MR WILLIAM HART HONOURED

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 31, 30 October 1937, Page 6

MR WILLIAM HART HONOURED

Mr william hart

First Life Member of War Relief Association VALUED SERVICES In recognition of the long and valued service that Mr William Hart has given as a member of the Hawke's Bay War Relief Association, the committee decided at its last meeting, when accepting the resignation of Mr Hart on account of ill-health, that he be made a life member of the association. ■ This is the first occasion that such an honour has been bestowed by the association. ' ' Members of the committee expressed sincere Tegret that your health • should prevent you- from attending meetings of the association and it was hoped that, when you f elt inclined and able • to do so you would continue . to give your valuable help, and we assure you that your advice on the cases coming before the committee will always be welcomed," states the letter written by Mr F. H. Goldfinch, (secretary of the association, to Mr Hart. Mr Hart 's association with the war relief work in tliis district goes Tight back to 1914 when he was mayor. of

Hastings and was responsible f or^ the setting-up of the Hastings Patriotic Society, which was one of the first of its kind in New Zealand, and • which, after the war, was incorporated in the Hawke's Bay War Relief Association. During the war years Mr Hart actively associated himself with various groups and organisations which raised money for the purpose of.assisting thoae participating in the war and those directly aifeeted by that conflagration. Money was raised at that time for the Belgium Relief Fund, the Ladi'es' Equipment Committee and the -Hastings Patriotic Society. Mr Hart, as well as Mrs Hart, in their capacity as mayor and mayoress, presided over and attended hundreds of meetings arranged to further the various campaigns, and took a leading part in the ma jority oi the efforts to raise funds. Later these funds, as well as a. number .of similar ones, weje concentrated under one control, that of the Hawke's Bay War Relief Association, and Mr Hart continued to lend his able counsel and assistance to the work of distribution the funds available and for many years was chairman of the committee. Actually Mr Hart has given nnbroken service from ]fche .very inception of the association in 1914 until just recently, when ill-health prevented his regular attendance to meetings. It is in recognition of this long and wonderful service that the committee has now- decided to confer upon Mr Hart the honour of being the first and only life member of the association, an honour that has been justly earned and which will be endorsed by all those who have had anythihg.to do with Mr Hart and the association in its work throughout the past 23 years.