St. Vincent de Paul Society, Dunedin

New Zealand Tablet, 2 August 1906, Page 34

St. Vincent de Paul Society, Dunedin

The annual meeting of. the St. "Vincrnt de Paul Society, Dunedin, was held in St. Joseph's Hall, o n Friday afternoon, the Rev. Father Coffey, Adm., presiding. Report and Balance Sheet. The following are ihe report and balance sheet for the year enuted July '1U :—: — - The committee have much pleasure in submitting the annual report and 'balance sheet/ for the year ended July 19, thus the twenty-first year of ;the existence of the Dunedin branch of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. During the past twelve months the Society has relieved a great deal ot distress, and has also been the means of sending 7 children to St. Mary's, Nelson, 8 girls to St. Vincent de Paul's Orphanage, South Dunedin, one woman to Mt. Magdala, two young girls to their home m Wellington, and one girl to her home in Palmerston North. To all the generous and sympathetic friends your committee offer their sincere thanks, and would specially mention Ms Lordship the Bishop, the clergy, the nuns of the Good Shephe-d ,(Mt. Map,rL\la), Messrs. Callan and Gallaway, Dr. O'Neill, U.S.S.Co., the Society for Protection of Women and Children, and all subscribing members. The following ladies are office-bearers for the current year :— President, Mrs. Jackson ; vice-president, Mrs. Mouat ; treasurer, Miss Columb ; wardrobe-keep-er, Mrs. Swanson , secretary, Miss Purton. Forty-three meotings were held during the ye a r ; 470 visits were paid to the poor and sick, 7 boys were sent to St. Mary s, Nelson, 8 girls to the Orphanage, South Duned n, one woman to Mt. Magdala, two young gills to their home in Wellington, one girl to her home in PalmerSton North. The Society has had 9 children baptised. Grocery orders were given to 56 people, coal orders 1O1 O 40. There are 170 honorary members on the roll and 9 active rn'embers. The following is a list of the articles sent out during the year :— One bed (new), 9 pairs blankets (new), 2 pairs (second hand), 36 overalls ("new), 8 do (s.h.), 3 capes (new), 1 do (s.h.), 46 sets of women's and children's mdewear (new), 17 skirts (new), 7 do (5.h.),, 47 Pair.s stockings (new), 18 do (s.h ) B 'men's shirts (new), 14 do (s.h.), 19 women's dresses (new)" 18 do, <sh.), 4 children's hats (new), 26 do (sh)' 30 women's coats (sh.), 53 blousos (s.h), 36 pairs of boots .and shoes (now), 21 do (s li.), 3 shawls (new) 4 do (s.h.), 4 overcoats (s.h.), 16 -pairs men's trousers (s.h.), 1G men's vests and coats (s h ) 18 boys' suits (new), 5 do (sh.), 110 yards dress material 96 yards punt, 29 yards flannel, 252 yards flannelette prayer books', scapulars, medicine, jellies, fruit etc tn the sick. ' '' BALANCE SHEET.

Rev. Father Cofiey, in putting the motion for' the adoption ot the report and balance sheet to the meeting, said that last year tffe Society made a move in the direction of having a collection instead of the annual entertainment in aid of the funds, and the change was justified by the results. He regretted that there'was a falling off in the amount this year— the sum received being; £42 9s 9<l. He did nob think that it was creditable to the Catholics of Dimedin that the whole of the work, of the Society should be left to nine active members. It was not tair, considering the number of young people with plenty of time, that so much work should- fall on the shoulders of a few. With more "collectors the list of ..regular subscribers could be considerably increased. The work o f~ the Society on be-half of destitute children was worthy of all praise. Comment 'was- sometimes made . with reference to the number of Catholic children in charitable institutions compared with our Catholic population, but this could be

accounted for by the activity of the members of Catholic organisations. The sick poor were not visited as often a s they might be, a nd an increase in the active membeship would help "to remedy this. TEe question of starting a men's branch of the Society' in the interest of the boys and of the sailors coining to this port has been under consideration, and he trusted that their hopes in this direction would be realised in the near future. In conclusion Father Coffey, on behalf of his Lordsihip the Bishop, the clergy, and the paris-hio-ners, than*cd the ladies of the Society for tnc admirable work they were doing. The motion for the ado, tion of the report and balance sheet was then put and carried.

ab^£iit 10, EXPENDITURE. £ b. d. „ „ & B. d By Groceries ... 23 5 C >i Coal 15 17 g „ Boots 8 16 i „ Drapery 29 1 s „ Urgent Board ... 317 ( „ U.S.S. Co. ... 19 0 ( „ Railway fares ... 1 it) j „ Offerings Mt. Magdala, etc ... COO „ Telephone ... 6 5 ( „ Sundries — Cleaning' room, cab hire, telegrams, etc. ... 11 7 i „ Medicine ... 012 ( „ Balance in bank 33 3 ( Do Balance in bank, July, 1905 ... 47 0 11 „ Subscriptions ... 32 8 6 „ Donations ... 34 13 3 „ Poor-box ... 2 3 0 „ Chnrch collection 42 9 9 £159 4 5