NINETEEN YEARS OLD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21981, 16 June 1933, Page 15

NINETEEN YEARS OLD

BIRTHDAY PARTY OF OTAGO WOMEN’S CLUB Between 300 and 400 members of the Otago Women’s Club met in the club lounge last evening to celebrate the nineteenth anniversary of the club’s inception and to pay their respects to its president, Lady Ferguson. It is the annual custom, on the occasion of the birthday party, for all the circles to provide an item; hence the Arts and Crafts Circle was responsible for the charming programme and the Gardening Circle for the exquisite bouquet which was presented to Lady Ferguson on her arrival. In a gown of silvery embossed chenille georgette, with a cape outlined in feathers and a spray of pale pink flowers at the corsage, Lady Ferguson made a gracious and dignified figure as she stood facing her audience while she made her opening remarks, and, speaking of the development of the club since its inauguration in the fateful year of 1914, expressing her delight in the growing activities of the circles, and thanking the members for the loyalty and affection they all paid to her, she looked what she was—a well-loved and" highly-revered president. Her remarks were replied to later' on in the evening by Mias Grace MTntosh, who expressed in-eloquent terms the club’s affection for Lady Ferguson and its faith in her ability. The programme was perhaps the best that has yet been presented on the occasion of a birthday party. A clever play in which the theft of spoons “ for fun ” took place, was produced by the Play Reading Circle—“ The Piper’s Pay ” with Mrs Eastgate as Evelyn Evans, an inquisitive woman reporter; Miss Lazarus as Mary Clark, a zealous detective; Mrs S. Cameron, as Freda Dickson, a restraining influence; Miss Dorothy Clark as Mrs Charles Dover, a not-so-innocent innocent;-Mrs F. J. Young as Mrs John Burton, an avowed collector of silver; Mrs Mackie Begg as Mrs Hereford Cox, a bore who became a blessing; and Miss Colena Falconer as Katy, the maid. The Motor Circle’s contribution was -a list of limericks (Mrs Gilkison and Miss Campbell, winner and runner-up respectively) read by, Mrg Sraellie; and the Bridge Circle’s ’a charming pageant of living cards introduced by Mrs Williams and explained in song by Mrs Reid—an unusual and very pleasing item. The Poetry Circle gave three tableaux from an English (Christina 1 Rosetti), Scotch (Lady Nairn), and Irish (Moira O’Neill) poetess with the poetess shown in tableaux while one of her poems was read about her. The performers were Misses Mama Service and Burgess, and Mrs Battersby respectively, with Mrs Laurenson, Mrs Herrington, and Miss Holland as the readers. Miss Vida Reynolds introduced the item. The Civic Circle’s item, explained by Mrs Mackie Begg, was an uproarious farce in which a housewife (Mrs Porteous) and a meter reader (Mrs W. J. Williams) discussed "The Burning Question,” and the Literary Circle’s, a scene from Dickens —“ Fanny Sqifeers’s Tea Party”—with Miss Muriel May as Fanny Squeers, Miss Dutton as Tilda Price, Mrs Young as Nicholas Nickleby, Mrs Hervey as John Brodie, and Mrs Williams as the servant. The Music Circle then came forward with another hilarious item—“A Country Concert” — in which an audience in the peculiar garb of a decade or so ago listened to a typical country concert. There were a minister as chairman, two maiden ladies to play a duet on the ramshackle piano, a small boy to give a recitation, twoother ladies to sing a vocal duet, a male singer, and a glee singing “Three Blind Mice” to the frenzied prompting of a conductor. Finally, a bevy of pierrots and pierettes in smart black and white costumes sang a collection of topical verses about the club and its members. During the evening Mrs Mason, Mrs Campbell, and Mrs M'Arthur played incidental music, and Mrs Hutchison announced the items. The evening was a decided success.