V.M.C.A.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 132, 1 December 1914, Page 9

V.M.C.A.

ACTIVITIES IN WELLINGTON. i Mr. A. Varney, general secretary, read the annual report of the Wellington V.M.C.A. at the yearly meeting yesterday. Reference was made to the services of Messrs. L. G. Bruce and J. iW. P. Fossette, who have resigned as directors, and acknowledgments to the national chairman (Professor Picken) and the national secretary (Mr. Alex. Jameson) for timely assistance at critical times. Changes in the employed force were noted, Air. E. Threadgill joining as physical director, and Mr. B. Mabin as assistant to the general secretary. The membership now stands at 571, an increase of 55. Membership and gymnasium subscriptions have reached £618. The Sunday gatherings were attended by 3670 men. At a series di lectures for Sunday school teachers delivered by the general secretary , there were 275 attendances. The Dan Crawford visit was organised by the association. There were 16,500 attendances at his meetings, and £200 was given to the causes which he represented. The Foreign Work Club paid £74 13s 4d, nearly double last I year's total, for the work afHyderabad,. and £380 was pledged for the men's student building. Four Bible study groups have met during the. year. Twenty-five boats have been met, and many young immigrants assisted, and 489 strangers have been welcomed, and the attendances at the Sunday afternoon strangers' tea have totalled 2560. AtAwapuni camp alone religious meetings numbered 16, average attendance 201 ; concerts 20, average attendance 367 j boxing evenings 5, average attendance 530 j letters written, 8930; magazines distributed, 2500; total attendances, 40,100. Thirty of V.M.C.A. men from the gymnasium have obeyed the call of Empire, which has decimated both the young men's and the business meh's classes. Gymnasium class enrolments for the year were 291, with total attendances of 6955. Boys' membership is 120. There were 387 men passed through the dormitories, and 300 sought assistance in regard to obtaining employment. The directors were re-elected, as follows : Messrs. H. W. Kersley, G. M'Kay, W. Campbell, C. S. Falconer, A. Smith, A. P. Smith, R. Brown, and the Hon. J. G. W. Aitken. , •' Votes of thanks were extended to Mr. H. W. Kersley, the president; to the officers of the ladies' auxiliary ; to Mr. C. S. Falconer, the honorary treasurer; the employed staff; Mr. E. M. Ryan, and national secretary.