CALEDONIAN SOCIETY OF OTAGO.

Otago Witness, Issue 987, 29 October 1870, Page 11

CALEDONIAN SOCIETY OF OTAGO.

The annual meeting of the members of this Society was held on Tuesday evening at the Old Masonio Hall, Princes street. The Vice-Presi-dent, Mr W. C. Kirkcaldy, occupied the chair. The minutes of the last annual meeting were read and confirmed. The Chairman made a few introductory remarks, in the course of which he expressed himself as much pleased to see so good an attendance. He viewed that circumstance as an evidence of the interest taken by the members in the affairs of the Society. The Secretary, Mr W. S. Douglas, read the Directors' Report for the year ending October 1870, as follows ;—; — la presenting their report for the year ending October, 1870, your Directors are pleased to note the continued success of the Society, notwithstanding the serious corn- | mercial crisis to which the Province has been subject* d during the last year. They are farther pleased to report the continued interest' taken by the public in our annual gatherings, and we may now safely assert that the Caledonian Society has attained such a firm basis as to be recognised as one of the standing institutions of the province. Your Directors, therefore, on retiring from office, would urge upon you to continue your e-x«rtions in extending the influence of the Society, and furthering its objects. Your Direotors hope that the day is not far ! distant when, relieved of pecuniary difficul ties, they will be able in a greater degree to devote more of their funds in the cause of charily and education. These have hitherto not been neglected, bnt the heavy burden under which the society has laboured since the erection of the Grand Stand, has greatly retarded our tff >rts in this direction. The debt on the Stand is being gradually reduced, and we are hopeful to have the dei bentureß paid off by the time they fall due. The members' liat compares favourably with former years, and there are yet a num ~<er of returns to he made to the Honorary Treasurer. The difficulty and inconvenience in many cases of collecting members' subscriptions after the annual games, has suggested to your Directors the desirability of | recommending to their successors in offioe the propriety of adopting some rule whereby the subscriptions can be collected prior to the Ist January in every year. Such a measure would materially facilitate the Honorary Treasurer in closing his accounts at an earlier period of the year. In submitting this report, your Directors would briefly refer to some of the principal matters relating to the Society, as follows :—: — Building and Plant. — There has been no material outlay upon the building since last annual meeting. Your Directors, for the convenience of the public, have added to the plant a telegraph board and a few other articles, which have been found to be of great service during ihe games. Fence. —As recommended by previons Directory in their annual report, your Directors applied to the Corporation, requesting them to ref and to the Society the L 25 expended on th« fence last year ; but they are sorry to have to report that their efforts have been fruitless. Several apphca- 1 tions were made to that body, asking them ' to receive a deputation from the Society, in order that the claim might be urged and the matter fully discussed ; but they have on every occasion refused to comply with this requesc. The fence is moat certainly a great convenience to the residents in the neighbourhood and to the public generally, and your Directors truat that your successors in office will take further action in the matter. The laat instalment (LB3 6s 8d) of the Society's moiety of cosr. of the fence was duly paid, in terms of agreement with the Corporation. Debentures. — The original issue of Debentures represented the sum of L 1025. During the year 1869 this amount was reI duced to L 75 5; and your Directors have now to report the amount now floating to be L 72'), being a further reduction during the past year of L 35. Charitable Donations. — Daring the year the sum of L 26 has been expended in relieving special cases of destitution. As mentioned in last report, your Directors may here repeat that m every case where application was made relief Has been granted. Rules. — During the visit of the Hon. the Premier to Otago, your Directors, taking advantage of his presence here, obtained, an audience, with the view to obtaining his opinion as to the probability of an Act being introduced into the General Assembly at its then next session, whereby the •Society would be enabled to register its rules. The Premier promised to give the matter his attention, but as yet nothing haß resulted. The Directors would, however, urge upon their successors not to rest with matters in thiarespeot as they stand, bat to continue

their efforts to get the Society's Rules sanctioned by law. Games. —Your Direotors consider it unnecessary to adverb to the last Annual Games. The members present must have been pleased to witness the orderly manner m which they were conducted, as well as the improved arrangements in the ring. The only additional feature in last year's programme worthy of notice was the prizes forßchool children; the re3ult of the examination being to satisfactory as to induce ysur Directors to oontinue the same next year.

The statement of the Hon. Treasurer wi!l explain to you the financial position of the Society. In conclusion, your Directors hope that for the general good of the Society their succef sors' will work as amicably aa they have done hitherto.

The Hon. Treasurer, Mr Keith Ramsay, then read the financial statement, which appears in our advertising columns. The Hon. Treasurer was highly complimented upon the clear and efficient manner in which the financial statement was drawn up, and a hearty vote of thanks to him was unanimously passed. The election of Officebearers and Directors for the ensuing year was then proceeded with as follows : — Officebearers: Mr Thomas Birch, President ; Mr W. C. Kirkcaldy, Vice- President ; Mr Keith Ramsay, Hon. Treasurer ; and Mr W. S. Douglas, Secretary. Directors : Lieu-tenant-Colonel Cargill, Messrs A. Murray, D Baxter, A. Findlater, J. T. Roberts, R. Bain, A. Lawson, J. Fargie, Job Wain, J. M'Gaw, G. Dowse, A. M'Gregor, T. Beveridge, J. Edmond, R. W. Shepherd, J. Wedderspoon, J. Mills, J. Hislop, A. T. Campbell, W. Caldwell, T. Callender, H, Fraser, J". Murray, J. M'Gregor, H. Calder, C. Moore, and R. Hogg, with power to add to their number. Messrs T. Callender and D. Baxter were appointed Auditors. The proceedings terminated with a vote of thanks to the Chairman.