ORPHANS CLUB

Evening Star, Issue 18030, 26 July 1922, Page 8

ORPHANS CLUB

HARD-UP NIGHT. If a. vote of the members of the Dunedin Orphans’ Club were taken as to'which is the most enjoyable gathering of the season there would bo a. big majority in favor of “Hard-up Night.” It is then that the Orphans assembled let themselves go in earnest* and the cheer gem works overtime. Tiie “ hard-up ” idea is carried cub* not only in the matter of the dress, but in other directions, such as tho supper, which, instead of taking the customary form of a cup of coffee and a sandwich, consists of “savs and mashed tatevs ” served from buckets or petrol tins and eaten from cabbage leaves in lieu of plates. Last night, in St. Paul’s Schoolroom, was celebrated the 1922 “hard-up” gathering, and it proved as successful es any yet held, if not more so. In comparison with former years, there were fewer “dead-beat” make-ups, but, on the other hand, a larger number wont in for character. !So that the assemblage bore the appearance of a “motley gathering ” that would have satisfied even Ichahod Bronson. There were swaggers, costers, bricklayers, sailors, convicts, postmen, Scotsmen, policemen, and what not. The proceedings began with a special initia,ti(ui 'ceremony performed by Bro. Harry Russel i, who bade the president (Bro. MTntosh) “take charge of tho blokes and see that the singin’ and skitin’ and sich was property done ; if it wasn’t he could call on any of tho other chaps to chuck out the offenders,” or words to that effect. The' president was then invested with a special collar, which consisted of sacking decorated with lids of tobacco tins, capsules from ale bottles, and so on.

Some of the more prominent characters were a rugged Iliolandman with bonnet complete and a broad accent (Bro. M‘lntosh);, a bricklayer’s laborer of enormous size, who looked as though he could “squash” any go-slow advocate who ordered him to do less work (Bro. Russell); a coster, with a plentiful supply of pearlies (Bro. Lloyd): Old Bill, of “the better ’ole” fame (Bro. Perry); ■» prisoner who was doing his “hard labor” quite cheerfully (Bro. Halt); a postman made up to represent an old and well-known lettercarrier in Dunedin'(Bro. Wycherley); the Bing Boys (Bros. Sm eaten and Styche); an old-time sport, who didn’t mind doing a bit in the way of laying tho odds (Bro. Thomson); “ Old Joe,” the race-book seller (Bro. MTveclinie); a living and moving cabbage tree, winch emitted weird blasts on a shell horn (Bro. Balk); Little Jackie Coogan (Bro. White); ‘Star* boy (Bro. Smith); tho captain of a trawler (Bro. Hutton); a real backblock swagger, who had obviously been oil the roads for years (Bro. Grant); a couple of parsons (Bros. Allen and Faigan); a nondescript superannuated footballer (Bro. Meams); a Scotchman who tried to get away from tho conventional in the matter of tartan and other things (Bro. Sligo); a policeman (Bro, Reid); a Hebrew gent (Bro- M‘Connell); two wild Irishmen (Bros. Haggitt and Matthewson); an inoffensive Irishman, except for his whiskers (Bro. Angell); a sailor bold (Bro. Lang); and so on and so forth. After supper a parade was held, and the judges (Bros. MTntosh, Hudson, and Williamson) awarded the following prizes:—Best character costumes —Bro. C. H. Russell L Bro. G. A.. Wycherley ?, Bro. 0. Balk highly commended. Best hard-up costume, Bro. T. Grant.

The programme of musical and ether items was an excellent one. The dub orchestra was, as usual, a, big factor. Their selections were 'lmperial L'fa Guard.,’ ‘Jolly Robbers,’ ‘Tne Exalted Ruler,’ and ‘ ’Aint We Got Fun.’ Bro, L. Borrow sang a breezy song about an aviator bold, Bro. A. B. Young was Highly amusing in a recitation relating to the doings at ‘Levinsky’s Wedding,’ Bro. Faigau, played a .sweet .clarionet solo,, Bro. Alf. Smith sang ‘ Just You and I,’ and did it well; Bro. G. Mearns broke up the house by telling them how ho ‘Murdered Her Last Friday ’; tire . Idlers . Quartet, consisting of Bros. Angell (basso), Cameron (whato), Scott (alto), and Reid (fisho), sang ‘The Baby on the Shore ’ and ‘ Old Mother Hubbard,’ both in their very finest stvle. Bro. Wycherley gave pne of his popular topical stunts, this time in the guise of a Communist postman, who read all his letters and -post cards before delivering them; Bro. W. Carr sang a good story about the sea, Bro. Scott one relating to ‘ Memories of the Past,’ and Bro. G. W. ’MTiitosh retold) his immortal story of the Devonshire farmer’s successful extermination of the pukaki. During the evening Bro. MTvechnio presented to the club a painting Wbo'hurig on the walls of the club room, and Bro. Balk, on behalf of Bro. Armstrong, handed to the president a beautifully decorated cake to take Homo as a peace offering to Mrs MTntosh. Bro. “Jim” M'Connell, formerly _ a very active member, but for some time past laid aside with illness, -was present and able in a quiet way to enjoy the fun. Ho received a warm welcome from his fellow members.