ROTARY JOY

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 69, 14 December 1932, Page 10

ROTARY JOY

“To-day I Feel So Happy” ORPHANS ENTERTAINED When the orphan boys sang the “Happy Song” at the Rotary Club’s luncheon yesterday, there was not the slightest doubt that they meant it. Kirkcaldie’s Tudor room never looked so gay. Everyone present wore a funny paper hat, and every member of the club shook off the reserve and austerity of business for an hour to give these lads a real good time which, with the ample fare provided, was not a difficult thing to do. The most wonderful dish was the Christmas pudding, so speckled with threepenny bits, that one Rotarian compared them to another Kawarau. If any boy were luckless enough to get a slice without a threepence it was simply magical how rapidly he consumed it and asked for more. Such energy and speed deserved success, and it was invariably achieved, if not with a second, a third helping, and this was topped off with frozen delights, a packet of sweets, and pink lemonade. There were present in all 60 boys—--20 each from the Salvation Army Boys’ Home at Wallaceville (under Adjutant H. Chard); the Anglican Boys’ Home at Lower Hutt (under Mr. W. Andrews and Mrs. Chaytor, matron), and the Presbyterian Orphanage (under Mr. and Mrs. R. J. Byers). The children sang choruses and Mr. Clement May recited verses appropriate to the occasion.

During the luncheon a wonderful cutsize in Christmas stockings- presented by Mr. F. Vickerman, was raffled, won and sold by auction, with the result that it yielded £B/12/6 for the Otaki Children’s Health Camp. At the same time the president, Dr. D. Macdonald Wilson, announced that the club’s fund for the Otaki Health. Camp had reached the sum of £2O. At the conclusion of luncheon the president said that he hoped the boys had enjoyed a good time. All the men present remembered what a great time Christmas was to them as boys, so they were endeavouring to make it one for the boys of to-day, just as he hoped the boys present would do to others when they grew to manhood. When he heard them sing, “To-day I Feel so Happy,” he was sure they all meant it. Finally he wished them all the best of luck for the future. On behalf of all the boys present, Mr. W. Andrew’s briefly returned thanks for the unique and altogether delightful luncheon tendered the boys by the Rotary Club, and called on the boys for three cheers for its members. These were returned with emphasis by the men.

The final act of grace on the part of the president was to present each of the regular waitresses with a pair of silk stockings as a Christmas box.