THAMES OLD BOYS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18381, 23 April 1923, Page 9

THAMES OLD BOYS.

REUNION; OF MEMBERS.

HON., A. M. MYERS ENTERTAINED.; Thamesites/ old and' young, to the number of about 200, held; a joyoua reunion in the Town Hall concert chamber on. Saturday evening, when members of the Thames Old Boys' Association entertained their patron, the Hon. 'A.] M. Myers." The function was arranged by the members of : the ' association resident in Auckland, and in addition to; the ■; principal guest 9. a large number of members •of ; the Thames branch, who arrived ; by a . special excursion on Saturday, were present. ■ - /The president of the association, ''. Mr. ;W. Blomfield, was 'in the chair;.; and I, he 'had associated with him; Mr. R. Muir. the treasurer • of % the .Thames : branch,-; representing ; the. president .of that body.; The gathering took the form of a social evening with a splendid ' musical 'programme," and a comprehensive toast list. ; A feature of the programme was a Maori haka performed by a party of men from H.M.S. Philomel.. ' < ■.■••'. ■ >•■' . •. ; '

In proposing the toast of their patron, the president spoke of the work the Hon,; A. M. Myers had done for ; the Dominion , and the Empire, with : a special reference to his services and: gifts to'the : City of Auckland* and said " they were, : all proud to be able to; speak thus of one ; who ' was an old Thames boy and? the patron of their association. He mentioned that when Mr. Myers went to England to reside it was suggested that they should appoint, 'a new patron. bnt« he was glad to b«" able to say that, by the unanimous wish of the members no change was made. - In replying to . the cordial V greeting which those present gave him, Mr. Myers said"that living as he had dona in London, there , was always : something wanting m the life of a comparative stranger in the- great metropolis, '•■•and that "'-was the ' absence of lifelong friends, .as ? emphasised by the cordial; reception which he had just received. Vl He referred to the old days at the Thames, and said that it was "possible that the younger members did not experience that intensity of feeling about the field and *,- the old hands that the older members ■ Rife '• Times had changed at the Thames mining industry was at a low ebb and agricultural development was proving another 1 source of wealth—but the : old i spirit : remained. ; - Professor ' Maxwell Walker and Mr. J. D. Crawford, ; president and secretaryr respectively of the Auckland Orphans'; Club. were present; as ' representatives of : that bodv, and : received a hearty : ■ - welcome. During the evening; several selections were rendered by the association's orchestra under Mr. F. Cornwall, and musical and vocal items bv the Imperial Quartette and Messrs. W. Fearce, E. Fort; J. Halford, H. Middleton, J. A. Smithson, ■F. Cornwall. D. Black, L. Bickerton and H. Black. The accompaniments were played by Mr. E. Beacham."