BLUE RIBBON ARMY.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XVI, Issue 5184, 3 June 1885, Page 3

BLUE RIBBON ARMY.

lHE l ,Be.cond, annual public' meeting-of the members of the branch of the above organisation at the .Thames was held in the .Temperance Hall, Kolleston-street,; last' night.:' :: There, was a very, large attendance, and among those on the platform were the Rev. W. S,Potter, (in the : chair), Rev, E.G. Evans, Rev. E, Best, and Messrs E.H. Taylor, ,W. J.Speight, and R. West. The meeting was opened with the usual singing and devotional exercises, after,; which, the Chairman explained the business of .the meeting to be the receipt Of the yearly; report ; of the officers, and the election of their' successors -for/ thei.riext year. ,Mr E. E.Taylor, in the absence of Mr Nodder, read the.report of the Secretary, as -follows :-r. :....

/ "The secondj,'annual report of this branch of the Blue Ribbon Army: At the beginning :of -this, year : :'we lost our esteemed friend and (.supporter of the cause 'and ex-President, Rev; T. Adams, 1 on removing from the:district; r and again recently, from the same cause, our friends the Revs. H.'Bull; and O. E. Barley, yet, although lost to us, we believe they are not lost to the cause. We trust their labours will bo continued in the cause of temperance where'er they are gone, and we have ; reason to be thankful for the gentlemen who have come amongst us to fill their respective places, for they are all good men, and true to the cause of total abstinence, and will no doubt carry on the work of their predecessors. During the year themeetingsheld have not been so well attended as in the first year, yet some very good meetings have been held, and the temperance" question,; as connected with the Gospel, has been faithfully proclaimed;' In February last we were favoured with a; visit from Mrs Leavitt, of Boston, Mass,, a'representative of the ;National Women's Christian Temperance. Union of America,.who held only one meeting,' delivering a very able address, and at which meeting several now plodges were obtained. During the year's opera-tions,'fifty-five have signed the pledge of abstinence from all intoxication,, but not having had a Visiting Committee to visit every new and old member, we are unable to say how many remain faithful to the pledge taken, but we have reason to be-J lieve that in-future this important work of visitation will be taken up by a committee of ladies formed at Mrs Leayitt's'meeting, who are willing to; labour in this-noble cause. The past twelve months has been' an eventful one to the cause, of temperance. The visits to the colony' of Mrs Leavitt, Mr R. T. Booth, and Mr Capper, and the marked success each have had, rnust have a telling effect npon the drinking portion of the population, and it is now an. undeniable fact that the cause of temperance is flourishing and growing in favour, and becoming more popular year by year, which is a.sure evidence that it is honoured of God and receives His blessing. We regret that as yet we have been unable to form a choir to aid us in the singing part of our meetings, but on very many occasions we have been ably assisted and accompanied on the piano by Miss Adams, to whom we tender our hearty (hanks. The year's success' has not been all T/fd could cjesivp, yet there has been sufficient to encourage us to labour on, and trust greater success will be achieved in the coming year.-John Noddbr, Hon. Sec." '■'.'.■ :

Mr M. Whitehead, Treasurer, presented the balance-sheet .for the year, which showed'the receipts to have been £11 4s 4d, and the expenditure £14 18s, leaving a balance due'to the Treasurer of £3 13s Bd. ■:■"•;■

The election of officers was then proceeded, with, and resulted as follows:— President. Roy, F. Gf. Evaqs; Vice-Presi-dents, Revs. S. J. Neill, R. Laishley, Woolley, Potter, Best, and'MivE. & Taylor';. Treasurer,' Mr. M. Whitehead ; Secretary, Mr Gibson, Committee; Messrs

W. J.'Adams', t. loyle, W. Swindon, J. Cocks, R. West, J, Paul, Wra. Corin, Jas. Roberts, and R, D. Stewart,

The newly-elected President having assumed the Chair, gave his opening address, pointing'out most forcibly the great amount -of good which could be done to the cause by" individual effort."

> A temperance song, to the air of " Beautiful Star," was nicely rendered by Miss Bennett, after which Mr R. West favoured the audience with one of Gough's inimitable orations, which fairly roused the audience,

I Mr W. J. Speight was the next speaker, and took occasion ' to Boundly rate the temperance people for the.apathy shown by them intemperance matters, mote especially in the polling, or rather, not polling, on-' the decent local option vote being taken,

! Mr E.'H. Taylor followed with an .earnest address based, as ; was that the President on" Personal effort,"

• 'The,Rev.;Mr Best was'the next speaker, and'as a life-long abstainer, spoke to tho benefits to.be derived from total abatinence, and : urging' throughout, a most humourous:address that'the temperance people should take advantags of the power 'placed"in .their- hands to sweep away the traffic in strong drink. ■'

Rev. Mr Potter, in a forcible address on ithe.evils of intemperance, urged upon his audience and all temperance people to be ;more earnest in tho work, both as individuals and as> a body. ; The mecting,.'whieh .wos'one.of tho most successful and host attended thathas. been yet held, and which augurs well for the ! future, ;was brought to a close in the ■usual' manner,; During ; the evening Miss jAdams ably presided at tho Piano/