SAILORS' FRIEND SOCIETY

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 24, 29 January 1923, Page 8

SAILORS' FRIEND SOCIETY

Preparations for entertainment of the crew of.the cruiser, which had been proceeding throughout the week, culminated yesterday, in one of the most successful functions the Sailors' Friend Society has yet recorded. The church and institute ■ -in Whitmore street .were heautifully decorated with flowers and bunting. Early yesterday afternoon the Frenchmen began to enter the building, and from 4 p.m: to 5 p.m. were entertained with musical .items. Prior to that' time they were -shown, through the Academy of '.Fine Arts, and. were intensely interested in all they saw; V : • "•■■■' , By 5.15 p.m., quite'lOO officers arid men of the warship, as well as 90 men of the mercantile marine and city visitors, sat at the tea tables. The Mayor (Mr.: i.E. A. Wright, M.P.) presided, and associated with him were M. Dv Flou (French Consul) and Mr. H: T, Johns, (who represented the Sailors' Friend Society, in the absence of Mr. Moore, miasioner). When the. tables were cleared, further musical items were given,, and subsequently many of the guests attended the mission church, where Mr. H. Townshend delivered a most interesting discourse. ■ ■ .■ , ' After the church service, a song service was held ir> the institute, where there was an attendance of 210 persons, more than half of whom were from the cruiser. Those who contributed, the musical programme throughout ' the afternoon and evening were:—Masses Mueller, Troon, Fix, and Passau, Mr. G. W. Bowling, the Rees family of Welsh singers, and the Welsh ; Choir. Mesdames Good, Deschanet-M'lntosh, and Dowling, and Miss Turner and Mr. Parsons played the accompaniments. Mesdames Weston, Dunn, and Coitus were In charge of the tables. Mr. Johns led the song service, while Messrs. B. Warnes and H. Thomas read the Bible lessons in the church. ! . . .