BRITISH SAILORS’ SOCIETY

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25970, 25 November 1949, Page 2

BRITISH SAILORS’ SOCIETY

BOOK AND COIN PARTY

More than 100 books, many magazines, and £lB in donations were received at the annual book and coin party arranged by the Christchurch Ladies’ Guild of the British Sailors’ Society, held yesterday at the home of Dr. and Mrs L. MacDougall, Rossall street.

Mrs Alfred Bunz arranged the musical programme which was provided by Miss Janet Bradley (.piano solos!, Mr Carl Smith (songs), and Miss Barbara Firth and Mrs Gwyneth Caygill (vocal duets). Mrs E. J. McEachen and Miss B. Atkinson were accompanists.

Added interest was given to the gathering by the presence of Mr A. W. Mitchell, general secretary for New Zealand lor the British Sailors’ Society. Mr Mitchell, who has been working with the society for 16 years, and who arrived in the Dominion a few months ago, said that the public’s memory was short. In times of war seamen were regarded as heroes but when peace reigned, people forgot how much the nation owed to them. During the last war, he said, seamen saved Britain and it was the aim of the British Sailors’ Society to provide for them a chain of hostels or clubs comparable with businessmen’s clubs. He traced the history of the society, which was founded 131 years ago, its first -clubroom being a small ship anchored in the Thames. Now it had established 108 hostels. Mr Mitchell emphasised the point that the society was interdenominational, that it was a bridgehead between religion and the shipping industry. Seamen in a strange land were often lonely, and naturally they would go to places where they were welcomed. The Sailors’ Society wanted to found more hostels and to make thorn comfortable and attractive. That, he considered, was the best way to defeat Communism among seamen and to prevent them from indulging in too much strong drink. He hoped soon to open two or three new branches of the society in New Zealand. particularly one in Westport, and he appealed to each of his listeners to obtain 10 new members for the. women’s guild of the society.’

Mrs J. Mowbray Tripn thanked Mrs Bunz and the artists and Mrs G. W. C. Smithson (president of the guild) thanked Mr Mitchell for his address and Dr. and Mrs MacDougall for lending their home for the party.