ST. VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY,

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIX, Issue 37, 12 September 1901, Page 29

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY,

DUNEDIN.

The annual meeting: of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, Dunedin, was held in St. Joseph's Hall reoently. His Lordship the Right Rev. Dr. Verdon presided, and there were also present Rev. Father Murphy, Adm. St. Joseph's Cathedral, EeT. Father o' Mai ley, and a representative attendance of members. Mrs. Cant well, hon, treasurer, read the report and balance sheet for the year ending July 19, which were as follows :—: —

Your committee in presenting their sixteenth annual report and balance sheet, take the opportunity of thanking his Lordship Bishop Verdon, the clergy, the nuns of the Good Shepherd (Mount Magdala), Sisters of Meroy (South Dunedin), the Union Steam Ship Company, the Kaitangata Coal Company, Messrs. Callan and Gallaway, and subscribing members. The year just ended has not been a satisfactory one. In the firot place the weekly meetings have been very poorly attended, the average number of members present being from three to four ; and secondly the committee regret that owing to lack of sympathy and support from the Catholic community they will be unable to carry on the good work unless there be an increase in membership — active and honorary — during the coming year. Our visits to the homes of the poor and sick during the past year were very few, as the small number of active members had not the time to devote to this necessary work. During the year the Society was unfortunate in losing the services of its president, Mrs. A. J. Fergusson, who, in consequence of illhealth, had been compelled to resign. One and all regretted very much that our respected president, after so many years of devoted service to the poor, was obliged to take thiß step. Our annual concert was not held this year owing to there being so many other calls on the public, therefore we bad been unable to send a donation to the Mount Magdala Asylum as had been our usual practioe. Summary : Meetings held during the year, 45 ; visits to the poor, 334 ; penitents sent to Mount Magdala, five ; children sent to St, Mary's, Nelson, eight ; children sent to St. Vi ncent de Paul's Orphanage, South Dunedin, three ; Baptisms, four ; grocery orders given out, 87 ; orders for coal, 55. There were 244 honorary, and eight active members.

His Lordship the Right Rev. Dr. Verdon. in proposing the adoption of the report and balance sheet, said he was sorry to hear that more ladies had not taken an active part during the year in a work that appealed to all the Catholics of Dunedin. The number of active members had declined considerably, and the Society had sustained a great loss in the withdrawal of Mrs. Fergusson in consequence of illness, but he hoped she would be very soon re-tored to health, and would take an active part again in the organisation. He trusted that the weekly meetings would be better attended in future, especially as a number of new members had joined. They ought at least to have 30 or 40 active members, which would not be expecting too much in a city like Dunedin. In consequence of the severity of the season there was a good deal of illness about, and therefore many people stood in need of assistance. He hoped their efforts to increase the number of honorary and active members would be successful, and said that those ladies who had been actively engaged in the work of the Society during the past year deserved great praise for what they had done.

Rev. Father Murphy intimated that about 25 ladies had grven in their names for membership within the past few doyg.

Mr. J. J. Connor, in seconding the motion for the adoption of the report, dwelt on the great amount of good done by the Society in times past, and expressed his regret that it had not been more generously supported during the past year. He felt that it only required to have its claims brought home to the Catholics , of Dunedin and suburbs in order to have it get that support which it deserved. The report and balance sheet were adopted.

On the motion of the Rev. Father Murphy the hon. secretary was instructed to write to Mrs. Fergusson, conveying the expressions of the sincere sympathy of the Society to that lady in her recent illness.

It waß decided to postpone the election of officers until Septem-

List of articles sent out by wardrobe-keeper :— Women's underwear (new) 55, do (s.h) 46 ; children's underwear (new) 52 ; do (s.h), 30 ; men's underwear (new) 13 ; do (s.h) 40 ; jacket bodices (s.h), 27 ; jackets (s.h), 5 ; capes (s.h), 9 ; overalls and pinafores (new), 58 ; do (s.h), 21 ; dresses (s h), 35 ; skirts (new), 4; do (s.h), 19 ; blouses (s.h), 26 ; aprons, 12 ; boots and shoes, to men, women, and children (new), 29 ; do (s.h), 23 ; blankets (new), 7 pairs ; men's suits (s.h), 5 ; men's vests (s.h), 19 ; boys' suits (new), 9 ; men's trousers (s.h), 17 pairs ; do coats (s.h), 14 ; women's mackintoshes (s.h), 4 ; girls' \hats (s.h), 25 ; socks (s.h), 20 pairs ; stockings (new), 27 pairs ; do (s.h), 11 ; one bed complete ; overcoats (s.h), 4 ; sheets, 3 ; pillow cases (s.h), 3 ; 50 yards flannelette, 30 yards print, 32 yards flannel, 1 2 yards lining.

His Lordship the Right Eev. Dr. Yerdon presided at the adjourned meeting held in St. Joseph's Hall on Friday afternoon, when the following officers for the current year were elected :— President, Mrs. Jackson ; vice-president, Mrs. Callan i(re-elected) ; secretary, Miss Purton (re-elected) ; treasurer, Mrs. Cantwell (reelected) ; wardrobe-keeper, Mrs Swanson.

In bringing the meeting to a close his Lordship congratulated the members on the good attendance, and hoped the Society would receive that generous support to whioh it was entitled, and that the membership would be considerably increased.

BALANC SHEET. Receipts. Expenditure. To Balance in hand July 19, 1900 ... „ Subscriptions „ Donations „ Fixed deposit withdrawn ... „ St. Vincent de Paul poor box at Church door £ 8. d. -2'A 11 0 47 15 0 6 18 0 12 0 0 2 16 11 £ c. d. By Coals ... ... 14 9 9 „ Drapery ... 22 9 3 „ Groceries ... 19 8 6 „ US.S. (Jo. ... 13 12 6 „ Sundries ... 5 5 0 „ Offerings ... 2 0 0 „ Boots ... ... 10 2 1 „ Urgent Board ... 011 0 „ Balance in hand ... 4 210 £92 0 11 £92 0 11