FATHERS AND SONS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17183, 29 October 1923, Page 9

FATHERS AND SONS.

BANQUET AT Y.M.C.A. At the Y.M.C.A. on Saturday evening the annual “ Father and Son ” banquet conducted by the Boys’ ’Gordon Hall was held. At seven o’clock a large number of merry-faced lads assembled with their no less merry-faced fathers in the playing-room, and a very plea sant half-hour w.as passed in games of table tennis, scallywag, etc., between father and son. At eight o’clock the gathering adjourned to the spacious gymnasium, where long rows of daint ily spread tables, on which were numberless bottles of the small boys’ joy. namely, raspberryade, were speedily filled with chattering youngsters, numbering with their fathers, about SCO. The chair was taken by the Mayor, Mr J. A. Flesher, who said it was through the work of John Hall that the Gordon Hail was started about fifteen years ago. IJe was pleased that the membership had now' grown to 1450. “Think big and you act big; act big and you are big, is an excellent slogan for boys,” .said the Mayor. “ I want you all to remember those words and you will be successful.” In proposing the toast “ Our King and Country.” he. exhorted all to remember their duty to those who would come after them. * A toast to “ Dad—My Pal.” was proposed by Max Roberts, who said he was pleased to propose the toast of the evening. A boy’s best friend should be his dad. and it was the duty of every boy To make his dad a friend and keep him as a friend. One hint he would give to fathers, however, was that when a boy got into his ’teens he likes to brush his hair as he likes, no matter whether it is a brush-back, brush-up or even a buster cut. The winning team in the gymnasium class w r ere presented with a shield by Mr D. E. Parton. chairman of the physical department, who said the shield was confined to members of the 803-S’ Gordon Hall and presented annually to the winning team in general athletics. The object of the contest formed part of an all-round programme arranged for the building of character. The names on the shield of the winning team were:—N. W. Hawkins (captain), J. Adams, K. R. Bradshaw, J. L. Clark, D. Collins.. E. H. Gregg, D. A. Lane and R. E. Suckling. Mr E. Hitchcock, of the Christchurch Rotary Club, in giving an address, said one could look up regular encyclopaedias of information on subjects such as gardening, but when it came to giving an address to boys, no information was to be found. The. best speaker for the purpose would be someone who was neither a father or a son, and that was a mother. (Applause). The relationship between father and son presented a problem, and that was the problem of “ getting together.” The boy’s sense of proportion was not strong. He, appealed to boys not to let their small activities become of more importance to them than their fathers. Just as two heads were better than one, so it was with hearts. When a father had the confidence of his son, then though his years increased his youth would relege to propose the toast to “ Mother.” He said we were all apt to fail to appreciate all the kindness our mothers had done for us. She was the receiver of our troubles and the dispenser of comfort. _ Mr T. Haslett. the Boys’ \N ork Director, said he felt it a great honour and a sacred trust to be able to help

m some way to form the character of anybody’s boy. He wanted briefly to say that co-operation between father and son was of the greatest benefit to both, and it was in helping to bring about co-operation between them that the Boys’ Gordon Hall aimed af. The great thing was for fathers to make an ally of their sons instead of being simply neutral. He thanked the ladies for the excellent work in the matter of decorations, and all who had helped to make the evening a success.