A WORTHY CAUSE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 14572, 6 April 1918, Page 5

A WORTHY CAUSE.

' Y.M.C.A. CAMPAIGN. "It' you people at home have any spare .cash, give it to tho Y.M.C.A." Such is ' the sentiment that has been echoed and re-echoed by thousands of our New Zea- 1 land boys who aie. making such noble , aiid heroic sacrifices on the Western ! front to-day. Coming as such testimony does with unanimity from men sympathetic with the aims and ideals of the Y.M.C.A. movement — coming equally em-, phatically from young fellows who before they enlisted had never seen the| inside of a Y.M.C.A. institution — the appeal for funds to cany on tho grand work of the Red Triangle movement must be one that will touch the heart 01 every parent and of every relative of the brave lads in khaki to-day. Everyone must * have heard of the refreshing cups of hot cocoa and bovi'il served up to the boys at all hours of the day or night at some of the Y.M.C.A.! dug-outs immediately behind the firing-line. Everyone must be familiar with the Red Triangle writing material on which the boys write home, indicating the camp facilities placed at their disposal both in New Zealand and on Active service. Everyone, too, must have heard of the invaluable work' rendered by the Y.M.C.A. movement in the interests of our young men \fhilst on leave in the great metropolis — London. URGENCY OF THE. APPEAL. The Dominion appeal for funds, which is being made at this juncture, conies with significance. Thursday night's cables recorded the fact that the recent retreat . occasioned during the gigantic clash on the Western front liad resulted in a loss of £100,000 to the Y.M.C.A. authorities in the abandoning of huts and stocks. , The extent to which our New Zealand boys may consequently suffer 011. that account may in a large measure.. depend on the generosity of the New Zealand response at this stage. WHAT OTHER DISTRICTS HAVEI DONE. Already details have been published of the magnificent response that has been made by other district^ in the present Dominion campaign, but it is interesting at this juncture to detail what other dis° tricts have raised and to indicate what the Y.M.C.A. is aiming at to obtain from the Gisborne district. According to an official announcement on March 16 last the Dominion Campaign Fund stood at £95,850, made np as follows : Wellington City £23,000, province £20,250, Christchurch City £15,500, Canterbury province £12,700, Dunedin £11,750, Otago province- £10,---OQO, Wanganui £2600; total North Island £45,850, South Island £50,000. Later returns have brought the total up to about £111,000. *• The target that has been set for the Gisborne and East Coast district is £10,000. j Gisborne and its country settlers will have its opportunity next .week, and in the course of the following week, of contributing to "this' worthy cause. Already : the community has responded to previous appeals .in a generous spirjt, the sum of £5000 having been passed through the hands of the local honorary treasurer, Mr E. P. Mountfort, towards the Y.M.C.A. (Trench Comfort Fun^l apart from approximately £5000 raised for Y.M.C.A. huts and. equipment 'in the earlier stage of the war, making a total of about £10,000 from this district. Gratifying as this may be, it should Aot operate against the success of the next week's campaign, and the local executive is confident that Gisbornites %yill act up to the spirit of their accustomed generosity, and when the final '-figures are announced on, Red Triangle Day (Saturday, April 20),;.;-tlie result \yill doubtless compare favorably, -on -a 'population basis', with those of other centres of the Dominion. Gisborne .has responded nobly to the Empire's cause with the bulk of .its younger manhood. Those lads will' not be allowed to go short pf the comforts the Y.M.C.A. affords. . The 'welfare and safety of their boys weighs constantly in the minds of fathers and mothers, : of brothers and sisters, just now, whilst others who cannot go to fight will at least open their purse strings and "do their bit" for the boys who are there. "KICK-OFF" NEXT WEEK. Organisation for the coming campaign is well in hand, andAthe various committees are now actively engaged,. on the numerous details. The national organiser for NewJZealand, Mr A. Varney, will arrive at Gisttorhe on Tuesday morning neit, and his attractive lecture ,on the war work of the 'Y.M.C.A.— "With Our New Zealand Soldiers oii Active Service," illustrated by lantern slides, to' be delivered in His Majesty's Theatre. on Wednesday evening next— iwill afford a fitting "kick-off" -. to the united effort. Meanwhile, a matinee tendered by Matini at His Majesty's Theatre this afternoon provided an /initiation.'.. Valuable assistance, it /should be added, has already been rendered by the Manutuke Women's National Reserve and the Ormond Ladies' Patriotic Guild. The latter, as mentioned yesterday, are aiding the funds . with the part proceeds; of a. sale of: work,, whilst, the Manutuke ladies have already held a sports and fete gathering, and have now organised a patriotic social for Tuesday evening next. CO-OPERATION OF THE LADIES. Despite the wet day, a. large bodv! of ladies attended the meeting for the Jted Triangle campaign called.' hy Mrs, Sherratt (the Mayoress), in Trinity school room yesterday.. Mrs Sherratt pnesided. Mrs. W. A. Smith 'was elected hon. Secretary, and Miss Dawson; hon. treasurer. Cdmmittefl. : Mesdames Reeve, Puflett, 3.. Johnston, E. H.- Mann, J. Colley, T. Hogg, Whiteley, vSteveiison, Keany, J. Blair, T. A. Crawford, H. Whyte, C. Thomas, Fairlie G. Gray, Kenway, Stock, Cbtterill, Hamon,\Pyke, Hepburn, Daulton, King, Sykes, W. Graham, and Nolan. Misses G. jPyke, E. Williams, Nolan, Tucker, Brooke-Taylor, Faubert, Coop, with - power to ; add. • It was vproposed to hold a winter fair in the Garrison. Hall (if available) pn a date to : be decided. Stalls ' and competitions of various kinds were decided on, full particulars of which will be given later. . .The Women's Rational Beservet'undertook to do all collecting with ' : boxes, street, collection - f*md at Mr. Varney's lecture. Anyone wishing to help . this great campaign is earnestly requested to communicator with Mis'. W. 1 G., 'Sherratt, 'phone 309, f $r. Mrs..,W. A- Smith (secretary), 'phone > 1050. ' . PROPOSED WINTER FAIR. In connection with the winter fair, in addition to other -jf^a tures,. competitions will be held. The competitions are: (1) Prettiest novelty made from, hot ■more than 2^ yards ribbon (e.g./, flowers, bags, baby packets, e£c.) ; (2) prettiest novelty made with home-made beads or partly, with beads (e.g., . bags, beaded flowsrs, etc.): (3) best darned silk stocking ; (4) a short stotfy by adults;-. (5) a short story by children; (6) best Limarick on the word "Spain" ; (7) foiir verses on the Kaiser (for children). Tlle children's competitions are to be divided into three classes : (a) children under 10, (b) from 10 and under 13, (c) from 13 and under 16. In addition Mrs. HA Kenway offers a special Jtfize for the most ornamental .and useful object made from a kerosene tin. All entries are free. They are t^> be sent to Mrs. J. Blair, Box 42, Gisborne, or left at Messrs. Johnston and Smith's. Entries by children should be marked A t B, orC according to age'; th© omission to do so will disqualify. All entries are to be accompanied by a sealed envelope containing the .competitor's- njftna and address; these will not be opened until the competitions have been judged. The