NAPIER CITIZENS SAY FAREWELL TO MRS E. A. W. HENLEY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 34, 24 February 1937, Page 11

NAPIER CITIZENS SAY FAREWELL TO MRS E. A. W. HENLEY

Yesterday morning, at the instance of the Mayor, Mr C. O. MOrse, a number of Napier 's prominent citizens met at morning tea at the Trocadero to say au revoir to Mrs E. A.' W. Henley, who is shortly leaving Napier on a trip to the Old Country. The Mayor, in wishing a pleasanl voyage and safe return to Mrs. Henley on behalf of the citizens of Napier, said that he felt it an honour to preside at such a gathering, for Mrs. Henley had for many years taken a very activo part in various public-spirited inovements for the benefit of the whole cornmunity, and for the development of the town. Mrs. Henley had been the original promoter of l&e first Plunket Society in Napier in 1908, and had been * an active member and worker on that society ever since, having been for part of the time president. If Mrs. Henley had been connected with no other public organisation, this alone would have been a testimony to her interest in and promotion of all those movements which form links in the chain of human brotherhood, 'said the Mayor; but that was not the only public body with whose work Mrs. Henley had actively assoeiated herself with. The Townswomen's Guild and other women 's organisations owed a good deal to her energy aand active help. He had great pleasure in asking Mrs. Henley 's acceptance of a souvenir book of Napier views, and a silver serviette ring engraved with the Napier coat-of-arms, so that wherever Mrs. Henley happened to be she could always carry with her something to remind her of Napier. Similar tributes to Mrs. Henley 's manifold good works were paid by Messrs. T. H. Ringland, T. M. Geddis, Rene Natusch, G. H. Bickerstaffe and L. Pickering. Mrs. Henley, who on rising, to reply, was received with a storm of cheers, said she appreciated very much the kindness of the Mayor and citizens in giving her such a hearty send-off. It was the only function of the kind at which she had been the only lady present. Napier would always be in her thoughts. It was there that her late husband had given up his life in combating the big influenza epidemic. It was there that her children were born, and she felt rather proud of being the only Napier mother- to produce a Rhodes scholar. She thanked all for their kind remarks and kindly send-off.