ST. MARY'S ORPHANAGE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17328, 30 May 1918, Page 2

ST. MARY'S ORPHANAGE

ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of (St. Mary's Orphanage, Mornmgton, was hold yesterday ulternoon, una was numerously atVI ;! ' Primate presided I'ol lowing jure the chief clauses in tho annual report:—For 10 months in the year I hole were 3 I J girls and boys on the register : now there aro 3V. The health of tho children has been good. 'J he appeal for the l/hristmas treat tuiid always meets with a generous response, and last Christmas was no exception. With a family oi 39 in the home, and many old to bo rcincmIjered more money than usual had to bo ducctly spent at Christmas, but there is sun a Miostantial sum in tlio bank awaiting the committee's decision as to how it may best be utilised. £20 more has been spent than last year for boots and shoes, \'i il ,a f 11 " ot I,c ' ea tllnt and Mis Robertson, ot Tapanui, sent us £19, tile proceeds of their concert, we should invo been greatly hampered ; and now the boot shop, Wflich for 14 years has generously al.owed us 10 per cent, discount, can do so no longer, owing to tlio high price ot leather. ln o sum of £100 would proyule the necessary dados and pay for iwipering and painting, and for renovating the plaster. £400 could easily be spent without extravagance in securing uniform beds and bedding, and laying out the grounds and giving us some sheltering fence. As tor the kitchen, most four-roomed cottagcs have a larger one, and pantries and storerooms are all entirely inadequate and inconvenient. Ihc Primate said it pleased him very much to see that there was no falling off in the number of interested friends. There was every reason why they should take a still further interest in orphanage work I hey were very soon about to launch a boys orphanage, and ho trusted that they would bo as suocessful in carrying it on ns they had been with St. Mary's. This would have the effect of increasing the number of those who would require assistance in the institution. The l'rimate reterred to the bombing of hospitals by tho °, nc :? y . r and said that this had caused the death oi a number of New Zealanders. It was to be assumed that these were unmarried men, and the number of inmates i • , would not, therefore, be increased. But now our married men were going away, and we might have to provide v V 1 children whose parents might not be able to provide for them. He noticed that the interest in St. Mary's was by no means flagging, and that it had a number ot incuus who were doing a great deal towards tile maintenance ot children needing nelp. H 0 had just been making an inspection of the buildings and surroundings of the orphanage, and the increased V MT I' , in " ne fornl -mother, brought about by the kind assistance of friends. He spoke of the necessity for keeping the buildings in a state of proper repair, and expressed confidence in tho Divine blessing resting upon the efforts of tion friends to develop the instituf. 5 r . J ' W ° bl > moved the adoption of the ltport and balance sheet. He mennfonpßß *i t IC -j ha< ? P aid off an overdraft ot £88, and had a balance in the bank of and cash in hand £3. The credit balance was not so good as it looked as one month s expenses had to be deducted. Ho referred in highly culogistic terms to the. work done by Sister Ernestine. J-tic motion was carried. hone f K \, Stathan }< M.P., expressed the nope that the coming year would prove just as successful as the past. If offered ins congratulations to the Primate on having readied his 81st birthday, and hoped he might spend many more vears of usefulness m the Diocese of Dunedin bo foH t<; the ™ st of living must be felt m a place like the orphanage. Subscriptions were needed to keep it up ™ki° i Ernestine to carry on her noble work, bho exercised a wonderful influence over the children. Every year the the "ro? WUS in , its state the greater would be the cost of effecting repairs, and lie hoped the committee would see its way to do certain work before it was too late. f R n V ' Canon Small also spoke T" .?£r y i Upo " tlle mflupnee Sister Lrnestine had upon the children. carried. custon,ary votos oi thanks were