OVERSEAS CLUB.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1657, 25 January 1913, Page 9

OVERSEAS CLUB.

CONFERENCE OF DELEGATES.

At tho. Town Hall yesterday, delegates represontinj the. numerous branches'of tho Overseas Club mot in cont'erenoo, the Mayor of Wellington (Mr. I). M'Larcn) presiding. Tiio list of delegates was published ill yesterday's issue. Several, letters of, apology, for absence wero received. . ,

Tlio Mayor said that it gave liim great pleasure w welcome tho delegates to tho lirst conference of tho New Zealand brancli of tho Overseas Club. . Ho said that ho admired tho good work which Miss and Mr. Wrench wero doing, and he hoped Now Zealand would benelit from their eiforts. _ Ho appreciated very much tho work which Miss Wrench had been doing in making an. appeal to' tho womanhood of tho country. • (Applauso.) Tho' people in Now Zealand had not yet.learned to appreciate tho glory of tho Dominion. This country is worth dying for if tho needs be. It is also a country wcrth living for. Wq should create a, very strong national and Imperial sentiment throuehout tho country. Tho national character of our own people should bo developed. 1 / In conclusion, tho Mayor wished the conference, every success. Mr. P. Milner (Oamaru) moved a hearty voto of thanks to tho Mayor, which was carried unanimously. The Mayor then withdrew, and Sir E. 0. Gibbes was voted to tho chair.

It wite decided that a Dominion Council bo elccted to represent the twonty-iivo branches of the Overseas Club in Now Zealand.

His Excellency the Earl of Liverpool was elected patron, and it was decided to ask. her Excellency tho Countess of Liverpool to'' bocome lady patron. Mr. J. li. Maofio (Dunedin) was elected secretary, and Mr. Kobcrt Laidhiw,: of Auckland, was elected treasurer. / The following officers wero elected President, Mr.- D. M'Laren; vice-presi-dents, Mr. A. M. Myors, M.P,,.0f Auckland (North Island), Mr. S. A. Holland, of Christehurch (South' Island); delegates, Messrs, A. M. Myers and. H. H. Hume (Auckland), A. E. Manning (Hamilton), Dr. Warren (Marlon), W. A. Veitch. M.l. (Wanganui), S. A. Mair (Huntervillc), E. S. Wood (Palmerston North), L. Gorton (Feilding), J. Cross (Masterton), Captain J. Kirk (Gisborno), H. S. von Haast and Captain ' Barclay (Wellington), — Field (Nelson), — Boswoll ■ (Westport), E4vv I. A. Bernstein .and — Hume (Christcliurcli), Dr. Macadam (Oamaru), J. F.' ; M. Frazer, 'K.C., and- C. Ford' (Dunedin), and J. E. Watson (lnvercargill). ■ ■ > The council is, to hold office until. May 2d, 1914.' Tho various branches were given to elect ■ substitutes 'to the 'council, in:,case•• ofjtho above, delegates declining "to hold office. ■{; ■ . : Mr."-Wrench.said that it was desired; •in some form or -other that'' the club 'should'celebrate .siich occasions as EmpireDay, Trafalgar Day, and the King's Birth•day. '.Ho'suggested that ladies' committees should bo -appointed'to collect any clothing, etc, - , to forward.-to tliQ-slums'.of..the; 'Old Counii'V. Ho considered that it .would !l}j.nn - excellent, idea if. eometliing ,cf -the. ltind -was done, before, next- Christmas. •The speaker also.suggested'.that the. club. Should ' hold' luncheons, similar to' those conducted by tho New Zealand. Club in Wellington. He said that, on tho Kings Birthdav each year, a message oficongratu : ; lation should bo sent to his/Majesty from the council, on behalf of all tho branches in New Zealand. . , The question of finance was discussed-at souiG lonjfthj and eomo of' tlio delegates considered that tho pr&scnt subscription of 29. Gd. was too small -an amount to cari'y out tlio work of so largo_an organisation. Other memliers considered - that tlio subsci'iption shpuld,not bo raised, and they expressed the opinion that if tho subscrintiqn' was increased, tho membership would decrease. ■ _ , ~ ~, ,Mr. Cross (Masterton) suggested that the Navy Leagiio and other similar institutions should amalgamato with tho Overseas Club. , n.iTho'ttlnfestion arose of having rooms for tlio uso of Overseas Club members ir, London, but it was elated that as yet thoro was not sufficient money in hand to carry out sUcli a proposal.'' It' was suggested that-tho New. Zealand : .Council should hvake a graiit'of n'ioiiey' towards-the pro-',' posal. A motion expressing tho desirability of rooms at Homo was unanimously passed. , ' , , ~. Mr. .Frazer, K.C. (Dunedin), moved: "That it is, desirable to invito tho Council's iHiprcsentatives at this coiifprenco to inake a small contribution' towards tho expenses of this conference, the samo not to exceed the sum of one guinea." Tho. motion was seconded and carried. The Nelson branch recommended that transfer cards bo issued to members .of the club to use when travelling., Tho question was: put in tho form.of a motion and carried.

■ It was decided tliat all menibers should obtain the club badges which could be had upon application to the secretary! Ono member, made ftistatement to tho effect that'..an impression .had gone,abroad, that tho club was a privatOj individual's, concern. Mr.. Wrench stated that the entiro management of tho Overseas Club was in tho hands of tho' branches all over tho world. Somo three thousand subscribers to the "Daily ' Mail Overseas Edition" wero tho original men who organised the Overseas Club. : The following resolution was unanimously carried: "That this, tho first Council of the Overseas Club in New' Zealand,' begs to tender to Miss and Mr. Wrench their appreciation of the services . they have rendered towards tho establishment of clubs in this Dominion, and tho valuablo information they have conveyed during their tour or tho Empire." It was decided that part of tho annual subscription to branches, say, Gd., b'o reserved for the use of the Council.

It was resolved to work in tho direction of bringing about co-operation with kindred societies.

A number of members of the Victoria Leagiio waited upoii tho conference and Mrs, Chntficld explained the objects of the league. Dr. Martin nlso spolco on behalf of the league, and ho considered that the two bodies should co-operate, as their work-was one and tho same thing, and - Mrs. Chatfield considered that on occasions like Emnire Day the leagiio and tlio club should join forces nnd: hold somo representative function, llrsi Clintfield nnd members of the loaguo present wero heartily thanked for their attendanco. '

It was resolved to hold a similar iratli. ernig at Wellington, as early as possiblo after May 24. j Tho conference closed with a voto- of thanks to tho Mayor for his attendance.