Reports of Departments.

White Ribbon, Volume 3, Issue 33, 1 March 1898, Page 12

Reports of Departments.

CONTINUED. ORGANISING DEPAKTMEN I*. In June and July I vi.-i'ed Orinondville and held two meetings ; in Ma otuhu, one meeting ; at Midhurst took part in the riist miniver nary social ; Tanki Ho id, evening me* ting ; Inglewood, Go?p**l Teuipennce m eting in the Forester’s Hall «>n Sunday evening ; also afternoon meeting for wouie . Visited Stratfoid tv\ie , and hid three meetings, two with the Union, and one } üblic lu the Town Ha I, ißsist* d hy Mi s Margaret Ahier, of New Plymouth; Wui ara, o ie evening me ting ; New Piyuiou h, addressed W«>leyau Hand of Hope in W lately Hail; Riliotu,one evening meeting ; Pangar* hu, one me* ting, ad.lr. sseJ Uni«»n in Wesley m cuurch; Hnwvra. addressed the Union in Wesleyan church ; Normauby,

Women’s meeting ; Max welltown. public meeting, with Mrs Smith, president of the Wan anui Union ; m**otiug for women only in Wanganui, 70 present; L**vin, one meeting. In August visit***! Blenheim, Tuamarina, Renwick T**wn, and Grove Town, and held five or six meetings in and about Wellington. Novernlier, visited the VVairarapa. Thr e meetings nt Pahiatua, one at Ballanct*, and one at Misterton. This finish* d my woik in the North Island. Besides meetings, I visited some of the h uses. In the dairy-farming distiicts, the wint* r montliß are the only ones suitable for holding me tings as then the milking is less heavy and the work ov« r ear'i -r. When I offered my servic s at some townships in November, 1 was told it was no use as tin* people were too busy and th* ir work not over in time to attend meetings. It is well to keep this in mind when appointing an organiser. 1 he work I lnve done was often different from what I h id been pr**pued for, but at all times the court sy and interest shown have mad* it very pleasant in spite of rough traveling in wint r weather. There is much need of w men workers in t ie out lying district*, especially among mothers, who deeply appreciate a quiet chat with one who cares for their. M. C. Isirr. With regard to my work in above depart" ment, it is onl 11 *cessary forme to supplem* nt the account which has alr*aly appeired in the piper. During my s*ay i 1 Auckla d five public addresses weie d**liverei un ler the auspices re-p'*ctiv**ly. of the District Union, Devonp »rt Auxi'iary, Auclmd PlO dbition Lea, r u , O.iehungi Wesleyan Band of Hop*, and Helping Haul Mis ion. I nls> s okeat two Mother's meetings, a W C. I’.U. social and a drawingroom meeting */,>t up hy Mrs Crump, of Devonport, in which Mrs Spenc *, of Mart *n, a'so took part. On January 25 I w. nt for ten diys to I'auranga, where temper .nee sentiment outside of theactualworkersap;»eirstote?l***py -perhaps because the same adjective may * e a *p ied to the liquor traffic, though gambling in tin* public houses is a great evil. The Union, thong'll small, is v* ry Imalthy and excites a great deal of interest among its in embeds. The pla*‘e is unique, in thit all its ministers— Presbyteiian, W«sleyan,and two Angl can, are prohibitionists. V representa ive comm 1 tee met to arrange meetings which w. re, however, poorly attended. Meeting in public hall, and meeting for women in Good Templar’s hall. In the Wesleyan church I took the Sunday night serve e and odd rase 1 the C.E. Under the guidance of the friends I piid thirty-two vi'its. including persons of all shades of opinion. February Hi, f mil l me in Gisb>rne, where 1 visitel a White Kibboner of ov.*r ninety years of age. C n any other Unio 1 in this colony boast of an older one ? A public meeting was held in the W sleya 1 school-room, where a f irly la ge and enthusias’ic audi nee gathered. The afternoon meeting on Social Purity w is also successful. We paid a great many visits, and made t wo atL nipt- at country work among the women. At the first the audience was “small, but select,’’ con-i-tingif six. three being if our own p irty. The next, at Ormond, was more encouraging, about thirty women attending, when, with the assistance of

t ie energetic District Secretary, I organised an auxiliary. —M. S. Powell. JUVENILE WORK. I am glad to report that greater intercut has Ikvii taken in this department during the past year. Unfortunately, only eight Unions have answered my requests for their rep *rts, and I am therefore unable tj give full information ns to what is being done. Grey mouth LT.L still continues to flourish. The Siijierintendent reports that ten meeting* have been hel i, then* lieing an average attendance of 40 members. At each m«*eting one or more mein ors an* added to the roll, ami the children show an increasing inten*st in the lessons. It is intended to hold an entertainment in March. A L.T.L. was started in Morton bust June, under the leadership of .Mrs Spence. Commencing with a membership of lfi, the number rapidly in Teased, and there are now H'd on the roll. To bring the u >rk more before the public, an oratorical contest is to be held, at w hich two si ver medals are to be competed for. Pahiatua also took up this work during last year. They h ive 37 meinliers, with an average attendance of 21. Turakina commenced a L.T.L. in Septeinlier. Its roll numliers 48 with an attendance of 2<i. The report of the Christchurch Girls’ Sewing Class is very cheering. Commencing with eight incmliors. it increased so rapidly that the room in which it was held soon became too small, and a larger one ha*l to le* obtained Several names were struck oft the roll, tin* girls not lieing of the class desired, and the list was thus reduced to till. The children pay a penny a w’eek, and during the session over forty' garments have been made. The girls are now competing for a sewing prize. A tea and a lantern elite tainment were given to the children, who have also U*en visited in their homes. The assistance of the younger uiemImts of the Union is specially requested. Kaiapoi, Ta eri, and Port Chalmers help in t e Bands of Hope in their tow ns. I have distributed a large amount of L.T.L. literatim* during the year, which I hop* "ill continue to boar fruit. All the Unions have been written to, and several encouraging replies have ln*en teceived, show ing that in many places our metiilicrs are feeling the importance of this work, though at present there are difficuliies which prevent t cm from undertaking it. The harvest truly is plentiful. May the Lord of the harvest send forth willing workers into His fields. E. A. Brown. Inverc *rgill, Superintendent Mrs Brown has lH*en obliged to resign office. — Ed. j A nuinlier of Reports have lns*n crowded out, but w ill ap]H*ar in our next issue.]