SPINSTERS' CLUB

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 28, 27 October 1917, Page 5

SPINSTERS' CLUB

ANNUAL REORT. The annual report of the Spinsters' Club shows a very fine record of patriotic work during tho time it has been in existence. The following outlines the greater part of the work:—"Before tho last annual meeting the club had raised money by a sale of work. It was decided to send .£3O of this to the No. 1 Stationary Hospital in November last for a Christmas dinner nnd comforts for tho orderlies. It not being the object of the olub to inaugurate any fund, but to assist those already existing, .£2O left in hand was donated to the Y.M.C.A. Trench Comforts Fund. In Novepiber last the club raised £12 by iv raffle of a pendant made and donated bv Miss Pegg, and purchased a bookcase for the Returned Soldiers' Club. The gift was handed over at an. evening given by the Spinsters nt the club. Also in November this club assisted on Returned Soldiers' Day, and by means of a caravan sale and collection made over £i 0 tor the Returned Soldiers* Club. In March a jumble sale was held in Taranaki Street, and .£3O was realised. The club is indebted to Mrs. J. Hisiop, who ably assisted the members on this occasion. Of tho proceeds £10 was sent to the Y.M.C.A. for the men in Egypt and .filO for the men in France, and a quantity of wool was purchased for making knitted comforts.

"During the year members have been making an autograph quilt for the No. 1 Stationary Hospital. By this means .£47 has been raised and sent there. The first instalment arrived just after the Battle of Messines, and very grateful letters have heen received acknowledging the gift. Hearing that numerous treasure bugs were needed, the members made these, and over 1000 have been sent. A case of novels was also collected and sent to the hospital. The club agreed to take the 'Red Cross room every threo months. The first day was in January, and SXI was taken. The second dny, held in Mav, realised .£27, and on the third, in August, JGO was handed to the Red Cross. For this occasion ■ tho club held a bridge party ill .Tune at the Pioneer Club-rooms (kindly lent for the purpose), and raised £&, and M 12s. was mado bv members by malting bags for Chilton House: also £7 by_the sale of cakes, etc., before that day. The club's next day at the shop is on November Jfi, and to assist in this a jumble sale was held on October 13 last. The club members havo knitted a large number of socks, etc., during the year; 46 pairs of socks and four balaclavas were supplied to the men of the Twenty-fourth Reinforcements. In June, as ti number were in hand, 2G paira were sent to the Y.M.C.A., also six pairs of mittens, to bo forwarded to France. In the same month 14 pairs of socks were handed to Mr. Gillette (a victim of the Marquette), who was returning.to England, for the use of men on tho boat who were working their passages homo and were short of clothing, having bee.-i on different torpedoed ships. Also a ease of jams, pickles, and other eatables were forwarded to these men. A. parcel of socks and balaclavas was forwarded to the chaplain of a troopship early in October, as the men were reported to be rather short of knitted goods. "Tho. club being desirous of assisting the Ambulance Fund for Dr. Agnes Bennott in Serbia, a jumble sale was held in June, and as a. result £23 is. 2d. was handed to tho Pioneer Club for that fund. In July a gomes evening was held in aid of tho Nurses' Memorial Fund, and .GlO 10s. was raised and sent to Dr. Young, the hon. treasurer of tho fund. In July last the club repeated ito penny streot collection in aid of tho Mayoress's Countess of Liverpool Fund for sending Christmas gifts to the soldiers. In spite of adverse circumstances in the way of bad weather the collection resulted in .EM 18s. Gd. being handed over to tho Mayoress. During the month of July also S3 3s. was given to the fund for tho child victims of tho London air raid, and 15s. sd. was spent in parcels to be cent to soldiers ht tho front. Tho club took a stall on Violet Day, which was located at the Government Buildings, and made .£4O for the Red Cross. Messrs. Wright and Kinvig, of Rona Bay, kindly made a framework for the decoration of tho handcart. A stall was also token at tho Bank of Now Zealand corner on the Liverpool Fund Flower Day, and £V> was made for that fund. The club held a peanut stall at Paddy's Market, making .£7 thereby, and on October 5 sold prizo packets for tho Commercial Travellers at the Post Office in aid of the Red Cross and Blind Soldiers and' Sailors' Funds; ,£2OO was taken at this stand during tho day. During the 'La Mascotto' season tho members of the club sold books of the play at the Opera House, and thereby handed in over ,£35 to the Amateur Operatic Society. On October 13 they 60ld programmes at the Savage Club's annual open night, and mado £U 9s. fld. During the year the club has, as usual, taken one night a month <it the Soldiers' Club, Sydney Street. A shilling a monthis paid by each momber towards the cost of this. Since the restricted train service there has been so little expense attached to these evenings that all the money has not been required, and it was decided to send the balance, amounting to .E5 55., to the Ada Reeve Anznc Buffet Fund. A cordial note of thanks was received from Miss Reeve for tho donation. The one penny subscription paid by members at their meetings serves to pay for the expenses of running the qlub, so that the fund's raised for special purposes are not encroached upon. The club is indebted to several kind friends who give regular donations, which have enabled the supply of wool to bo kept np. This is becoming a very expensive item. The next activity of the club is the raising of money for this year's Christmas gin to the No. 1 Stationary Hospital. For this purpose Miss Eileen Driscoll is organising an entertainment to take place in the Concert Chamber on October 31. The Daysbnthers have kindly consented to repeat their performance on this occasion, and it is hoped to raise a substantial sum. The club is much indebted to Mr. Coull for giving all the printing required for the various activities during the year; to Mesdames Myers, Batten, and Isaacs for services on all occasions; to Mrs. Henry Smith and pupils of Chilton House for flowers; to Mr. Walling for free cartages to Mr. Barker for posters, and to all those friends who have helped tue club in numerous ways."

A. considerable amount of interest is being taken in the raffle of a kitchen outfit which is being held in connection with the Hobson Street Day at tho Wellington Bed Cross Shop on December 14. This outfit comprises over 200 articles, in which are included aliminium pots and pans (a double saucepan being particularly desirable), china basins, a nest of pie dishes, cups and saucers, an enamelled pastry board, and many of the little contrivances that do so much to lighten housework. The whole outfit is well chosen, and is of very good value indeed, and for the sum of one shilling purchasers of tickets will have 'the chance of securing a most useful and complete set of kitchen, requisites Tickets may be secured from most of the leading city and suburban shops, and also (bv post) from Miss Gladys Nathan, 0G 'Hobson .Street, Wellington on receipt of a shilling postal order and an addressed stamped envelope.

All parents are hereby cordially requested to encourage Stationers and Storekeepers to push the sals of "Thinker" Brand Writing Tablets and "Thinker" School Exercise Books for the nation's good—Bannatvne and Hunter, Ltd., wholesale agents for the "Thinker. —Advt.