“TOC H”

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 88, 5 July 1927, Page 15

“TOC H”

CULT OF SERVICE REV. PAT LEONARD EXPLAINS IN trying to sell something to men who are trained to the business of selling, I feel in a rather peculiar position, said the Rev. Pat Leonard, one of the founder-padres of Toe H., addressing members of the Auckland Advertising Club at to-day’s luncheon. The Rev. Leonard briefly outlined the commencement of the movement, at the same time putting forward a plea for the greater encouragement of the movement in New Zealand. In Talbot House on the Ypres front, said the Rev. Leonard, was founded a home away from home in every sense. As "Punch” had said, it brought a little bit of heaven into that hell. It was the home of a family of men with whom snobbishness was a forgotten vice, and selfishness the greatest sin. He explained that it had been run by a little man with a big heart—a man called "Tubby” Clayton. “Tubby,” be said, was a man with a wonderful nE.ture, made up with a delightful mixture of generosity and humour. To illustrate his description of him he Quoted the following instance: In Talbot House wa3 a much-prized carpet which “Tubby” Clayton was particularly anxious to preserve from the prevalent war-time habit of spitting. To achieve that end he placed a notice near the carpet, “Those of you who are in the habit of spitting at home, please spit here.” Nobody gave themselves away, said the Rev. Leonard. (Laughter.) After the war a few of them strove to continue the spirit of Toe H, continued the speaker. It was not a military organisation, and was not intended to perpetuate the war spirit, but to strive and continue the great spirit of fellowship and unselfishness that had been born at Toe H headquarters on the Ypres front.

The slogan, he concluded, was “service is the rent we pay for our room on earth.”

That was the slogan they were endeavouring to carry out in life. The "war to end war” would not be won, bis said, until the sacrifice made by those men who did not come home was carried into our daily life. (Applause.)