ORPHANDOM.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXXII, Issue 2766, 24 August 1931, Page 5

ORPHANDOM.

THE PAEROA CLUB. MANY VISITORS. Saturday session of the Paeroa Orphans’ Club should long be remembered by the 100 odd members and visitors who were privileged to be present on this mmorable occasion. Bro. Professor Maxwell Walker, of Auckland, Vice-President of the Club, was in the chair, and the entertainers were a strong party from , the Otahuhu Orphans Club. With such a well-known chairman and with the prospect of a splendid musical programme, for the reputa-i tion of the visiting brethren had preceded them, members sat back and lit their pipes in pleasant anticipation/ The Paeroa Orphans Club Orchestra, under Bro. V. J. Innes,,, opened tile proceedings with an, overture from Vincent Youman’s “No, No, Nanette.” and gave the “Philo Serenade March” as a second number-. After Bro. Walker had expressed his thanks for the honour done him by making him a vice-president of the club and having him to preside, Bro. F. Woodard opened the concert programme with the song, .“A Farewell,” and when gonged for an encore he sang “The Harvester’s Night Song.” Humorous numbers were given by Bro. Rex Yates; Bro. H. Woods sang “French Hussars” and “Harlequin”; and then some plaintive Hawaiian melodies were given by a string quintette. In extending a welcome to . the visitors, the chairman specially mentioned the members of the Otahuhu Club, and Bro. A. M. Samuel, M.P., and went on to explain the origin of Orphandom. It had been suggested that they were followers “of 'Orpheus, the Grecian god .of music, but as far as New Zealand was . concerned the movement commenced thirty or forty years ago, when some, seven young men, who had no better homes than boarding-houses, formed the habit of meeting regularly on Saturday evenings? From that small beginning the organisation had grown until now there were over forty clubs and hundreds of members. Bro. E. Harvey was the next vocalist. his numbers being “Duna”. and “Until,” and the concluding items before the supper interval were by Bro. Dan Flood, whose songs at the piano were excellent. The second half was commenced with the rendering by the orchestraof the overture, “The Scarlet Crow,” by C. W. Bennet, the recall piece being D. B. Hall's “Glenwood March.” For the ehairman’s address Professor Maxwell Walker gave a masterly oration on education. . Bro. C. Queen sang “Away out on ‘the’ Mountains,” his encore number being “Frankie and. Johnnie.” Bro. H. Woods followed, his songs being "“I Am Fate,” and “Tally-Ho.” In expressing thanks to the visitors for the entertainment which they had provided, Bro. W. Marshall said that all members had looked forward to the evening when they had heard that Bro. Warker wasi to preside. Members had listened to English such as all would like to be able to speak it, and the thoughts had been as clear as all present would like to be able to think them. The sentiments and thoughts would find a ready response in the minds of the brethren in Paeroa. The deepest thanks of th? club were due to the chairman and to the members of the Otahuhu Club, who had come so far to entertain the Paeroa brethren. The songs “Duna” and “Until” were sung by Bro. E. Harvey, after which Bro. Pheasant, Vice-President of the Otahuhu Club, in returning thanks said that the Paeroa Club was known far and wide for the manner in which it entertained its visitors. W’fiereever the club had visited it had been told that it should make a point of visiting Paeroa, and now that a visit had been made the members knew the reason for the fame of the Paeroa Club. The memory of the visit would linger for many a long day. Continuing the entertainment., Bro. Rex Yates gave further humorous recitations, which evoked prolonged applause. so that he had to give two further numbers before members would let him resume his seat. Bro. F. Woods followW with the songs “Vale” and “The Birth of Morn,” and then, by special request, Bro. Maxwell Walker recited “The Hell Gate of Soissons,” as only a master of elocution could render it. His second piece was “You Knew What I Mean.” The -last vocalist was Bro. Da'j Flood, whose humourous songs were of great merit. Bro. Flood played the accompaniments in a manner such as it is seldom the privilege of Paeroa audiences to hear. The evening concluded shortly be- ' fore midnight with “Auld Lang Syne” and the “National Anthem.”