VICTORIA LEAGUE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18265, 7 December 1933, Page 5

VICTORIA LEAGUE

ADDRESS BY MR. LIST The district Governor of Rotary, Mr T. G. List, lias arranged to stay an extra day in Gisborne in order to address the Victoria. League on the subject of tho British Empire. The lecture, which will be open to the public, will be given to-morrow afternoon in the large room in the Albion Club buildings formerly used by the Y.W.C.A. The 'British Empire is a small model oil the federation of the world aimed at by the League of Nations. The Union Jack stands for freedom, constitutional government, progress, and sanity. The object of all Empire leagues (of which it appears there are 38), is to draw members of the British race closer together in honesty and goodwill, and so increase our (power and serve the cause of humanity and peace.

There is at present only one Empire society functioning in Gisborne. That is a branch of the Victoria League, a non-party association of British men and women founded in 1901 to promote closer union between British subjects living in different parts of (he world. With this object in view the league (1) organises personal intercourse between individuals at Home and individuals in the Dominions, colonies and dependencies, arranges mutual hospitality and secures a welcome for British subjects throughout the Empire; (2) acts as a centre for the collection and distribution of information, spreads knowledge and interest with regard to places and conditions in the Empire by means of lectures and by the circulation of hooks and newspapers; (3) carries out similar work among the rising generation by picture talks, essay competitions and other means, and by promoting correspondence between schools and individual children at Home and in the Dominions.

The Poverty Bay branch is doing valuable work on a. small scale. But men give it little support. It is erroneously regarded as - a woman’s society. Members of the league make no secret of their hope that Mr List’s address may result- in this handicap being lessened. The essay competitions to lie instituted next year by the league in all the schools could very well be handed over entirely to the men, and much other work undertaken. The women have done their best. It seems to league members that it is now up to the men to help in a work which is for the common good.