STILL EXPANDING

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20622, 25 November 1941, Page 2

STILL EXPANDING

AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION HIGH GISBORNE TOTAL SUPPORT OF MEMBERS Despite the war, the membership of Ihe Automobile Association, Auckland, is still expanding, and the Gisborne membership is going up along with that in other parts of the province. This was reported to a big meeting of members in the Bon Accord rooms last night, when, in addition to a few short speeches, three instructive films were screened. Mr. F. Tolerton, chairman of the Gisborne advisory cimmittee, was in the chair. Mr. F. G. Farrell, the president of the association, said he appreciatea the loyalty and support of members, for the association had increased its membership by 2812 from August 31, 1939, up to the end of last month. He paid a tribute to the efforts of the association’s Gisborne agents, Messis. Ball and Crawshaw, whose energy and popularity had helped to raise the district membership to about 1600. He hoped members would continue to be loyal to the association, which, when the war ended would be ready to give even better service than ever before in the association's 37 years of existence. Patrol’s Illness The secretary of the association. Mr. G. W. Hutchison, added his congratulations to the local agents and to the Gisborne patrol, Mr. G. V. Merton, who. unfortunately, was absent from the gathering through illness. The average payment of subscriptions in Gisborne was higher than that for the whole territory. Referring to the extensive sign-posting work, he said that 35.000 signposts had been erected at a cost of about £1 each. It was a pity, therefore, that any should be wilfully broken, and he asked members to report any cases of vandalism.

Continuing. Mr. Hutchison said that a caravan section was recently formed and a rendezvous of 30 or 40 gathered on one occasion. If there was a demand for such a section in Gisborne the association would give it every encouragement, and he would suggest that some similar gatherings should be held here. Work Among Children Mr. I-I. W. Bullock, the association’s vice-president, said that the association paid a great deal of attention to the centres outside Auckland, and the president or some member of the central council attended 50 meetings a year outside Auckland, and 75,000 children had been addressed during the past year by Mr. S. Ringer, child safety instructor, who also had shown the safety first film to 45.000 children.

The Mayor, Mr. N. H. Bull, said that one thing could be said of the Automobile Association and that was that the headquarters of the association did not forget Gisborne as some other organisations did, and representatives of the council made a practice of attending the principal gatherings here. He congratulated the association on its work and thanked the central council for the interest shown in Gisborne and the district. Just before the screening of the films, Mr. Farrell mentioned the valuable efforts of Mr. Tolerton and other members of the advisory committee, and on Mr. Farrell’s suggestion a hearty vote of thanks to them was carried by acclamation.