BOYS' INSTITUTE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2734, 31 March 1916, Page 2

BOYS' INSTITUTE

A RECORD OF PROGRESS

THE ANNUAL REPORT,

The annual report of the Wellington Boys' Institute and S. A. Rhodes Home for Boys just circulated contains an interesting account of the genesis and development of the institution.

The first institute, states tho report, was tho result of a Sunday night meeting for hoys in, the Mount Cook district. Similar meetings were held thereafter on Sunday nights in the Mount Coolc ,-Boys' School under the charge' of tho Hon. J. G. W. Aitken and Mr. W. Allan, who, with other helpers, carried on a splendid work for many years. The Homo of tho first Boys' Institute was on the reclaimed land on the site now occupied by the electric light; power station. In. this building the work was carried on with varying success for several years, but when tho City Council took the site for tram purposes, the only branch of work kept going was the Sunday night ■meeting for boys. '

.i/lllg IUI uu,... The members of the St. John's Yoiini ilen.'s Bible Class to whom the worl ras entrusted, then hired the Fores ;ers' Hall, paying the rent themselves •ather than allow the work to ■ lapse finally they secured the use of the tfount Cook Boys' School, but only the Sunday night meetings were held there, however, the young men sot to work :o raise . a fund amongst themselves. Fheir means were limited and in the irst year they raised only £8 ss. In ;wo years they 'had £22. and although :he amount they must aim at to get a section;of land would be about £500, ;hey kept' on with their scheme until, it last, they had £400, every pennv of ivhieh was subscribed by themselves. A. section of land was purchased in Arthur Street, and an appeal was made fc-j 'the : public for funds with which to erect a building. A liberal rpsnonse ivas made to this appeal, over £1100 being subscribed. St. John's Church fipdthe balance of over £200. The building just vacated in Arthur Street was erected, in wliich the work has been conducted for the past eight and a half years. , Later, the adjoining residence was purchased with a sum of money which the City Council paid over to the institute by an order of the Supreme Court as compensation for the building on, the reclaimed land which was taken for tramway purposes. Although this addition helned matter's for a time, the accommodation was still inadequate, and as it was not possible to extend the building, as the wliole of the site was built on, the committee decided to secure a site elsewhere with more room. Hearing of this, the late Mrs. S. ,A. Rhodes presented the site in Tasrhan Street on which, the new institute is erected, and special efforts werej then made by the committee to obta;;i the necessary funds" with which to build. First a large garden fete was hold in the Botanical Gardens, after which a collecting campaign was started, and finally a historical nageant and bazaarwere organised. From these various sources a sum of awn'oximately £8500 was raised. In raising this sum the institute was much indebted to Lord and Lady Islington for the interest wbich they evinced and the valuable assistance which they rendered; also to 'ho late 'Mrs. S. A. Rhode-'!, who eonributed largely to the funds, in addiion to giving the site. In her will she Iso loft a largo sum of money to the 'nstitute, to be used as her trustees •nd the president of the institute should letermine. This legacy is being used "or the provision and upkeep of a boarding establishment in the building, wherein working boys who Tiave lost' their parents or who are living away from home can obtain board and lodgings at a figure corresponding to. Mie wages they receive. ■

At the last annual' raeetinp, in prate'■'l recognition of the late' Ifrs. S. A. 'hodes's services to tho institute, the ".me was altered to "The Wellington \ys' Institute and S. A. Rhodes Tnme for Boys."

Another new feature of work now 'ndertaken by tho institute is the man-

"vement of a public tepid swimming \ntli. which forms' unrt of the new 'wilding, and to which the members of Mie institute are admitted free at stated times. The bath has been equipped with every modern convenience and appliance, and ranks second to nono of any of the public baths in New Zealand, while the charges are lower than in any of the municipal baths. The public\of Wellington have shown a just appreciation of this- enterprise on the part of the institute by attending in large numbers.

The principal work of the institute will continue as heretofore in getting boys off the street at night, and helping them to courses of study and exorcise under supervision, or to snend the evening in social converse, reading, ■amusoment, or entertainment. The new building is well equipped, and three times as manv boys as were dealt with in the old building can now be handled. The report makes reference in more detail to various branches of activitv of which the institute is the headquarters.