ENTERTAINING RETURNING SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 170, 12 April 1919, Page 6

ENTERTAINING RETURNING SOLDIERS

A BIG UNDERTAKING,

A meeting of women was held at the Keturned Soldiers' Club yesterday afternoon to discuss matters in connection with the entertainment of returning drafts of soldiers. Mrs. de Castro presided over a very good attendance. .Mr. Callender, general manager and secretary 'of the dnlj, gave a brief cut--liiu of the conditioiL of affairs that, nail led up io (lie necessity for a "definite scheme for .entertaining the returning soldiers. He had been connected with tire club for about seven weeks, and during the earlier pari.of that.time many of the men when arriving iri the city had wandered about the streets with nothin" much to do, and when tlie.v had rome to the club had had to pay tor whatever 'refreshments they indulged in. 'L'hk it seemed to him, was not apropef thing. It had also appeared to Mrs._ lie Castro to bo riot quite the right thing, and she had suggested that the men be entertained at the club as its guests. As ho had no authority to say that such a tiling should be dona he advised Mrs. de Castro to approach the Executive committee and ask tlieir permission to provide hospitality for tho returning men. This she did, and as ji result when tho Hnrovata arrived a very large number of ineu were onterUined <it tho club, .ho idet had proved a huge success, and n bail been followed out, since with returnin" drafts of men. One thing was certatn, that they could not carry out 6uch. vork if tho hotels were open oii tho days that drafts returned. Tho experience, of tte Aiana proved that. . The vork nnd responsibility of entci-; taining the returning men, however,, was hoavv, continued Mr. Callender. and they did not want to take risks of a breakdown. For that'reason he thought that au organised scheme of entertainment hi which groups might he formed, each with their leaders to -tale in hand the arraap:e----n-ents for each arriving boat, might be arranged. Each leader and group would then know what boat they had to provide foi- The Executive Committee was grant-iiv-r a sum of JCIO for each returning draft and what they would need to provide would be calces, scones, eto. Up■ to the present- an amount of .£2O Gs. ltkl. had been spent upon the cntertamont. of tho men. Of this a sum of S». -<lhad been, contributed by bachelor membe v s of the club, anil 3s. Cd. liad been received in donations, leaving a balance of il3 15s. 2d., which had been met ny the Clubhouse Society. At the club on these days of returning drafts old friends and comrades had met who, till that moment, had thought that one or other had been killed, or who had entirely tot the whereabouts of each other. Such opportunities of meeting were very greatly appreciated indeed, concluded Mr. Callender. • i„ A list of boats with their approximate clntM of arrival was handed Mrs. de Castro, and after much discussion tho following ladies with their helpers undertook- to provide hospitality for each boat s draft: Willochra, dire April 15 at Welling--10", Mrs. Wilford, Mrs. Joseph, Mrs. M'Clure, and Mrs. Wilson; Kaikoura, April 17, Mrs. de Castro, Mrs. Fordham. and helpers; Maheno, Auckland, April 20 (draft arriving about April 22), Mrs. \\ • J) Stewart and Mrs. -Harper; Bhanio, Auckland. April 22 (draft two day", later), Mrs. Wilson, Mrs. MGJure, Mrs. Harding; Corinthic, Lyttelton. April "2, Mrs. de Castro and helpers; Baranga, Wellington, April 23, Mrs. Wilford. Mrs. Joseph, and helpers; lonic, Auckland; April 23, Mrs. de Castro and Mrs. M'Clure; Tainui, Wellington. April 28, Mi's Hume' and Mrs. de Castro: Krnuiera April 20. Mrs. de Castro and helpers. Mrs. Wilford, Mrs. Joseph, Mi's. I'ordhain, and Mrs. Stewart: all announced iheir intention of helping nt any tinift when needed apart from their specihso boats.