DOMINION BOY SCOUTS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 244, 9 July 1919, Page 3

DOMINION BOY SCOUTS

At a meeting of Wellington Scouimasteis it was decided to hold a Boy Scouts' demonstration and children's thanksgiving service in the Town Hall next Sunday afternoon in connection with.tho Peace celebrations. The Lower Hutt and Petone troops will take part in the service if they can make suitable arrangements for transport to town, nnd will assemble at the Government Buildings at 2 o'clock. There they will be joined by St. Paul's, aud march along Lambton Quay. At Kelburn Avcnno the Kelburn troop will join up, and tin , march will be continued, to the corner of Cuba Street and Manners Street. The other city troops will muster at Veitch and Allan's corner at 2 and march to the bottom of Cuba, Stroat, where they will await tho others. The wholo.'parade will then march to tho Town Hall.

AViien Peace celebrations wero iirsr talked about,, tho. Boy Scouts were p?mised the w of the town Hall for their service, - and next Sunday bsiug a free day it soemed to the ofliceia a very appropriate occasion for the children to offer thniv racpd of thanks to Almighty God for Die satisfactory termination ot hostilities. JU the Town Hall the service will bo presided over by Chaplain Taylor, and short addresses will bo delivered, by Scoutmaster tho Eev. Dent and Hie l.'ev. A. E. Hunt. Hymns suitable to the occasioti ivill bo sung , , and members of church choirs are invited to render their help. Tho floor of tho Town Hall will be reserved for Boy Scouts anil children, aud tho parents and friends will bo accoamodmed in tho gallery. The ministers of tho various churches and tho superintendents of tho Sunday schools arc to bo invited to cnoneratq in what it is hoped will bt ono of tho memorable events of tho l'ciict celebrations.

The fortnightly meeting of tho Society tor tho''Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was held last evening. '. he president, .Uγ. P. Meatlowcroft, occupied tho chair. Tho inspector's report de.-ilt with ono of ill-treating cows, two of underfeeding cattlo, ono dirty stable, two lame horses, two horses destroyed, two cows destroyed, one dog destroyed. Subseriptiona amounted to .£7 175., including M each from the "Evening Post" and "N.Z. Truth."

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

Dr. and Mrs. Jenness loft by the Tofim on Monday evening on their rcltmi (» Cannda. Professor Macllillan Brown was also a passenger by the same boat for the Pacific Islands.

A Tory enjoyable private- dance wae held in St. Peter's Schoolroom, Gliuznee Streot, last evening, the organisers being the Misses lligg, Prouting, La Roche", M'Cleland, Messrs. Lloyd, La Eoche, Weaver, and' Mulholland. The chaperonee were Mesdnmos Lloyd, M'Cleland, and Grecnshiclds. Thero was a good attendance of dancers.

Miss ■ Cecilo Baldwin (Palmcrston North) is in town for race week.

Mr. and Mrs. Peter Harrison (Master ton) are visiting Wellington.

Miss H'Kella (New Plymouth) is vieiting her sister, Mrs. Abraham, Khandallah.

Miss Sheppard, who has been indisposed for tho last few weeks, is now convalescent.

Miss Ella Heluiore (Christchurdi) is visiting Wellington.

Miss Rowo (Christclnirch) and Miss Pearson (Wellington) left by the knrquo Rona on. a visit to Tonga. Afterwards .they go on to tho United States and Canada. :

Miss Helen Denuiston, daughter of Sir John and Lady Denniston (Christehurch) , is spending several months in Cornwall.

Mr. and Mrs. L. Meredith (Whareama) ero in town I'or the races.

'■ A presentation of a silver salver, suitably inscribed, and a silver hand-mir-ror, was made at the Mneterton Golfhouso recently to Mrs. J. B. Henry, the •ladies' captain, who is leaving the district. After tea hnd been enjoyed, Mrs. G. H. AVilliams, wife of tho president ■of tho dub, made the presentation, and in a cordial little speech, expressed the regret of all at Mrs. Henry's departure.

Mrs. Hart, wife of Brigadier-General : Hart, C.M.G., D.5.0., was tho guest of honour at an afternoon arranged by a number of Carterton ladies, and.held at tho horao of Mrs. Aplin, Tyno Street, on Saturday. Mrs. Jlort and her husband aio about to leavo Cartcrtou to take np their residence in Masterton, and it wiis for the purpose of saying farewell that tho afternoon was held. Both General and Mrs. Hart will be greatly missed iu Cai'tcrton.

The Wellington Nursing jiivision held a meeting in St. John's Schoolroom, WiV lis Street, on Monday evening. Tine being the first meeting i.f the division after .tho declaration of pence, a few minutes were spent in silent prayer, Mid. afterwards the first verse of the National Anthem was sung. Sister Macmidrew gave one of her interesting and instructive lectures, tho subject lieiii;? "Signs iind Symptoms of Disease." A concise and comprehensive list of signs and symptoms wore given to members, and if committed to memory should prove exceedingly useful. The position and exnression of a patient in nbdoniiiutl, iwobrnl, chest, or heart trouble wfls dealt with. mid the. crisis attending pneumonia and typhoid explained. Surgical cnses were touched upon. Sister Mncandrew's- lecttires aro always looked forward to and closely followed by moinbftrs of the division. There was a Rood attendance. Mrs. Moorhousc presidtxl.

The sum of JI2OOO was netted in Christchurch for tho building fund ot the Returned Soldiers' Club in Christchurch as a result of the "Reveille" season, vlii' , ' l kisbed two weeks and a half, .mid was urgnniscd by Mr. Lints, who hod γ-m -i-'.-ii tu^et'lnu , all the trirl talciit of Christchurch for the undertaking. The rinni'P'j solids, and tableaux were said to be of a very high order, and would not Buffer by comparison with tho performances of many professional companies. At tho conclusion of tho fiual perform-ance-on Saturday evening, the grenter number of the returned soldiers, wlio had attended a social gathering in the Art liallevy, formed up. r.nd murched through the streets to the Theatre ftoyal to inrewell the players. Just after the last it'.-ni,' of tlie producWon of the "IJberly Jliirch," the men inarched up the central aisle, where, amid the fluttering of the i-numonible naper ribbons flung across the house and down from tho galleries, they sang "Good-bye-ee" to the girls, and cheered lihem heartily. The announcement made from the eta,»e by Jlr. M'Callum, president of tho E.S.A., that over dC'iOlM) had been ruiscH- by tho production of "Our Eeveille" for the R.S.A. building fund was received with hearty cheers, and subsequent speakers, the Mayor, Mrs. George Rhodes, and Mr. L'inte, wcro also enthusiastically cheered. .

London after the War. In discussing impressions of London after the war, a writer in the "Manchester Guardian" says that ono of the most pathetic things is that it you have bec-n away from London for a little it seems on your return jiist now almost as if half the people were crippled or twisted or scarred in one way or another. You notice a man in a bus with his body strangely twisted, and you think, "How did tliat poor fellow . .';" Then ypu remember. Or a shopman works down a bale from tho shelf with one arm, or you seo young men unable to get on the bus until it is completely stopped. When these men were in,khaki or hospital blue they seemed to be separated from the rest of London life, but now you see them everywhere in their civiliun clc-Uies and you feel at last the reality of.it all, and that the cost—or rather part of tho cost—to us of tho war will be there, plainly stated in these sad terms whilo tno older generation dies, out ana the young generation conies to mauhooii. Vet. these crippled and maimed lien do not look unnappy just now, and aru turning bravo faces down the euijfaiatic years before them.

Another noticeable, thing is, not only that young men in civil clothes are wearing wound stripes on their sleeves, but the old men tou—even very old men. The permission given now to wear these marks of honour has awakened many old men to tho memory that they 100 wei'b wounded in tho. auntry's battles, but the world did not know of it, aid. no you see- stripes i'or wounds in far-away, almost forgotten littlo wars, as well as for the comparatively 'recent war iu South Africa. Decorations «re also to be seen in all sorts of unusual places. .Many bus conductors wear ribbons, some of them shoving the South African as well as the. Mons ribbon. On the other _hand, many who have these ribbons do 'not wear them at all. In some of the clubs the waiters ana porters wear do. coriitions. In the most exclusive club in Pall Mall ono of the club waiters weara the Croix do Guerre, making some of the members hesitate to ask him to pass the potatoes. , The Voterans of the French Stago. The death of Mine. Blanche Picrson. of the Comedio Francaiso, at the age of 77, which is reported from Paris, raises reflfotioi'fi on the difference'between the .Preuijh ind English stago (states an L'uglisU writer). This, line actre:-s, who was tho orifiLal Dora—Sardou's "Dora"—continued 'to adorn the stage until six months ago. When too old for a young girl's part she passed (o other parts, and so continued until she was playing the character of old grand ladies of the French nobility—small parts as beautifully played as the chief part in tho production. How rarely do we lind on tho English stage that these small parts aro played by perfect actresses with all the technique of leatting experience behind them. In IJngland, when a leading actress can no longer play leading parts, she considers it derogatory to appear in small parts, and consequently the sinnll [jaris on tho English slngo nro usually played by failures or by players with insufficient technique. There are a few exceptions on the English stage that will occur to anyone, but It is broadly true Hint the English, stage suffers tit art through tho übsenco of tho acting and of the example of elderly playore of distinction. When there aro national thi'otrcs and municipal theatres and stock companies 1 suppose wo inny eipect to seo the. French example copied.

Welcoming the Soldiers,

It is difficult to estimate the value of the Returned Soldiers' Club to the men μ-ho arrive in this city from overseas qervico und have to spend some hours tiere before leaving for their destinntiun in other parts of the Dominion, i'or some months now those who liavo taken an active interest in its working liitve been tii>le to nee lor themselves how useful it is not only as a depot and a meeting-place in which to hnd their friends, but also as (he first place in which the returned soldiers meet with something like home comforts after weeks of the monotonous and more'or less uninviting food that is provided on the troopships. At a very early hour yesterday, the club was invaded by large numbers of soldiers and . their wives and babies who had just arrived by the Ruahine, and at onco they were warmly welcomed and provided with fresh hot tea and home-made things to eat. "It's the best cup of tea I've.had 6ince leaving England," said more than one of tho soldiers, and some of the wives also said how good it was to be so. warmly welcomed and to have nice things to eat once more. At half-past six, or even earlier, Mrs. Dβ Cnstro was down at the wharf directing the men where to go, and afterwards eho was working hard at the club with her helpers in seeing that everybody had all they needed. No matter vliat (lie weather is like, nor how early the boat may arrive, Mrs. Dβ Castro is always there to welcome the men and direct them to the club. Yesterday, ■ in the very busiest hour, tragedy threatened, when tho gas all. at once got very low, too low to boil the water for tea, J>nt Mrs. De Castro is nothing if not ready.for.emergencies, and it was not long before she and her helpers were to be. seen flying along to nearby premises with buckets and jugs of all sizes and shapes to get hot water for the tea. Mr. Maxwell, the chairman of the club, niid Mr. Cullender (secretary and manager), are also a host in themselves on'such occasions, and leave nothing undone Ihat can' add to the welcome and comfort of returning soldiers and their kinsfolk. Yesterday, Mrs. A. Gray, as at other times, acted as hostess, and' welcomed the men upon their arrival at. Ihe club, antt nt different times (luring the day Miss Hewitt and Miss Little provided music. PARIS HONOURS JOAN OF ARC 'WHEAT PROCESSION THROUGH TIITC STREETS. It would be impossible to eay how many processions in memory of Joan of Arc hiivo passed through the streets of i'.iris, but until to-day, -'writes 'Mr. John Bell, in tho London. "Daily.. News" of a recent date, nono had taken placesinco the war began. A. .roligiirtis n'olu marked the procession, which was .something like two miles in length, for moit of the societies, taking, part in it were Catholic. . With' the religious noto was a semi-military setting, which, however, was not official. Officers and soldiers simply took their places in tho groups in which they belonged. But there was a detachment of Polish troops preceded by an enormous wreath. It was, indeed, a procession of wreaths and Hags, and so numerous were the floral tributes that all could not possibly be de-posited'on-the'statues of tho Shepherdess of Domremy.

Tho fete' n'iis inevitably associated with tlio Allied victory, and its most picturesque nolo was furnished by- girls from Alsace-Lorraine. wearing their national costumes of mauve,' blue, and 6carlct skirts, arid black and white'cor-sages,'-their heads' decorated with broad black ribbons. There was even a number of inhabitants from tho valley of tlio Sa.ir. An enormous red streamer with crave' bearings'preceded a group of silent men -rind women who had lost sow in tho war.- Catholic trade .unionists wer* : in strong force, and there was a'tremendous number of youths from varioiu colleges and little-bovs clad in -whitu with red and blue- sashes from Catholic gymnastic . societies,, shepherded- by priests. . It was a most orderly procesison, loa solemn for cheers, and it was watched by large crowds, which were particularlj dense in tlio Place do l'Ovwra, where was .in "altar of victory," which took the form of an obelisk ornamented by a palm surmounting the inscription, "Eatria,". and Hags, and in tho Place da la Madeleine. The procession, with mounted Republican Guards at head aa J rear, 'disbanded' at tho Mais Royal.

.Among- tho visitors to the Trenthani races from outside districts; -yesterday were: Mr. and Mrs. Loivry, from Hnwke's Bay; Mrs. -Percy 'Wall, and Mr?. T. vVefrh, from Wnipukarau; Mrs. Blgar, Ffntherston; Mr. and Mrs. (seorge Iluine -nn<l Mr. and Mrs. W. .Ifumo, Soutli I'oatherston; Mr?. J. MacDonaW. Levin; Mr.-and-'Jlrs. A\ : . Richmond, Hastings; Mi'i-and Mrs. Rathuone, Waipnwa; Mrs. J. 8.-A-'Denne (Taknuai!); Mr. and Mrs. DelautouT, Mr. and Mrs. Roland' Murphy, and Mrs. John Murphy, Gis'borne.