ORDER OF RECHABITES

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 48, 20 November 1925, Page 3

ORDER OF RECHABITES

A TRAVELLER’S RETURN WELCOME TO MR. W. J. GAUDIN / i A welcome to Bro. W. .1. Gaudin who represented tho Now Zealand Rechabito Order at tho High Movable Conference at Dundee, Scotland, recently, was given by the Excelsior Tent, 1.0. R., iu the Rechabito Chambers on Tuesday cvcnin HBro. Gaudin gave an interesting resume of his travels in Englund and Scotland, and of the work accomplished at the conference. He was much impressed by magnitude and extent or the London docks, tho street traffic, which was so dense as to be fascinating, tho storage accommodation —one warehouse alone having a capacity for 20,000 tons of wheat, representing 21,000,000 loaves of bread—only sufficient to feed the world’s metropolis for a week, the beautifully laid-outl paths and gardens were a delight to the eye. The public parks, comprising .about s<W>o acres, were a wonderful asset to tho city. Although there was an abundance of open spaces there appeared to be a lack of playing areas. Bro. Gaudin, in tho course of his peregrinations, visited the Channel Islands, the birthplace of his father, where they have a Parliament of their own and are consequently under no obligation to Great Britain. A charter was granted centuries ago, giving tho people of the Channel Islands absolute freedom ironi taxation. Old Norman French was the language in use in all legal documents, and also in the Legislature. The c p as " scenery was somewhat similar to that of New Zealand. He found the inhabitants very hospitable, but insular. Before retracing his steps to Dundee, B™. Gaudin received an invitation to Buckingham Palace, which was thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated. . , , i What impressed him most in England was the wealth it possessed in its churches and cathedrals, the architecture of which was wonderful, inspiring in the tourist a feeling of awe ana reverence that Was indescribable. One could, of course, read about these things in books, but they failed to convey anything like an adequate conception of the reality. ' The people of England generally evinced a very fine spirit ot reverence for these old places and 'memorials that was pleasing to note; this was particularly so in their attitude towards the cenotaph, when nine out ot ten men passing would raise/their hats tho most wonderful display of reverence he had ever witnessed. The roll-call of tin conference at Dundee revealed tho fact that there were nearly 400 members Ipresent at the conference. As an indication of the strength of rhe order, and the influence it' was exerting throughout the world, there were eleven delegates from overseas—Canada, United Slates. South Africa, and Australia, were all represented. The chief ruler (Bro. Cave) proved to bo an ideal chairman and an orator. He sketched the history of tho order from its inception, at Saltonl, when it. had 11 members, to tho present dav with its membership of 1.250,000, and exhorted the younger members in particular who were growing up to take tho places of their elders, to carry on and strive to extend tho organisation.