TO ENTERTAIN SOLDIERS
ON SATUBDAY EVENINGS. A meeting of those interested in the providing, of Saturday evening entertainments for soldiers in the Town Hall was held in the Mayor's Boom jesterday afternoon. The Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) explained that on and after December 1 the hotels would be dosed at six o'clock, and every right-minded citizen would agree that an effort 6hould be made to entertain and establish a meeting-place for the 6oldiers who aro in town for the week-end, by providing some sort of rational amusement suitable to the men and the times. The council were quit© with him in the matter, and had granted the use of the Town Hall for that purpose for every Saturday evening after December 1. As was well known, the Mayoress and her committee, acting with the Mayor's committee, had made a practice of entertaining the men of each reinforcement and their neit-of-kin and lady friends before they left. That form of entertainment had proved very successful; indeed, it seemed to get more popular with each successive reinforcement. But tho weekly (Saturday) entertainments would be of a different character, and he had called a few of those whom he thought could give practical assistance in the organisation of these evenings. He thought that the different club 3 and organisations might take it in turn to arrange a roster of nights, so that the task of providing a programme would not fall too heavily on tho one club. Following the Mayor's remarks a desultory discussion took' place as to the form, of entertainments most likely to i appeal to the men. The Mayor thought the cafe cEantant idea a good one, as it made for social free-and-easiness. Mr. G. F. Wilson thought that there might on occasions bo a sort of "Paddy's market," with a shooting gallery, quoits, Aunt Sally, and a dry canteen. Mr. Charles M'lntyro did not favour such an idea, as it excluded the men's lady friends, and the men got all the shooting they wanted at the butts. He thought that if the concerts were made free and easy, and tho quality of the talent was good, that there would always bo good audiences. H was surprising at Tren11mm to see how quickly a hall emptied when the talent was not up to the standard, and how appreciative the men were when it was good. When Air. and Mrs. Culford Bell went, out the mcu were so pleased that they forgot to go out to tho canteen. (Laughter.) Finally, on tho motion of the Mayor, those present formed themselves into a committee to formulate plans for soldiers' Saturday "imps." Those annoint«d to the committee vw. ■Upw. F. Wilson (Pivnee Club). Herbert Spain". F. (CHv Organist). C!mrl«= M'Tnfrr» (5.7,. \nlivs' . J ssiviatinn). F. Woo-' (Orphans' Club), n. Marriott, C. a. Wilson. V. 7?. Tienn»lt (Harmonic CiiM. K A. Tanner (Choral TTnionl, n-d Mrs. J. C. Bell. A further meeting is to be held on Friday at -M. r > p.m.
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Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 25, 24 October 1917, Page 5
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499TO ENTERTAIN SOLDIERS Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 25, 24 October 1917, Page 5
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