THE GOOD TEMPLARS SOIREE.

Western Star, Issue 51, 31 October 1874, Page 4

THE GOOD TEMPLARS SOIREE.

The Western Pioneer-Lodge, No. 42, 1.0.G.T., celebrated their first anniver* sary with a soiree masicale in' - the Odd-, fellows’ Hall on Tuesday etching last, when about two hundred, persons sat do .vu to tea. The tables, which with the good things, were very taste*, fully laid by the sisters of the. Order in a manner which must have cost them no. little-time and trouble, and reflects great credit on their arrangement.. ample justice had been done to thevariety of edibles so lavishly -provided,. Bro. Gilchrist (who presided) called on the ' ' '

Eev. Mr. Oldham,, who said.it was just twelve mouths that night since themembers of the Lodge had met togethafl# for the first time, and they had been tjfe perfectly harmonious. Any difficulties, that were to be overcome, he was happy to say, had been overcome; and they were now met together to celebrate the. first anniversary of a strong, powerful,, and influential Lodge. He was glad to. see so many young members joining, and hoped they would continue to swell thok ranks of the Order. He had been in Dunedin lately, aed it was with much re*, gret he saw, in the war that was ragingagainst the terrible curse of intemperance, that a Christian minister should take a loading part in trying to injure, the cause of Good Templarism. Hothought the Synod of the Church of England in Ocago had freed itself from any*, thing like sympathy with the ’ anti* temperance movement. Many ministers were able to bear testimony to the r groat good Good Tern larism has done, Wd is still doing, throughout the proviucl. As there was a longprogramme to go through,, he did not wish to detaim them longer ; ; and with the hope that the Lodge would continue to prosper and add to itß"uum-. bers, he concluded.

The musical portion of the entertain-, mont commenced with an opening ode by the company, which, from some cause orother, Went very iiatiy. The ode was. followed by a very interesting.*;address, exp'anatorv of (rood Templarism, read., by Bro. Howell, which wan listened to. with marked attention. The nests item, on tin? programme wan a piano duel— t “ The Charleston Quadrilles ” —by sistera Daniel and McDonald, which ; was-played, in a most brilliant and dashing manner. “ Coming through the rye,” by Miss A., Daniel, followed; but that young lady did not appear to he in quioe r a%cood voice as wc have heard her before>-Hov,-. over, she succeeded in giving sr fair rendering of the w)iig*~one of the'gems of Scottish music. “ Triiies. light as air ’** (one of Harry Clifton’s mattq ; .*Bongs). was given by Bro. Daniel,-and satished the audience so well that he was greeted with an uproarious eiuwre, wheu he substituted “Boar it like a mau.” v jMiie. Lilly Daniel succeeded her'brother with 'the song, “ Watching for Pa>” ( which was rendered with wonderful precision,- forone of such tender years ; an encore waa also demanded for it, and complie&with by the youthful vocalist. ~ ~Br6.iHood,, before giving the recitation of “The Spanish Champion,” which was set down on the programme opposite his name,, claimed the indulgence of the aildience for any shortcomings in his delivery, on account of a severe cold. Despite that drawback, he acquitted himself to -considerable advantage. After another song by Bro. A. Daniel, that pretty little-, ballad of “ Milly’s Faith ” was given by Sister A. Daniel, and rendered With much sweetness and expression. Tennyson’s “ Charge of the Light Brigade,” by Bro. M’Carthy. followed, and waa well | re- . ceived by the audience. '• After a j&bngby Sister Oliver, '- * , ■if Bro. T. Daniel said it gave him great pleasure to see bo many happy faces around him that evening. - Itwasjusfc twelve months since the Lodge ;J|wae ■ started in Eivortou, and great exertions, had been made to push it forward; 1 to the prosperous state it was iu at present. There were now 84 members on the books. —-a number being up-country, and 13 at Orepuki, where he hoped soon to go and start another lodge.. He JrttStedT-bis friend on the left (Mr Mackintosh) wojild bo at the head of a lodge at Otaptau, and would be happy to see a lodge started at Flint’s Bush, with Bro. Howell at its head. When they had met some month# ago to bidfareweilto Bro. Westbrook, that gentleman told them that if they pushed themselves forward they would soon- in. crease their numbers. Ho rejoiced to say they had exerted themselvesto the utmost, and, as was shown this- evening, with a succescful result. The . town where he (Bro. D.) came from at Homo had started a lodge a few,apa®N#|| r *i which was now one of the most flourishing societies in that part of tbftr The worthy brother then read.a teres ting extract- from an ‘ paper on the very delet©np.u#, the liquor traffic on the prosperity of.tWcountry. He Aeked tneffip

\? kv4 Try c of Virginia, one of the oldest ■*. Bta,tes in the Union, wasting more money in liquor during the year than the total value of her wheat crop. He was at the Lakes in February last when a lodge was starting at Queenstown; how lodges were established in every little digging i&hiniUJiity throughout the Province, It r gave him great pleasure when he saw how the Bev, Mr Oidbam had stood up in defence of the clause of temperance in the debate in .the Synod. He (Bro. D.) trusted it would not be long before he 'would see a great mmv more joining the • lodge. He felt proud that he, himself, had throe children belonging to the Order ©f Good Templars, and thought it was the duty of parents to urge on their children th neces ifcy of becoming mem■"rhers, as the good to be derived from it - Was incalculable. He trusted they would ""bb able to bring the young men from the “ public-house and the billiai datable —not - that he was against billiard?: he thought - it was a fine manly game, .and honed to see the day when a billiard table would would he aided to the lolge-room, the iAthenaaum, and other pu'dio institutions «*what it was he obje ted to was the billiard table being in connection with the gin palace; it was the ruin of many ' young me i, ail he th night such a noble j game should not be made subservient to -..their destruction by being carried on in •■.ft public-house The musical portion of the programme was resumed by Master 11. Daniels giving the song of “The Vacant Chair” in a vary creditable manner for so young a singer, A song by Bro. Parry, which re--ceived an encore and had a “ powerful 'chorus,” and a song by Bro. A. Daniel •succeeded the efforts of the juvenile . bvoca ist. *vi Bro. Mackintosh was then called upon •to adreas the meeting, whence said he •-was happy to have the privilege of being \ } jthore that evening, and was- extr mely glad to see so many assembled for so .good an object. It was only twelve mouths since the lodge was started, and ;he trusted as numbers increased, members would increase in learning, and see 6 the ad va i cages to be derived from as-, eociating together to'suppress the great ©%il of intemperance, He was sorry to see-by a into Oago Witness the position taken by a clergyman in the Church of England Synod-in the 5 . debate,on temv, peranee, and hoped to see • the dav •when'.gentlemen in bis position- would take a different view of the question. Drunkenness vva • the curse of Groat as well a* the colonies, and has made desolate the homos of thousands. It •-became the duty of borb ladies and gentle-,-?nen to do their utmost towards the introduction of friends to their meetings, :which he thought would do a great deal to, promote the cause. Ho again ex- - pressed his pleasure to see so many pregent, The enom'es of the Order had ■/ •neerediat th m,:said they were not siu.‘Cere, &c., he did not bo’ieve it, as from - what he saw of Good Tomplarism he t thought it had done a great deal of good, , ;.s.nd most of the members were in earnest rin their battle against intemperance. -Tot the brothers mice al l g v shoulder ■to shoulder to promote the cause. No small in Groat Britain or the Colonies could stand up and say the cause was not: ,gv rjghteous one, Every man or woman who feels for the.r fellow*creatures should |V4o,.whateyer they can to get them to join . the Order. Ho trusted the day was not i-rfar'distaut.when men, particularly mini- '• filters of religion, would-see it to their • interest to further the cause, and hoped' those gentlemen who had taken offence .".ftgdtdeft |he lodge would reconsider ;the step a l taken an l once more enlist .; iu the ranks and . jpiu heartily in doing goddi ~ . .... , Bro, T, Daniel, on behalf of the society, thanked those present- for their attendance that evening. When he looked round saw tables groaning with the good . things,, he must thank the ladies for the ,^sferf. ; manner they had laid the spread; which must ; haye qo|| them no ;9 r , j v ■ - * jKcrCioaing Dde was-ihen sung by the ; Company. After a very pleasant and i eowahevenings’a entertainment, which was parried Towards ;the .-.end by the poffciott.-.pß; the audience* to *.cl»My..on 7 a^musical” erfownance on their account,,the soiree was brought to a y3pßocwith the benediction.. .