MATAURA NEWS

Southland Times, Issue 21716, 31 May 1932, Page 10

MATAURA NEWS

(From Our Correspondent.) The Mataura Unemployment Committee met for its weekly meeting on Thursday night. His Worship the Mayor (Mr C. D. McConnell) presiding. The board advised the usual allocation for work for the unemployed under No. 5 Scheme and this the committee acknowledged. Three applications for labour under 4a Scheme were received and approved. The proposed unemployed camp in the Tuturau district was considered and it was resolved _to communicate with Mr F. Trapski, member for the Mataura riding. on the County Council, and to explain that some of the local men had signified their intention of entering the camp if established. In the Stewart Hall on Friday evening a euchre party and dance was organized in aid of the building fund of the Ladies’ Rest Room Committee. There was a large attendance and as a result the funds will benefit by a good amount. Girl Guide Movement. The coming of age celebrations in connection with the Girl Guide movement throughout the British Empire were fittingly celebrated by the local organization during last .week when a series of appropriate functions were held in honour of the event. On Saturday a very successful tea and social evening was held at which there was an attendance of approximately 120, including brownies, guides, rangers, executive committee, honorary members and parents. Dr I. Woodhouse (commissioner) presided, having associated with her Miss R. V. Aitken (Gore), District Commissioner. The most recently enrolled guides stepped forward and lit the 21 candles which adorned the birthday cake. An entertainment was given by the brownies and thoroughly enjoyed. During an interval in the programme six girls were enrolled as guides and a “flying up ceremony” from brownie to guide was performed, one candidate participating. A thoughtful action on the part of a brownie was the presentation of a bouquet to Mrs E. Barrett, the first honorary member of the pack. The celebrations were concluded on Sunday with a church parade to the Mataura Presbyterian Church. When the two companies of guides under Dr. I. Woodhouse, Misses Nancy Hedley (captain), and Doris Chamberlain (lieutenant) and the two brownie packs under Misses Marian Munro (laughing owl), Jean Scott and May Wheeler (tawny owls) with a total parade state of 57 attended. The church was crowded to its full capacity and the Rev. David McNeur occupied the pulpit and conducted the special order of service such as had been held throughout New Zealand for the day. Prior to his inspiring sermon on service, the preacher heartily welcomed the parade and stated that it was a great occasion in the guide movement in that all churches, Roman Catholic, Protestant and Jewish, throughout the Empire were making special reference to the day. That day, he said, gave them 21 years of service. At various times in the world’s history it had to be acknowledged that there had been many great armies led by illustrious officers, but he believed the greatest army of all was the youth army of today which, thank God, was not for the destruction but the saving of men’s lives. As a citizen of the community Mr McNeur admitted his indebtedness to the guide movement for which he bespoke the support it richly deserved. During the 21st birthday celebrations of the local Guides and Brownies on Saturday night, each member present handed in small gifts which will be kept until Christmas when they will be distributed amongst the children of local unemployed. This gracious little act must surely be typical of the thoughts actuating the members in their desire to assist others. The decision of the Southland Education Board to call for tenders for the purchase of the property with brick and wooden buildings on it recently used as an infant school and situated in Kana street south, was responsible for a special congregational meeting of members of the Mataura Presbyterian Church at which the question of the suitability of the property as a Sunday School and a location for the proposed new church building was discussed. The large attendance fully considered the proposition placed before it and finally it was decided to set up a committee to consider the matter with power to submit a tender if it thought fit. After thorough investigation the committee decided to tender and it is understood that this has been accepted by the board and sent forward. to the department in Wellington for confirmation. Should the purchase be finalized it is confidently anticipated that the congregation will institute immediate preparations for the erection of a new place of worship, as the present building has done service for something like 60 years. The present appointments are inadequate to accommodate the various organizations connected with the congregation’s activities!