NEW CLUB FOR AGED

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29844, 9 June 1962, Page 15

NEW CLUB FOR AGED

Opening Function At Riccarton

The large numbers present more than fulfilled expectations and bodes well for the success of the new organisation. the president of the Riccarton Rotary Club < Mr E. Ellis* said at the inaugural meeting of a club for aged persons in Riccarton. More than 140 elderly people were present at the flrst meeting of the Riccarton Happi Club. Enthusiastic applause greeted the various items, which included community singing and a conjuring act.

This was a happy and encouraging start to an excellent project which fulfilled a long-felt need in providing a means for the elderiy persons of the district to meet and engage in any functions they wished to organise, said "the Mayor of Riccarton (Mr E. J. Bradshaw?.

Loneliness and boredom, two pernicious evils to which aged persons were particularly susceptible, had to be combated by physical and mental alertness, said the chairman of the executive of the Aged Peoples’ Welfare Council (Dr. H. R. Donaii). As a source of companionship and other interests clubs of this type were of great value, he said. One of the results of the great advances which had been made in medicine was the increase of man’s life span. Persons now could expect to live for 70 or 80 years, and steps had to be taken to ensure that the latter part of life was lived to the full, he said

Organised by the community service committee of the Rotary Club of Riccarton. the Happi Club will continue to be operated by the Rotary organisation for at least two months. After this the club will be run by a committee elected by its members. The project was first decided on by the RotaryClub in September. The Riccarton Borough Council was approached and has given the free use of the Riccarton Town Hall to the club for the next three months. Elderly folk in the district received application forms with pensions issued from the Post Office. Almost 100 replies were received—-a very encouraging response, the acting chairman for the Rotary Club (Mr G. Ba;.idinet> said. All aged persons, not just pensioners, were eligible to join, he said Films, presented by one of the major oil companies, will be shown at the next meeting on the afternoon of Thursday. June 21. The club will meet every Tnursday from that date.