OPOTIKI ORPHANS’ CLUB

Opotiki News, Volume III, Issue 319, 4 October 1940, Page 2

OPOTIKI ORPHANS’ CLUB

ANNUAL MEETING VISIT BY COLONEL LOACH The annual meeting o£ the Opotiki Orphans’ Club was held in the Masonic Hall on Wednesday night, the retiring president, Bro. Geo. Dawson, presiding over a small attendance. The guest of the evening was Colonel A. E. Loach of Christchurch General Secretary of the New Zealand Association of Orphans and Savages. The minutes of the previous annual meeting and of a special general meeting held last September were read and confirmed, and the annual report was read by the president. The balance presented by the treasurer, Bro. L. D. Duff, showed a satisfactory balance.- It was resolved to carry on the activities of the Club next season. Election of Officers

The election of officers took place as follows: Patron, Bro. A. N. Davies. ■ President, Bro. C. F. Shaw. Vice-Presidents, Bros. S. M. Jephson, A. Debreceny, G. A. Dawson. Hon. Secretary, Bro. E. C. East. Hon. Treasurer, Bro L. D. Duff. Hon. Auditor, Bro. C. F. Cave. Hon. Conductor, Bro. M. L. Meiklejohn. Chief Steward, Bro. D. K. Forbes

Committee: Bros. A. G. Stevenson, A. E. Reece, G. Peagram, H. L. Parkinson, C. F. Cave, Alan Shaw.

> An address was given by Colonel Loach who stressed that one reason for carrying on clubs was to keep them alive for the sake of those members at the Front. He suggested that the club appoint a member of the committee as a correspondent to overseas men. A letter would be sent periodically to these members reporting the doings of the club. The toast to the guest was proposed by Bro. Dawson, and later in the evening Bro. Debreceny expressed the) thanks of the club to Colonel Loach for h:s visit.

The evening concluded with supper and a short programme. Items were given by the orchestra, a song was given by Bro. Reece, and stories told by Colonel Loach. The evening closed with the singing of “Auld Lang Syne.”

ANNUAL REPORT Your committee has pleasure in presenting the annual report for the club’s ninth season. Membership: Our membership at 75 was approximately the same as the previous year, and practically all subscriptions were paid. The Session: A regular meeting night was fixed, namely the fourth Thursday of the month, and not.ccs were sent to members covering the whole session. Four men’s evenings were held, and all were well attended. Unfortunately no interchange of visits with neighbouring clubs could be arranged during the year. Bro. Sid. Guinness of the Tauranga Club presented our club with a gavel for use of the chairman in keeping order at meetings. Ladies’ Evening: The date fixed for ladies’ evening was in September, after the outbreak of war. A special general meeting of the club decided to cancel ladies’ evening for 1939 and this caused widespread regret among members and more especially their wives and lady friends. As it transpired, the action of the special meeting was rather precipitate, and more mature consideration of the matter would probably have resulted in a decision to carry on with the evening.

Programmes: Special thanks are due to Bro. McDougall and his orchestra who were the mainstay of every programme. A noteworthy feature this year was that all orchestral members, although entitled to be honorary members, were full paying members of the club. Finance: The balance sheet will show a very satisfactory financial position, the cash balance being much higher than usual owing to there being no ladies’ evening. The War: Since the close of the Session 13 of our members have gone, away on Active Service. We extend our heartiest congratulations'to these members, and wish them all the best of luck and a safe return. As soon as the War started, the need was felt of a Farewell Committee, and the-club joined with the R.S.A. in forming a special committee to arrange farewells for departing soldiers. Several very happy gatherings were staged. In January, 1940,'this committee was requested by the Patriotic Committee to leave the matter of farewells to the _ Patriotic Entertainment Committee, and our committee accordingly disbanded. Prospects: The committee thought, it unwise to attempt to hold gathering this year, owing to the much

reduced membership. However, members have expressed a desire that our activities should continue, and the matter will be fully discussed at this meeting. Thanks: In conclusion, the committee extends its grateful thanks to all who assisted in making 1939 a successful season. For the Committee: G. A. Dawson, President.

Members on Active Service D. Debreceny, Harvey Hawkins, P. Kerr, R. Larabie, R. A. Lynch, G. Lysaght, B. Leathwick, R. McNee, S. McDougall, J. W. Sankey, H. G. Simpson, R. H. Smith, F. Wrigley,