MEETINGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13450, 29 May 1907, Page 5

MEETINGS.

THE FRENCH CLUB.

A meeting of the French Club was held at St. Paul's schoolroom .last evening. There was an unusually large attendance, and among those present were Admiral Sir Wilmot Fawkes and Lady Fawkes and Mr. Wra. Prickett,' American Consul-General. M. R. Boeufve, French Consul, presided. The proceedings opened with the very funny little farce "Lo Delit de Chasse," by R. Francheville. The cast was filled by Dr. Dean Bamford (Guillaume, Secretaire du Commissariat), Mr. B. "Wallace (Delfine, brigadier), and Mdlle. Blanche Bouillon (Helena, jeune Veuve). The piece.was capitally performed and was much enjoyed. Refreshments were served during the interval by Mrs. Baker and Miss Girdler. A concert followed, the following being the "',,- programme:— from Mendelssohn's first trio, Mrs. McAndrew (piano), Miss. Edith Whitelaw (violin), and Herr Blitz (violoncello);". duo humoristique, "La Cinquantaine," Miss Phyllis Boult and Mr. B. Wallace (sung in costume); cantabile, from Saint-Saens' "Samson et Delila," and " Ouvro tes yeux bleus" (Massenet), Mddle. Bouche; ..Gounod's "Serenade," Mrs. Parkes, with violin obligate played'by Mrs. A. M. Myers; " Canzonetta" (d'Arnbrosio) , played by Miss Whitelaw;:-.;." Berceuse " (Squire), played by Heir Blitz; and "Le Voyageur" , (Uodard) and "L'oiseau s'en vole" (Masse) and "Soupir" (Bomberg), sung by Mr. Hamilton Hodges. The concert was one of the best yet given by the club, which is saying a-good deal. The audience was most responsive, -and the applause was frequent. • During the evening the president presented to Lady Fawkes a. handsome bouquet tied with tricolour ribbons as an expression of the pleasure felt by the club at this her. second visit to its meetings. The meeting was concluded by the singing of the " Marsellaise" and the National Anthem. , PONSONBY LITERARY AND DEBATING SOCIETY. The ordinary meeting of the Ponsonby Literary and Debating Society was held onMonday evening in the lecture hall of the Leys Institute, there being a good attendance. Several new members were elected. The business of the evening was a debate upon the question "Should there be compulsory military training in New. Zealand?" Mr. F. H. Williamson opened in support of the affirmative, and Mr. J. H. Gregory in support of the negative. A number of the members contributed speeches on the subject, and a ; pleasant evening was spent. Upon a vote being taken it resulted in favour of the negative by a majority of ono.