GREY R.S.A.

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 May 1941, Page 4

GREY R.S.A.

ANNUAL MEETING.

The twenty-fourth annual meeting of the Greymouth Returned Soldiers Association was held in Trinity Hal, last evening, the acting-President, Mi. O. McLean, presiding over a lair axtendance of members. Prior to the commencement ol business, the chairman congratulated tne four members of the Executive wio were elected to local bodies on Satuiday—the president, the secretary, the assistant secretary and the treasurer, and he added that the Association s honorary solicitor, Mr. F. A. Kitehmgham, had also been re-elected. The following annual report was read and adopted: The Associations executive met each month and dealt with all matters concerning members. The Pensions Board visited Greymouth during the year. Over twenty cases were dealt with and your executive is very satisfied with the results. The New Zealand VicePresident, Mr. B. Jacobs, visited Greymouth during the year, and was entertained at a social. Poppy Day sales were in the vicinity of £l4O, which is a record for our district. I desire to thank all ladies who assisted the Association with poppy sales. The organisers, Mrs. O. McLean and Mrs. A. H. McKane worked hard, and the result was very pleasing. The membership was increased slightly, the 1940 figures being 190, and this year 206. I should like to appeal particularly to returned soldiers in Greymouth to join the Association. Fortnightly visits to the hospital have been maintained and all returned men receive gifts in the way of tobacco, cigarettes etc. Your executive would like this to occur weekly, but without the support of our non-members it cannot be done. Your executive arranged a Christmas competition and over £ 100 was distributed to homes of returned men. The Association received numerous letters of appreciation. Our President, Mr. A. H. McKane, has been granted leave of absence whilst acting as a member of the Army Service Appeal Board. The Association’s thanks are due to the President for his work, particularly in connection with Christmas cheer. Anzac Day and Armistic Day services were carried out as usual, and all soldiers’ graves at the cemetery were visited on Anzac Day. Thanks are due to Mr. J. Duffy for arranging the Anzac night concert. I desire to thank Mr. J. McDiarmid for his attention to the soldiers’ graves. Men are returning from the present conflict. We are attending to their wants as far as our funds will extend. Our Association will continue to assist these men as if they were members. Blackball, Brunner, Runanga and Lake Brunner Sub-Associations continue to do good work and I extend my thanks and appreciation for their efforts. In conclusion I wish to extend my sincere thanks to the executive for their assistance, also to the Press for the valuable space given the Association. The treasurer, Mr. H. Herring, presented the balance sheet, which showed that while there was a debit balance at the bank, the position had been improved .by £ll/0/6, as compared with last year. The principal items in the statement were as follow:—

Receipts:—Members’ subscriptions, £4O/19/-; donation from Mayor's Fund, £25; headquarters’grants (sick members and canteen) £131; sale of poppies £95/7/4; Christmas dinner competition £55/5/6; total £385 6/11. Expenditure:— Benevolent grants £lO2/2/11; Christmas cheer £56/2/-; H.Q. grants paid out £7O; cost and freight (poppies) £36/15/9; expenses and typing (two years) £3l; capitation £l9/11/-; donation to Patriotic Fund £lO/10/-; delegates’ expenses £l2; printing, advertising and petties £l2/5/-. Total £4Ol/4/3 (including debit balance of £26/14/3 carried over from last year). The debit balance at the bank was shown at £l5/14/3.

Mr. Herring added that the position had since been considerably improved by the Anzac Day collections, and by the sale of poppies. The latter had been a magnificent effort, and he was very pleased to see that the splendid work of the organisers had been mentioned in the report. The secretary (Mr. T. P. Ryan) stated that many more poppies could have been sold if supplies had been available. Both Brunner and Runanga had asked for more poppies, and the executive had been unable to supply them.

The balance sheet was adopted. On the suggestion of the secretary,' it was decided that ’the incoming executive make a drive for new members. He said that the sub-Associa-tions xvere wonderful with their membership, but many more members could be obtained in the Greymouth district.

The election of officers resulted as follow:—President, Mr. A. H. McKane (re-elected); Vice President, Mr. O. McLean (re-elected); secretary, Mr. T. P. Ryan (re-elected); assistantsecretary, Mr. W. E. Pring (re-elect-ed); treasurer, Mr. H. Herring (reelected); auditor, Mr. E. Parfitt (reelected); honorary solicitor, Mr. F. A. Kitchingham (re-elected); executive, Messrs. H. Trouland, T. H. Jones, A. J. Fairmaid, G. Batty, W. Fairman, J. Smith, W. Green, G. G. M. Mitchell.

It was decided to write to the cemetery sexton, Mr. J. McDiarmid thanking him for the care and attention given the 93 soldiers’ graves af the Karoro Cemetery.

It was decided on the motion of Mr. H. Trouland, that identification crosses be placed on unmarked soldiers’ graves at the cemetery, and Mr. G. Batty was thanked for his offer to make the crosses.

Mr. T. H. Jones was appointed delegate to the annual conference 'to be held at Wellington on May 28. It was resolved that a meeting of representatives of the sub-associa-tions be called to make arrangements for the annual re-union to be held in Greymouth at an early date. On the motion of Mr. W. Green, it was decided that the executive keep in touch with men returning from the present war, with a view to their becoming members of the Association.