FIRST-TIME DELEGATE

White Ribbon, Volume 19, Issue 3, 1 April 1947, Page 2

FIRST-TIME DELEGATE

Mrs. Hickson Writes to Her Sister

Dear \\ innie,— i thought 1 would write to tell you something about the Dominion Convention. It was so interesting to me that 1 am sure you’d like to know something about it. will be- glad to hear that 1 was put into a lovely home. My hostess was kindness itself, and I am sure we shall always be friends. I'll begin by telling you about the hrst afternoon, 1 think. 1 can’t tell you half nor a quarter of all that was done and said, but just to give you an idea. 1 went early so as to see the people coming in. Only a few ladies were in the Hall, and believe me, you wouldn’t have known them from our own members at home. They were so homely and seemed to think that 1 would know all about everything, so they did not treat me like a newcomer at all. I really didn’t know as much as they thought, but I got to know quite a lot before the end. Well, the j»eople began to come in and they were a very nice lot of women. Some were tall and some short, some fat and some very thin. Most of them looked fairly elderly, but there were plenty ot younger ones. Only somehow, white hair seems to show up more, and you think they are all alike till you really take notice. The ladies on the platform were the Dominion Officers. 1 knew Miss Kirk by her picture in the "White Ribbon," and Mrs. Hiett, too, but it took me a while to Ik- sure of the others. Miss Kirk has a nice colour and nearly white hair, and it suits her very well. She was very bright, and she kept a good look-out for i>eople that wanted to s|K-ak too often. Mrs. Underhill and Mrs. Toomer were at one end of the platform. They are the tv\o secretaries and seemed to have a lot to do. One is tall and the other is small, but they both seem to know their job. Mrs. Underhill always read the Minutes; and it must have been a contract to get them ready so quickly. Mrs. Toomer has a way with her that make' you enjoy what she says, even it* you don’t agree. There were the Editor of the "White Ribbon’’ and the Business Manager and the Treasurer*. hut 1 want to get on a bit.

There were a lot of talks, and Remits were taken every now and then. That was where we sometimes had a bit of fun. Some delegates spoke quite often and we got to know them. Miss Edmed from up north somewhere always gave us a laugh. She had a good-tempered way of disagreeing with things she didn’t want; but she always seemed to see a long way ahead. Another one I seemed to notice was Mr'. Pirrett. She spoke Scotch rather, and I liked to hear her. She was quick in saying wliat she thought, and stopped as soon as she had finished. Some of them went on too long and a lady on the stage had a little Ml to ring when their time was up. 1 thought at first it would not feel very nice to have to be told to stop that way, but as time went on I saw it was a good

tiling and nobody seemed to mind. Mostly they looked a bit amused, and 'at down quite happily. I took a lot of notice oi Mrs. Mountjoy, too. She appeared to be someone important in the Auckland Distrit. 1 fancy she is the President. She could always give what people were .taking about, and she was very free and nice in her manner. And 1 must tell you about the two Miss McLays. You remember them coining a long time ago to our Union, but not at the same time. Well, they are just the same, and 1 did like to hear them talking, because you remember they are Scotch. Funny why I like Scotch so much when we are fighting all out to stop Scotch being made or drunk. One day wc got a surprise. Mrs. Kasjier, who is ill, came in and everylx)dy was so pleased to see her they got up and clapped and clapped. She is expecting to go to America with another lady, Mrs. Mackie. to the World Convention. 1 lio]>e she gets away all right. Wc are all to pray for her, and I think ( i<ml will answer prayers like that. Well, what else shall I tell you? We had to call the roll every day, and it was like being at school. I think there wen jti't afxmt a hundred there most days. The mornings seemed long sometimes, but in the afternoon wc got nice afternoon tea. It must have meant a lot of work for the ladies, hut didn’t ! look forward to it It was hot at that time in the hall I must hurry. You should have heard the groans all around when the sugar rationing was mentioned. Why the breweries should have it when we want it for our jam made some of us wild to think of it till a lady told us that what the brewers use wouldn’t really make a lot of difference. All I can say i' I’d like a bit of the difference. Wc had a young man as a delegate. He came from Dunedin and was the one whose picture is in the "Beacon" He i' very keen for all of us to start "Y" Branches. Young folk have so much to do nowadays, I don’t think there is any chance of getting it going with us. But I rather fancy the idea of getting a few young people together in our hoii'e and trying to tell them something about Temperance work. There are plenty who would like it.

We had a lovely ride round Auckland, and a Concert given by the Maori girls and txn-s. And they made speeches. You should have heard them. Talk al>out M.P/s! They were in the shade, 1 can tell you. Now, I’ve told you such a lot, and you will lx- wondering if it did me any good to go. Well, it did. 1 feel sure that with so many g<xxl women believing in getting rid of the Drink, it is only right for me to pull my weight, and I’m going to. So don’t be surprised if you hear of me running around delivering literature, or starting a Band of Hope, or anything really mail like that. Well, I must stop, and hope you won’t be sick of reading all this. Your affcc. sister, MEG.