WOMEN'S INSTITUTE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 55, 9 March 1945, Page 2

WOMEN'S INSTITUTE

WHAKATANE BRANCH

The monthly meeting ol' the Whakatane Women's Institute was heltl in the Methodist Hall on February 28 there being a very good attendance. The meeting opened with the Institute song and the- Aspirations. Business for the day was the reading of the reports of each circle it being the end of the financial year. A new president was elected for the coming year owing to Mrs Stewart resigning" much to every one's regret. The new president Mrs Crozier, was formally elected and accorded applause. The discussion for the afternoon was mainly on the Eistedfodd which is to take place at Taneatua on March 27. Two new members were elected, Mrs, Pearson and Mrs Dodd. The Roll Call "Suggestions for the coming year," was well responded to. Entertainment for the afternoon took the form of two &ongs sung by Mrs Carter and Mrs Rushbrooke. Both were very much appreciated. The competitions were as follows: Gooseberry jam ? Mrs Murphy 1; Mrs Wallace 2. Pom Pom Dahlia, Mrs Fennel: 1; Mrs Comer 2. Long cucumber Mrs. Fennell 1. Afternoon tea was then served. Peculiar Starling A starling with a beak about, three limes, as long as that of any other starling has been seen near Timaru by a member of the Forest and Bird Protection Society. Several people have seen the bird, which would appear to be a freak of. nature.

Unusual Tuis An Auckland correspondent of the Forest and Bird Protection Society states that in the manuka near his cottage a pair of brown tuis: are nesting. Their colouring approximates' that of the female blackbird and shows less irridescence than the ordinary tui. Wealth of P.B. and Coast "There are over head ol stock in this district and that number is not carried anywhere els 3 in New Zealand," said Mr J. H. Gardner at the recent meeting of the Poverty Bay Farmers' Union. He was referring to the importance of reafforestation in the Gisborne and Coast areas where it was needed "more than in any other part of the Dominion." "How long is it going to be before we get something in this, the richest district in New 7 Zealand? 1 ' he vl'daring that the highway up the Coast was a third class or backblocks road. 1 '9 Nine Lives Tlie old saw concerning the nine lives supposedly possessed by cats certainly appears to have some foundation . On Saturday evening, a lucky escape from sudden death for a kitten was witnessed. A car was coming down Domain Road and when opposite the Infant School, a small kitten suddenly rushed out directly in front of it. The black kitten was almost invisible in the semi-darkness and the driver had no time to pull up. Caught between the lights it stopped dead, and the. car passed straight over the top of it ? two wheels on either side. When the vehicle had passed the kitten got up and quickly ran to the. side apparently none the worse for its hair-raising experience.