HIKUTAIA.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4489, 8 November 1922, Page 2

HIKUTAIA.

PLAIN AND FANCY DRESS 1 BALL.

The plain and fancy dress ball organised by the Bowling Club tooK place on Thursday night, and proved in every way a complete success, so much so that the general opiniop was that the newly organised club in its initial function had established a standard of excellence that would be hard to equal, almost impossible to excel, and would form a criterion according to which other functions would be judged.

The originator of the ball was Mr M. C. Smith, the “live-wire” chairman of 1 the entertainments committee, and associated with him were Messrs G. Avery. F. Maxwell, apd I. M. Robinson, a team that left nothing undone, and that worked most assiduously .to attain the success that was the effect resulting from hard work and the determination to succeed. Their efforts were most ably seconded by the ladies’ committee, consisting, of Mesdanies A. W. Alley, Avery, Collins, JElliot, and Murdock, who in the exercise of their culinary talent proved more than equal to the pccasiOp the products of their hands in of fruit salads, jellies., and trifles evoking universal commendation and calling for those “repeats” that emt phasised the appreciation of those who partook of the recherche supper provided.

On Thursday evening the unusually sombre hall was a blaze of colour — quiet, effective, and without the garish vaiegation due usually to inartistic blending. The club’s colours, navy blue and silver-grey, formed the basis of the colour scheme, which was most artistically worked out by Mr T. M. Robinson, who was in charge of the decorations, and who had the’ able assistance af Messrs M. C. Smith, F. Maxwell. G. Avery, and C. Murdock. The greenery, flowers, and bunting formed an effective contrast .to the navy blue and silver streamers, the whole being as effective as it was artistic in design, as "it was in acr copiplishment. When the hall was filled the effect was vivid and startling: the fancy dresses of the ladies and gentlemen, the many charming toilettes of the ladies, and the morrsombre garniture of the gentlemen providing, a feast of colour, that charmed, while it. did not weary, the eye of the beholder.

When dancing commenced at 8.30 o’clock tb.e floor space in the hall was found to be inadequate, and the M’s.C, Messrs A. R. and I. M. Robinson, who were übiquitous and most solicitous in their efforts to promote the general enjoyment, had their 'hands full. The genial good nature and general hilarity of the devotees of Tespsichpne who were cut for enjoyment, not for criticism, lightened their labours and made things go with a swing and a verve that excised discomfort and prpmoted the exuberance which made for pleasure and geniality. To excite this “atmosphere” the music played an important part, so. much so that Mr Williams’ orchestra, which excelled itself on this Occasion, was forced on account of the genuine plaudits of the dancers to repeat, almost every dance, and to the players the supper interlude afforded what must have proved a very welcome rest. There must have been almost 80 couples cn the floor, about one half of whom were in fancy costume. Pierrots and pierettes were in the majority, their variegated attire contrasting and blending well with the dresses of thd red cross nurses, cow boys, parsons, tennis danseuses, rangers soldiers, Irish colleen?;, Scotch lassies, and others' who composed the motley assemblage, among whom were visitors from Ngatea, Puriri. Omaha, Thames, Whareppa, Netherotn, Paeroa and other places. The award of the prizes, where there were so many competitors, was a difficult task, which,, however, was solved by the audience, who were the voters, by awarding the ladies’ prize to Miss Geary, Thames (Peggy O'Neil) and the gentleman’s to Mr Ted. Sampson (a High Church curate). Miss L. Swift as a red cross nurse being runner up.

The euchre competition did ttOt prove as successful as anticipated, the little hitch, due to no lack of zeal but rather to a misinterpretation of instructions, causing the slight confusion that w.as taken by the players with the utmost good nature. The winners were Mrs Collins and Mrs Geary (of Thames’). * The presentation of the prizes by Mr W. H, Alley, president of! tlie Bowling Club, provided the opportunity for a neat speech. After thanking ail for their presence, he explained what had been done at the Alley Memorial park, and invited all but those especially the residents of Hikutaia. to visit the park and see for themselves the full-size bowling green beautifully green with ample sward, the croquet lawn through the the level surface of which the tender blades were appearing, the two tennis courts which were nearing completion, and the pavilion which only required a little more labour to males it available for all concerned- To do all this work, to say nothing ofi fencing and other .things, a great deal ofi money had been expended—more-thai had been anticipated—and to finish the work and beautify the grounds more was required. To this end the ladies were hard at work on material for a bazaar, which was dated for Friday, the 24th inst. He trusted the residents would feel it their bounded duty to show their practical 'sympathy with an effort that was for the physical and moral welfare of the whole community by contributing what they could, and by putting all their enthusiasm into the endeavour to make the bazaar a huge success. The present gathering was an example of what work could accomplish, and if the success of that evening could be taken as' an omen of the success pf the bazaar the ladies would have all the com pc ii sat ion they desired for their long, continuous, and trying labour —labour undertaken from no selfish motive, but with the sole desire to leave Hikutaia a little better than it was when they were younger. He had heard that there was a little, a very little, opposition to the scheme

on He deprecated that exceedingly, and hoped that by making a united effort Hikutaia would soon -possess a pleasure ground free from all financial encumbrances and a credit to all concerned that would form a fitting memorial to those who had fought and died for the Empire. To Mr Smith and his confreres and to the ladies’ committee the credit of the successful issue is mainly due, and the universal verdict, as pronounced by ah “old identity” will compensate them for their toil—carried out amidst the most pessimistic forecasts of failure, viz., “All the time I have been in Hikutaia I have never attended a more enjoyable, and successful function.” High praise, but well deserved, and an incentive to further effort. \ HALL SOCIALS. The last of the series of socials held to augment the hall funds took place oh Saturday night, and proved as successful as its predecessors. The ladies’ committee is to be congratulated on the success of its labour, which must have netted a considerable sum. BAZAAR. Bazaar work continues apace, ths ladies concerned “making every post a winning post.” The art union tickets’ are selling well, the first completed book of sales * coming from Coromandel, where it was filled on tike bowling green in half an hour, and- the second from Paeroa. The canvass of the district, though not yet completed, has yielded capital results. j RAINFALL. The raihfall for October, as registered by the rain-gauge at the district school, totalled 2.88 inches, rain falling, but not very copiously except on three occasions, on 24 out of the 31 days in the month. The average temperature as taken in the shade at noon every day was 63.02 F., the barometric pressure for the month; averaging 30.31. SCHOOL. Mr Hudson,' agricultural inspector, and instructor for the Auckland Board of Education, visited the Hikutaia school last Tuesday, and expressed himself as well satisfied with the good work done and the progress made in his’ special branch, 1 MEASLES. Measles still continues to claim its toll of juveniles and adutts alike. Among this Peek’s victims is Miss Frost, teacher at the schopL