NAVY LEAGUE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXIII, Issue 15922, 7 May 1912, Page 9

NAVY LEAGUE.

A YEAR'S PROGRESS. 'THE ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the Canterbury branch of tho Navy League was held last night, Professor Blunt presiding over a moderate attendance. The sixteenth annual report stated that the president, had visited Great Britain and Germany during the year and saw much of interest from a Navy League point of view. Captain Marcicl andTtfr Allan'Hopkins had also visited England and carried letters of introduction from tho branch to the London office. Two meetings of the Council and nine meetinm of the Executive Committee of the branch had been held and a good deal of attention had been given to various subjects, notably to the sea-training of boys. The flagstaff !in Victoria Square had been very effectively decorated on Coronation Day by a number of lady members of tho League, who received the thanks of the committee and a photograph of the decorations. Attempts had been madeto induce the Railway Department and Tramway Board to exhibit a Navy League wall map at the Christchurch railway station and tram shelter respectively, but without success. In the former oaso the General Manager or Railways referred the committee to the advertising contractor, and the latter offered to exhibit a map for £o 5s per annum if the committee made a three years' contract.. Lectures under the auspices of the League had been given at Oxford on the "Royal Navy by the Rev Eliot Chambers; and at Christchurch, on the " Foreign Policy of Germany, her Army and Navy,' by Mr; H. J. Marriner; on "Naval Guns ,and Gun Mountings," by Professor R. J. Scott, and on " Our British Heritage" by Mrs J. A. Newell. Arrangements foY a lecture at Little River by

tho Roy E. Chambers fell through on account of bad weather. The lecture at Oxford had resulted in the enrolment of a number of members. Ihe examiners, Professors Htskm and Hi"ht and the late Rev C. H. Morebuid, had adjudicated oh the "Trafalgar Day" essays, open to scholars ot secondary and primary schools in Canterbury north of the river Bakaw> ""■ prizes presented by tho Christchurch Centre. On Trafalgar Day lady members, tho girls of Girton College and St Margaret's College, and other* had again decorated tho flagstaff in Victoria Square, and bunting was hoisted & commemoration of those who fell in tho battle. A wreath sW*3*£; branch was a so placed on tho xscison Column n London. In the evening tho Swn bv local girls and boys in fhe essays competitions -re Presented „+ TTk Maiostv's Theatre b> lurs *■ Boyle A conference of delegates rem mmmß S^JCfed's StXtion l.fc Shore'Homes, ■» d > , is] ,' ol delegates I a view to encouraging the youtn w Lady members of the League inChnstchnroh, assisted by a number of their friends and acquaintances, were woikng enthusiastically, and judging from this and the support which had been Promised the committee's expectations Should be realised.. The deficit which existed at the beginning of the year was being stowly made up. the previous year's accounts showed an expenditure of £53 6s 9d over and above receipts. This year subsenptions together with donations contributed to lielp extinguish the overdraft, exceeded the expenditure by £46 14s 7d.. Receipts also included £25 4s 8d given to the barge fund and £4 4s towards an optical and bioscope lantern. Alter deducting these two amounts, the cash at the bank was £24 7s Bd. Tho sum of £23 13s 9d was owing to tho branch for goods, and outstanding subscriptions amounted to £4O. The branch owed £sl 3s sd. The membership ot the branch was increasing, but the Christchurch membership, as far as adults were concerned, stood about the same as last year, namely 343, due to the resignation of members at Amberley, Rangiora and Kaiapoi. There were 136 junior members subscribing to tho office. Propaganda work was being actively carried out by the committees at Ashburton, Timaru and Waimato, and the membership was increasing at those places. The report was adopted. Officers were electod as follows : President. Professor T. G. R. Blunt; Council, Professor Blunt, Major Hobday, Rev E. E. Chambers, Captain Marciel. and Messrs T. H. Poster and B. K. S. Lawrence. *