WELLINGTONASSOCIATION OF SPIRITUALISTS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 86, 4 January 1908, Page 6

WELLINGTONASSOCIATION OF SPIRITUALISTS.

■ fr- — , k' ' ' . fho Wellington Association of Spiritnalists <ve a social in the New Century Sail yes'cer|i iy evening to welcome Mrs. Cooley. -cuist from America, who arrived in Welling--5 ton just before Christmas. An excellent programme was rendered, the following contri--t>utinp: itemsMesdames Bonne, Graham, and Hill-Beckett, and Messrs. Dunne, Sbapco," and Whittaker. Mr. W'hittaker, who cames from 'the Blind Institute, Melbourne, played a violin solo charmingly. , : Mr. M'Lean, in introducing Mrs. Cooley to ; the audience, . said that at the beginning of last year 1 - the Spiritualist Society desired to ; improve the. status of spiritualism in this ; city, and to obtain a medium who woul.d be : able to demonstrate the highest, phases both of their philosophy and the - phenomena. They had secured the services of Mrs. Cooley, but .with a good deal of trouble, 'bccausa such were very rare, and in great demand [ both in England and America. The desiro of ■ the society was to obtain the best and purest ( that is in spiritualism, and it was by the assistance of the National Spiritualist Associa-' (tion of America that they were able to obtain | Mrs. Cooley, who is well known in Chicago ' and other American towns. Mrs. Cooley comes j.nnder a six months' engagement, and will adl dress meetings twice a week, giving demonstrations at tho closo of her lectures. Mr. M'Lean ;;,went on to say that .it was because of New reputation for liberality of thought /and liberal legislation that they found speakers i'xfi'oxn Amorica so willing to come to the Dominion -both to teach and to observG for themselves. In replying to tho address of welcome,' Mrs. [Coolev spoke 1 at length, expressing tho hope ithat her stay in Wellington would be helpful both to those among whom he came to work iind to herself. She thought that in times to (come, there would be less distinction drawn [between the preachers and those who listened, Sand that religious services of the future would [afford freedom for exchange of ideas among those who attended them, instead of one man alone beiDg speaker and the rest listeners. She endorsed what Mr. M'Lean said about the attractiveness to of the liberal" thought of the people of New Zealand. She 6aid that peoplo in America loved to hear about the advanced condition of thought and the free life of New Zealanders, and the Ameri_can women appreciated the sense of justicf) . which had extended the. franchise to women. During the days she had spent in Wellington, she bad watched the people holiday-making, : and had been impressed by the orderliness and ' sobriety of the crowds. She considered that ■ the absence of anything to offend the eyes was due very largely to the iniluenco which women were able to bring to bear on the ; national life and character. Mr. Jl'Lean made a presentation to members of the choir through Miss Paul, their leader. Supper was afterwards Eerved in an adjoining room. ' - '