NAVY LEAGUE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17104, 8 September 1917, Page 5

NAVY LEAGUE.

OTAGO BRANCH.

A meeting , of the executivo of the above was hold at the Education Board office yesterday afternoon, Mr J. A. Johnston© m tho chn.ir.

Tho Secretary reported that since tho last mooting (July i>7) lantern lectures had been deliverer! at St. Clair, Otago Girle' High (including mipila at Archorfiold and St. Andrews), lljgholiff". Wnitaki Boys' High, Cnversham, Normal. Musscßburgh, Mornington, Macandirew Ttoad, and Sawyers' Bay Schools. A framed picture—"Faithful Unto Death "—had been presented to each of the 65 school branches. Four thousand fivo hundred School Navy League Quarterlies were distributed among tho school members. Tho total number required wee 5200, vdiVli, it was hoped, would come to hand in tho next consignment. According to tho annual report of fcho Homo League, 20,000 of these Quarterlies are now published , , a fact which w»e of interest to tho Otago branch, as it was in rmrt duo to its suggestion that this publication was issued, and this branch's requirements wore- equal to one-fourth of the total issue, Cablo advioe had bnen received that the essay prize books for 1917 would be shipped at tho end of tho current month.

Tho Chnirrmn announced that as a result of an appeal made last week to the memb"rs of the branch for funds to send a Christmas β-ift of tobacco and chocolato to the petty ofKeere and ere-w of H.M.6. New Zealand," the sum of £95 18s had been received NKIfIOX DAT. _ Respecting a communication from the Homo Office ns to tho celebration of tho above, the Chairman said the principal matter for consideration was tho observance of Nelson Day, known formerly us Trafalgar Anniversary Day. This year it would fall on a Sunday. Last year, notwithstanding the fnct that we had as the principal speaker our president (tho Minister of Defence), tho interest taken in the mooting by members and the. general public was not nro-it,. and the attendance ■was disappointing. Several things might have contributed to that state of things, but he thought wo had to look deeper for the chief reason for the comparative failure. Our nation was engaged in a desperate struggle for rhe existence of herself and her allies]" and it seemed to him that people were in no mood to meet together to hear of the glorious deeds and traditions, of the navy. Then- concern to-day was fox the present and futuro of our nation, and,,-in-deed, of the whole civilised world, and so it seemed that for tho present, at all events, wo should discontinue the annual function on tho anniversary of tho preat and glorious 21st of October, 1805. Tc the future, if each member of tho allied nations played its part well, w« might have, and he hoped' would, have an even greater day to commemorate, but in the meantime he t" c ' u j> tl * if we tried to arrange for the churches throughout the city to hold special services of a national and thanksgiving character on Sunday, October 21.' we should be doing a thing which would harmonise with the present situation. Superintendents of Sunday schools might similarly be invited to speak to "their scholars collectively regarding the dav; and public school head' masters, where convenient. Shipping and husniess houses and the citizens generally, would bo invited' to commemorate tho .lay by dispaving flags on the Monday, and, as usual Nelsons immortal signal for ihe day of battle wotild be flown from the mast at Hie Triangle. If these views -jommended themselves to (V committee, tho effective carrying out ot them might bo left in the'hands of the secretary and a small sub-commattee.— lnc chairman's suggestions were approved, atid a sub-ronipiittee was appointed to make the necessary arrangements. II; was derided to send a Christmas parcel to each of the Otago members of the Motor Boat Patrol, the packing to bo left to the kind offices of tho women's branch of the Otago Patriotic arid General Welfare Association. •