IMPROVEMENTS TO HALL

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume LIX, Issue 87, 1 November 1938, Page 4

IMPROVEMENTS TO HALL

DECISION OF DOYLESTON

RESIDENTS

BAZAAR TO BE HELD

At a meeting of Doyleston residents held last ni~ht, ths initial steps were taken in a schen^e to raise a substantial sum of money to enlarge and improve the Public Hall. Enthusiasm marked the proceedings and all preent were formed into a committee, with power to add to their number. The culminating1 effort in the moneyraising scheme will be a .bazaar to take place after harvest.

Mr A. Quigley, jun., a, keen enthusiast in all Doyleston activities, was elected chairman, Messrs W. G. and W. H. Fussell, joint secretaries, and Mr G. R. Stacpoole treasurer.

At the opening of the meeting the chairman referred to the loss the district had suffered by the death of Mr David Scott, and a motion of condolence with Mrs Scott and family was carried. Mr W. G. Fussell, secretary of the Hall Committee, explained that proposals for enlarging and improving the hall had been discussed on several occasions in the last two or three years and the holding of a bazaar had been suggested, but nothing definite had been done, partly because of similar efforts launched in other parts of the district. It had become more and more apparent that the hall was too small for the needs of a district which extended as far as the Selwyn river, the lake, and Brookside, the building being frequently overcrowded on social occasions. Moreover, improvements were badly needed, such as a new floor, the lining of the anteroom and a better stage. The committee had not formulated a definite proposal to place before the meeting, but one suggestion was that the hall should be extended by building a section at the southern end to provide for a new stage. Another suggestion was that either the partition between the hall and anteroom should be removed or that a moveable partition should be provided. No estimates of cost had been obtained. It was for the residents as a whole to say what they thought should be done and to arrange for the raising of the money. Many offers of assistance had been made from different parts of the district if the residents would launch a money-raising effort, said Mr H. T. Fussell. On an increasing number of occasions the hall was proving to be too small and with the quicker means of travel more and more people in the outlying districts wished to attend functions at Doyleston. He favoured extending the hall at the stage end as the best way of providing extra room. Various other improvements, including painting, were needed and he was confident that a bazaar would be well supported over a wide area. In reply to Mr C. Bishop, the chairman said that the Hall Committee had not obtained even an approximate estimate of the cost of the suggested improvements. Mr J. R. Godsell expressed himself as being strongly in favour of a big effort to raise funds and said he did not know of a more successful' way of getting the amount required than the holding of aj bazaar. It was the business of the whole of the residents to undertake the raising of funds and not merely that of the Hall Committee. He agreed that the hall served a large area, and felt confident that an enthusiastic drive for funds would meet with complete success. All functions held in the hall would be more successful if the building could be enlarged and brought up-to-date. He suggested that they should first raise as much money as possible and then decide on what improvements should be made.

As one who travelled about the

district a good deal and met a large number of people, Mr W. H. Fussell , . said he had no doubt about the support that would be forthcoming. A movement should be started at once, '4 and it would gather strength, as tigj^ ■'■, went on. ■ >f, Mr W. O'Neill remarked that man w „ ■■': Brookside people attended social "j gatherings at Doyleston and he was . ;V confident that they would support in j hearty fashion an effort to raise "■ money for hall improvements. He •'':, would like to see an effort launched .;'< immediately. , ' \ A motion that a bazaar should be -* held after harvest, moved by Mr W. ,vi H. Fussell and seconded by Mr C. •F. ~ j Turner, was carried unanimously. i % It was decided to ask all the sport^^-*i bodies and other organisations in the district for their co-operation. '^| Various officers were elected, as ' || already mentioned, and it was decided 1 ' ,» to call a further meeting of all iiv^