VICTORIA LEAGUE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 69, 14 December 1907, Page 6

VICTORIA LEAGUE.

The. Victoria League held .its. first .annual. : _ meeting on Thursday night,-in.the Committee-' Boom of the Town Hall, Dr. Newman presiding.. Mrsi Kankine-Browne, secretary of the League, reported that during the year the League had sent books and magazines to children' in the back-blocks, and they were as-:' 6ured by- teachers that this was a most useful work,'as'it-widened-the minds of. the chil- >'■ dren, and gave them an interest outside their \ own local affairs. ; Two members of the cora-i, mitteo had offered prizes to bo competed for' by..the children of the State Schools.in Wel- . lington in essays oh ." Empire Day; and why 'we 'celebrate it." The object of the Victoria '■'" League was to. strengthen the ties that bind the ' colonies- to the Mother ' Country, and it *as. felt-that this 'could not be done. more. J iffectively than by training the children of the colonies and the Home land :to take an-i Interest' in each other's, lives. Lantern lectures would be given in the New .Zealand schools, and it' was hoped that some of- the New Zealanders' going. Home would' address .' Jhe children of English'schools.- Miss Mary Richmond, for one, had kindly consented to '■ do this. It'was also hoped that, with funds ; !m hand, the League would be able to provide libraries of English books for.the-.schools here. Officers for the coming year were appointed;. l as follow:—Patroness. Tier Excellency Lady •Plhnket; president, Lady Ward;.. vice-presi-dents,' Mesdames Hislop, Tuckey; and Grady;' secretary, Mrs. Rankine-Browne; treasurer,' itrs. Harris; committee/ Mesdames' Chappie, .iWV Barton, Stott, Richmond, W. ; Gray, Grace, J. P. Luke, Larnach, Corrigan, and', Misses Harding, Coates, and Richmond.' '■■■ ■■ Dr. Newman spoke, of the work done'by the league among, colonial visitors to England. The members wore making strenuous efforts to knit the Empire, together, 'and -they realised .'. that many'a visitor, from Britain overseas had a'very dull time in England, staying iu hotels or • lodging-houses, meeting few people, and seeing very little of the country, and so the League was formed with the purpose of '' a welcoming hand to visitors, and providing 'means' for their- meeting English people either at, social functions or in partitular'departments of life. They organised receptions, : parties, and secured v introductions, < or opened the way in other directions for ... the-stranger'to h.avo a good time. Dr.Newman felt, sure that-if the advantages of membership, were'better understood (for it is membership of the-League- proves-an open sesame), people. Zealand'would be anxious to' join .before visiting; England. : Dr.' Chappie told'of tho help the League had afforded; to him and his. wife during their

recent trip Home, and' quoted other instances v in : which the help of its. energetic secretary (Miss Talbot) had been invaluable. The, present membership', League is' 165;: and; its, balance-sheet shows a credit- of- £&\. It is, perhaps,' hot understood, that men, - as-yell, as women, pi.ay join the; League. .The fee''is'nalf-a-crowii'a ! year.. ■ .' <2 \ ''''''•