President’s Annual Report To R.S.A. Branch

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 45, 11 May 1948, Page 4

President’s Annual Report To R.S.A. Branch

The president of the Whakatane R.S.A., Mr L. Brown, in his report to the annual meeting of the branch, said that the past year had been most successful in many ways and disappointing in others. The Rehabilitation Committee, he said, had met twice a month and in addition farms and ex-service-men in the district had been visited regularly. He was pleased to report 100 per cent success of all the men settled on Rehab, farms. The sale of poppies this year resulted in £l7O being raised, which though quite a good effort was below that of last year by £6O. He went on to say that six members had answered the “Last Roll Call” in the past year. The membership this year stands at 511, which is a decrease of 115 he continued, which is rather disappointing and shows that there are some members that are becoming apathetic and are quite prepared to let a few of the others carry on. During the past year a Gold Star and Certificate of Merit have been presented to the past secretary, Mr C. Head, in the recognition of the 17 years service to the branch. The Pension Board visited Whakatane this year and he was glad to say each applicant had received a very sympathetic hearing. In concluding, Mr Brown said that over £3l had been sent to England in gift parcels and that the local hospital had been visited' regularly and comforts distributed to soldier patients.