bd, compared with £ls !6s 2d at the beginning of the year. Hi-* position was said to be better, for although the subscriptions had been collected for only 11 months, practically the whole of the year's expenses had been accounted for. The club had an unbroken record of credit balances since it was founded 14 years ago. it was said.

Because an unusually large number of members had been overseas during the year, and more had been unable t j attend because of sickness, the average attendance had been lower than for last year. The membership had teen more than maintained during the year, there having been a net increase oi two members.

Appreciation of the services of Dr. I*. Stanley Foster, District Governor of the Fifty-third District, is expressed ii. the report. The assistance which the newspapers in Christchurch had given to the club is acknowledged in the report of the public information committee. The reports cf the other committees deal fully ’■bth the various activities of the club.