SOCIAL EVENING

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20640, 1 February 1937, Page 4

SOCIAL EVENING

WELCOME TO MR AND MRS RITCHIE A welcome home to Mr and Mrs J. M. A. Ritchie who were recently married was given by many of their Temuka friends, in the form of a dance, in the Druids’ Hall on Saturday evening. The Football Club, .with which Mr Ritchie has been closely associated as an official for several years, took the opportunity to present a standard lamp to the guests of the evening. The presentation was made by the president (Mr R. A. Lyall), who said that it afforded the club much pleasure to be able to recognise to some extent the great amount of valuable assistance Mr Ritchie had given. The footballers of the district wished Mr and Mrs Ritchie a long life of happiness. Mr T. Dwan, a former president of the club, said that as a coach of lower grade teams he had been in a good position to know just how valuable Mr Ritchie’s coaching had been. As president of the club he had at all times had the greatest help from their guest, and he hoped that Mr Ritchie’s years of coaching successive grade teams from the lowest up would be rewarded in the coming season by the seniors winning the Skinner Cup. They had been runners-up last year and possibly ; were rather unfortunate in not achievIng the highest honour. If Mr Ritchie was able to devote the same time and the players supported him loyally there was a bright prospect for the 1937 season. He also paid a tribute to the popularity of Mrs Ritchie’s family and congratulated her husband on the “selection” he had made. Mr Ritchie said he was proud of the gift that the club had made. His association with the club had been most happy. The players were a fine lot of young men, and he felt that Temuka had every chance of winning the Skinner Cup if the team could be kept together. It was not always possible for young men to find work in the district, and in past years the club had been unfortunate in losing good players who went elsewhere to take up work. Throughout the evening dancing was held. Items of entertainment were given by Miss C. Oliver and Misses P. and M. Spillane. Mr W. Seeler was master of ceremonies, and music was provided by a local pianist.