VICTORIA LEAGUE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20966, 4 March 1930, Page 3

VICTORIA LEAGUE.

ANNUAL MEETING OF OTAGO BRANCH. The twenty-fifth annual meeting of the Otago branch of tht Victoria League was held in the Town Hall yesterday afternoon. The Mayor (Mr R. S, Black) occupied the chair and there was a good attendance of members. ANNUAL REPORT.

The annual report was read by the secretary. Miss Jackson, as follows: “ The principal event of the year was the Sixth Biennial Conference at Wangaiiui last October. It was attended by 18 delegates from all the centres in New Zealand and was presided over by the venerable Archdeacon Creed Meredith. A.s is only to be expected from a branch of the ictoria League, <101680168 enjoyed much hospitality and incidentally drd a good deal of work. In listening to the reports froiti other centres, secretaries were interested in different angles of view on the same activities, and sometimes picked up new ideas for work. Discussions on the remits were very 1 * general and a real desire was shown to seize upon anything that would further the traditions of the league. The remits from Dunedin created great interest, particularly the suggestion to offer prizes for the speaking of English for competition among tht students of Teachers* Training Colleges, as an,endeavour to inculcate in young teachers a love of the English language so that they might be strengthened in the teaching of the youth ot the Dominion. 1 In* the centres where training colleges are established, it was decided to approach the principals and endeavour to put this suggestion into force.

Jn suggesting the organising of new branches. Dunedin was asked to do something with regard to Invercargill, where at one time there were quite a number of members.

“The most important item of legislation was undoubtedly the decision to help the Society for the Overseas Settlement of British Women by undertaking the control of a tour of the Dominion by hmglish school girls, arriving early in 1931. The presidents of the Victoria Deague centres were formed into a special committee to arrange details of the tour, the conference secretary informing London headquarters of the decision. Lady Buckleton, president in Wellington, is now in receipt of a cable from the society expressing their thanks and delight that the Victoria League should undertax® the programme and hospitality and advising that 26 gir]s and two directors propose sailing early in January, 1931, arriving Home again towards the end of May. They will therefore probably be some 10 weeks in New Zealand. As this scheme works out, it will be reported to members and offers of hospitality for the girls visit to Dunedin will be most gratefully accepted. The next biennial con* «£ ce Tn . ll he in Christchurch. .Reverting now to more domestic concerns the membership has increased slightly during the year, and a great many members visiting England have taken advantage of the travelling privileges, which consist of a card of membership and a letter of introduction to the London secretly, the_extra subscription for which is sent to London. We have also had an unusual number of English members beards letters of introduction, and have enjoyed, returning some of the hospitality our own members so invariably receive in England. One visitpr was Miss Winifred tniy, who brought an interesting and educational collection of posters for exhibition.

“ Th ia branch organised an appeal for the sufferers in the earthquake districts, and, Victoria League members throughout New Zealand contributed £227 4s. We were also pleased to support and help monetarily the farewell organised by the Mayoress and women of Dunedin in honour of Lady Alice Fergusson. May_ 24, Queen Victoria’s birthday, was again fittingly recognised by a large gathering of members, who listened with great interest to a fine address by Mr W. R. Brugh, and were also much interested m a delightfully informal talk by Miss Joachim, who gave her personal experience of_ the hospitality given in England to visiting members. “The Book Club has perhaps been the most actively pursued work during the year. Very large numbers of books and papers have been received, for which we are- most grateful, and as the club has now been established for eight years, the membership has become very large. Some have been members since the inception, hut we have a large floating membership, as it were, who remain members for two or three years, and then apparently move from their more or less isolated distict to one which supports a public library. Our Book Day on May 31 of this year was tremendously successful; very fine books and papers were collected from all suburbs. On all visits ot the lutanekei to this port cases of hooks and magazines are sent by the com te.sy of the captain to lighthouses and lonely islands. •

‘‘We were glad last May to receive a * if a re Port from the secretary of the South African Soldiers’ Graves Association, which acts as a sub-comrait-tee of the Victoria League in London. -Lins report has a list of the names of men who fought and died in the Boer War whose graves this committee cares for and the committee thought that the relatives •n the dominions should know of this care Ihe information was duly circulated in the press.

We have kept in touch with some schools for correspondence in South Africa where, at the present time, there is n big demand for New Zealand correspondents both for girls and boys. It only remains to say one thing, people so often ask what the league exists tor. and what benefits are derived from membership. We are a non-political nonsectarian association of men and women who seek by personal service to promote a friendly understanding throughout the British Empire We aim at offering the hand of brotherhood, irrespective of class, to all, thereby cementing the foundations ot the Empire, and thus in times of peace preparing an organisation which, in time ot need, will be, in whatever capacity re* quired, at the service of the British Empire. ADDRESS BY LADY SIM. In moving tho adoption of the annual report, the president (Lady Siml said she had to thank the members of the executive and their most diligent secretary for the help given her during tho year She had also to congratulate the society on the /act that one of their veteran members, Mrs Eardley Reynolds, had returned to Dunedin after a visit Home. Mrs Reynolds had consented to be their acting president during her absence in England The speaker referred to the movement for the sccoiai screening of films suitable for children. This had been one of their remits at the New Plymouth conference in October, 1928. They had worked quietly towards the idea, and would have pursued it, but thev hid learnt that Sir Charles and Lady Alice hergusson were endeavouring to finalise the project with the proprietors'of Haywards in Auckland, and they now only had to support the scheme. They all knew the enormous influence for good or bad the Kinerna must' be, and, moreover, as the talking picture was a serious contribution to tiioir spoken language their branch following the lead of B the branch was oftnl 'ihg prizes for competition among the students at teachers’ r jl , [cse n., to .7 ea t c a standard of hood English. The idea was also to brimjudgment to boar of a critical nature on the English placed before tho public generally, and their children especially Ladv i- , gave iler satisfaction to realise that she would be at the annual meeting in London of the Mothers’ Eeagne as the branch’s representative.— (-Applause.)

ihe Mayor seconded the motion, then referred to the splendid effort made by the branch to assist the sufferers from the earthquake last year, and said that it showed the practical sympathy of the Otago_ branch. Lady Sim had worked hard in the interests of the branch, and also in the interests of other societies, and she would have their good wishes while she was away on her holiday.— (Applause.) _ He hoped that when the English school girls came to New Zealand they would he given every opportunity of seemg the South Island (Applause ) . Mrs Andrew Cameron related a few incidents in connection with' her visit Home, and the motion was then put and earned. OFFICE-BEARERS. Miss M. Smith moved and Mrs Cameron seconded the election of the following olhee-bearers: — President, Lady Sim; vice-presidents— Mesdames Frank Clapperton. William Laidlaw, F, 0. Reynolds. P. R. Snrgood and Miss Cargill; secretary and treasurer.

Miss Jackson: Executive Council—Mcsdames Eden Bowler, Thomas Fergus, B. C. Haggitt. R. Kennedy, A, G. Neville, J. M. Ritchie, Lady Allen. 'Misses C. Anderson. Begg. Burton. Cooke, and ■Downie Stewart, Sir John Sinclair, Messrs G. M. Thomson. M.L.C., W. Downie Stewart, M.P., P. R. Sargood, and II L. Tapley; hon. auditor, Mr W. T. Monkman. One year’s leave of absence is granted Lady Sim, and Mrs E. C, Reynolds will act as president. Miss Cargill will become a vice-president. The motion was carried. The proceedings concluded witli the singing of the National Anthem.