Notes for Women

Southland Times, 16 October 1942, Page 3

Notes for Women

Mrs K. Graham, Dunedin, arrived last night to be the guest of Mrs Eustace Bussell, Herbert street. Miss Nancy McLachlan, Grey street, returned last night from a visit to Mr ana Mrs I. A. McLachlan, Christchurch. _ . Mrs W. Orr, Balfour, acting Dominion president of the Women's Division of “l e Farmers' Union, will leave today for Wellington to attend an advisory board meeting. Miss E. M. Mehaffey. masseuse at the Southland Hospital, has been granted six weeks' leave of absence to attend a refresher course at Dunedin Hospital. The resignation of Miss E. Eade, nurse aid at the Riverton Hospital, was accepted by the Southland Hospital Board at its meeting yesterday. Mrs lan Shand, formerly Miss Helen Fleming of Gore, was the guest of honour at a function arranged by the members or the St. Andrew’s Tennis Club, when she was presented with a fruit bowl and wished every happiness in her new life. The death occurred at Wellington on Wednesday of Mrs Mary Ellen Hansell, wife of Archdeacon Hansell, of Karori, and eldest daughter of the late Archbishop Julius. She is survived by her husband and two daughters.—P.A. ■ The members of the Waikiwi branch of I the Women’s Division of the Farmers’ Union I paid a surprise visit to Mrs A. Waters, preslI dent of the branch, when an enjoyable I evening was spent. A presentation of a • salad set was made to the guest of honoux- oy Mrs W. A. Gray. At the annual meeting of the Southland High School Old Girls’ Association last night presentations were made to the retiring president, Mrs A. Derbie, in appreciation of the splendid work she had done for the association and to Mrs R. D. Johnson, whose marriage has taken place during the year. The death occurred recently at Auckland of Mrs Agnes Jane White, whose husband, the Rev. William White, was minister at Wallacetown for 14 years. Mr White died at Waihi several years ago. Both Mr and Mrs White were born in Northern Ireland. Mrs White is survived by two sons and two daughters—Miss Maud White (Auckland), Mrs E. Wells (Morrinsville) and Messrs Victor and William White (Christchurch). The women's section of the Gore Returned Services Association now has a membership of 100, according to a statement made by the president, Mr T. L. Macdonald, at a social afternoon conducted by the section in the R.S.A. club rooms. The speaker for the afternoon was Sergeant J. L. Ferguson, R.A.F., who recently returned from overseas. Hhe spoke about his experiences and he also played two excellent saxophone solos. He was accompanied by his mother. More than 30 members of the Garden Circle of the Southland Women’s Club spent a pleasant afternoon yesterday when the beautiful gardens of Miss Rae and Mesdames E. H. Smith and W. Dudman, Otatara, were visited. The gardens were gay with polyanthus and pansies and at the home of Mrs Smith afternoon tea was served. On behalf of the members Mrs J. G. Macdonald, the chairman, thanked their hostess for her hospitality. Next Tuesday a visit will be paid to Mrs John Thomson’s garden in Grace street.

The monthly meeting of the South Invercargill Women’s Christian Temperance Union was held in the Grace street hall. This took the form of a social afternoon and members from the Central and North unions were present. Miss McCallum, the president, welcomed the visitors. After devotional exercises, solos Were given by Miss Simon and Mrs Aitchison. The speaker for the afternoon was the Rev. C. J. Tocker, who gave an address on the new Christian Order. On the motion of Mrs Dale a hearty vote of thanks was passed to the speaker and soloists. ENGAGEMENT The engagement is announced between Gladys Rose, daughter of Mr and Mrs J. E. Boniface, Crinan street, Invercargill, and Gerard Charles, son of Mr and Mrs J. H. Waigth, jun., Roxburgh. On 397 ANIMALS IN POETRY Talk By Miss M. W. May "If you turn over the pages of any English anthology you will be struck by the number of references to animals,” said Miss M. W. May, principal of the Southland Girls’ High School, in an address on animals in poetry at the annual meeting of the Old Girls’ Association last night. “Englishmen are noted for their love of animals more than people of any other nationality. I don’t know when this love of animals begins; there is little reference to animals in the works of Shakespeare. But it is very apparent in the works of the romantic poets, with Blake the forerunner.” Most of the Georgian poets had written of animals, but the love of animals was more pronounced in the modern poets and D. H. Lawrence had written a whole volume about them. Miss May read an extract from the works of this poet and a poem by Rupert Brooke to illustrate her remarks, and in conclusion commented on the fact that in the works of the twentieth century poets there was a very definite religious note in their reference to animals. Mrs A. Derbie, on behalf of the members, thanked Miss May for her enjoyable talk and presented her with a bouquet of tulips.

HIGH SCHOOL OLD GIRLS Annual Meeting Of Association The annual meeting of the Southland High School Old Girls’ Association was held in the Southland Women’s Club last night. Mrs A. Derbie presided over a good attendance of members. The annual report showed that the association was in a good financial position and the social functions held during the year had been successful and well attended. Satisfaction was expressed with the number of junior members who had joined the association and it was hoped that more would join this year. The election of offic-bearers resulted: Patroness, Mrs J. N. Armour; president, Miss May Manson; vice-presidents, Mesdames A. Barnsdale and C. C. Munnings, Misses V. Roscow, M. T. Crofts, M. W. May and P. Sutton; secretary, Miss Jean Jones; assistant secretary. Miss Joyce Hay; treasurer, Miss Ruth Henderson; committee, Misses J. Thomson, M. Crawford, M. McKay, E. Curson, R. Lange, J. Ayling, R. Reid and C. Gudgeon and Mesdames H. Rout and R. D. Johnson; magazine representative, Miss Joyce Lee; auditors, Misses H, and V. Jamieson. OBITUARY MRS CATHERINE PEARCE The death of Mrs Catherine Pearce occurred at the residence of her daughter, Mrs J. Stewart, Otapiri. Mrs Pearce, who was in her hundredth year, was the youngest daughter of Mr Caden Grant, of Kerrimuir, Scotland. With her brother, William, and his three children she arrived at Dunedin on March 16, 1868, from the sailing vessel Bouvrie (Captain Kerle), which took three months to do the voyage. The only surviving member of the party is her nephew, Mr W. J. Grant, Glenorchy. Mrs Pearce and her brother proceeded by bullock dray to Puketore station, entering the employ of Mr Watson Shennan. Two years later Mrs Pearce was married at Dunedin by the Baptist minister, Mr Williams. With her husband, Mrs Pearce lived at Dunedin and Christchurch for a time, going in 1874 to Tuapeka mouth, where her husband was engaged in the sawmill. While at Tuapeka Mrs Pearce had the experience of being flooded out, having nine feet of water in the house in 1878, and losing practically all she possessed. The next shift was in 1881 to South Riverton and Oraki, where her husband worked in the sawmill owned by McKillop and Trail. She finally settled at Wakapatu in 1888 and lived there for 50 years. Her husband died 32 years ago. Of a family of four sons and four daughters, six members survive. They are Mrs Stewart (Otaoiri), Mrs Scott (Rowellan), Mrs Dennis (Christchurch) and Mr Richard Pearce (Otahu), Mr Percy Pearce (Arrowtown) and Mr George Pearce (Wakapatu). There are 28 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchil-dren.