A BUSY YEAR

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 141, 16 June 1932, Page 5

A BUSY YEAR

BRITISH SAILORS* SOCIETY

There was a small attendance at the annual meeting of the Wellington branch of .the British Sailors' Society last evening. Mr. H.'D v Bennett presided. *-

The revenue, account showed an income: of £327 9s 3d, the principal item being'a grant of- £200 from the T.- G. Macarthy Trust. The main items in the expenditure of £429 17s 8d were rent, £204, and entertainment, £112 10s. The excess of expenditure over income was £102 8s sd. The twenty-second annual report stated that the year 1931 was one.of the busiest years sinceithe branch was formed. The total number of men, who visited the rooms was 28,070, or a-weekly average of 540, as against 26,082.f0r 1930. The. number of ships visited was .735, a smaller number than the previous year, but : with far greater, results than before. Seamen were present at:all the:evenings given to them. "Picnics were held on all holidays, the men being taken bjr motor-bus to the country. The, total number-of men taken to the picnics was, 667. Magazines and books were regularly placed on board the various ships. Messrs. Gordon and Gotch supplied magazines, and the Public Library and sympathisers books and magazines. Refreshments' were I-provided, for the men who visited the rooms to a total o: 27,680—an increase of 2722 over the total for 1930. The total number of men who partook of tea on Sundays was 3650, an increase of 771 over, the total for-; 1930. The port missioner, Mr. Slyfield, had to relinquish his position in November owing to ifrhealth. The preachers -were representative of all the evangelical churches. The total number of men who attended the Sunday mission service was 3952. Attendances recorded on Sunday mornings were 6500. The average attendance at brotherhood meetings of the International Sailors' Brotherhood was 1980; The Sunday teas were an unqualified success. Captain A. V. Hale-Monro' introduced the chairman, Mr. H. D..Bennett, a member'of the Wellington Harbour Board. He apologised'for' the absence of Mr. CM. Turrell. Other apologies for-non-attendance were received. ' .--.-. NEED FOR RECOGNITION. * Mr. Bennett, after the secretary, Mr. B. Padman, had read the annual report and balance-sheet, in moving the. adoption of the report, said that all had been greatly ; struck by the information given by the secretary. Work of great magnitud was done in Wellington on very little revenue. "It was a pity that the city was not more aware o£ the activities of the society, and he hoped the time was not far away when' the society's work woul be more appreciated. Then the hall would be packed when the annual meeting was held, instead of there being so .meagre an attendance, as was the case that evening. The name of the society carried back to the early stages of British shipping history, and was British to the core, being under the patronage of Royalty. During its existence of 114 years the society covered the important period of transition, from sail to steam. The adoption of the report was seconded by Mr. C. D. Mor-peth. The Rev. R. J. >Howte moved a formal resolution, expressing, gratitude to God for the services of sailors to the Empire, and approving of the activities "of the society, and it was seconded .by'the1 Rev. H. J. Odell. Captain Hale-Monro spoke in support of the resolution. Mrs. Odell. offered up prayer, and the Benediction'was pronounced by the Rev. R.J.Howie. . ' '_■■ ' During the evening the Port Nicholson \ Silver Band played the following numbers: ' "Before the Mast," "A. Sailor's Life,' "He Played His Ukulele as the Ship Went Down," and "Skipper Susie Green.' Mr. T. Goodall played a cornet solo, "Two Eyes of Grey" (with band acompaniO raent), and Mr. H. Parsonage gave a horn solo, "My Love's Grey Eyes" (also with | band accompaniment).