REVIEW OF THE YEAR.

Waipa Post, Volume XIX, Issue 1103, 9 June 1921, Page 6

REVIEW OF THE YEAR.

TE AWAMUTU MUNICIPAL BANI>. COMMITTEE'S REPORT. At the annual meeting on Tuesday in connection with the Te Awamutu Municipal Band the following annual report was presented:— The year under review has been a very disappointing one for the band in that so little material progress has been made. Despite all the hard work that is inseparable from the desire for reconstruction the band's position to-day shows little change. Almost every effort has been marred by wet weather or other circumstances beyond control. But we fa<;e the new term with confidence and with the determination to continue the 'effort until the band reaches its full strength again. Financially, as will be seen from the 'balance sheet, no practical headway has been made. A succession of wet nights affected the revenue at our evening entertainments and Labour Day resulted in » slight loss for the same reason. Had it not been for the carnival on March 17th we would actually have finished the year in debt. During the year several new members have been enrolled, but there have also been vacancies caused by the removal of other members from the district. There are now twenty members, leaving six vacancies to be filled before normal strength is reached. An effort has been made by advertising throughout the Dominion for bandsmen to fill these vacancies, but employment is not always available at the moment the applicants offer themselves. There is some prospect, however, of an improvement in our ranks in the future and we have to thank those employers who place vacancies at the disposal of bandsmen. Assistance of this nature is most helpful. It is, indeed, the best assistance that we can have at this juncture.

Several recitals have been given during the year, and with one exception, every request for the band's ■ervicss'has been granted. It may be mentioned that the whole of the fees earned at engagements are paid into the general funds and do not go to the individual members. When it so happens, however, that the engagement falls on a day other than a public holiday and members lose wages in giving service with the band, the actual wages lost are paid out of the funds. 'Hitherto there has been no regular fee, the amount being fixed according to circumstances, and this caused a good deal of misunderstanding among the societies- who made the engagements. To obviate this misunderstanding a maximum uniform fee is now stated, leaving the actual amount to be paid for subsequent arrangement. It is to be Hoped that in the system of town lighting some provision will be made for the rotunda in Victoria Park so that open-air recitals may he given at intervals during the summer months.

A good deal of equipment is still needed and among the more urgent of the requirements is a set of uniforms. A small number of uniforms were procured soon after the band was established but these are not now of service. It is intended during the coming year to endeavour to establish a new uniforms fund. ' It' is also necessary to complete the set of new instruments by increasing the number from 18 to 26. It will also be desirable to have the whole of the instruments silver plated. Thus it will be seen that the band has sti'.l a good deal of work to do before it becomes properly equipped. During the progress of this evening's meeting one important office will have to be filled, that of president, to fill the vacancy caused by the removal of Mr M. C. Lawson from Te Awamutu. His place, we know, will be hard to fill but we hope that you will succeed in giving us an enthusiastic and as energetic a president as Mr Lawson has been.

We desire to thank the Borough Council and the public officers who have been so closely identified with the band. We are grateful to the public, too, for all *he assistance that has been given and hope in the future to merit the same measure of confidence and good will.