£3147 RAISED

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23752, 25 September 1942, Page 2

£3147 RAISED

MAYORESS’S PARCELS FUND

The Mayoress’s parcels fund yesterday stood at £3147 10s, and with the proceeds of four major efforts and several smaller ones still to come in it is almost certain that £4OOO. the goal set when the appeal was launched, will be raised by the women of the Christchurch metropolitan area. These facts were announced by the Mayoress (Miss E. Couzins) at a record meeting of women held in the Welcome Club yesterday afternon. About 850 representatives of nearly 100 women’s organisations were present. A programme of unusual merit was presented by Miss Ailsa Nicol (Mrs G. D. Griffiths). Mrs Harold Owers (Auckland), and Mr J. H. Cocks, all of whom sang solos, by Mrs Francis Bate, who played violin solos, and by the drama circle of the Canterbury Women’s Club, which presented a short play. Mrs J. H. Cocks and Miss Bessie Poland were the accompanists. Miss Couzins thanked the artists and Miss M. Enright, who had arranged the programme. She showed the contents of a parcel similar to the 7000 that are to be packed next week to be sent overseas for Christmas, and expressed deep appreciation of the generous response made to her appeal for funds. She thanked all the organisations that had contributed, her committee, particularly the honorary secretary (Mrs J. W. Mardon), the honorary treasurer (Miss M. Orbell) and her assistant (Mrs S. F. Wilson), all who had helped on flag day which had been an outstanding success, Mrs H. S. Feast for loyal support at all times, the City Council staff, particularly Mr A. M. Hosking. the newspapers for continued publicity, the Commercial Travellers and Warehousemen’s Club for lending chairs, and Mr J. McPherson, curator of the botanic gardens, for guts of flowers and plants. The. Mayor (Mr E. H. Andrews) also thanked the women’s organisations for their splendid contribution to the Canterbury patriotic fund of which the parcels fund is a section, and Mrs F. C. Thornton, president of the Next-of-Kin Society, thanked Miss Couzins for her practical interest in the welfare of the men and women serving overseas.