BLIND INSTITUTE BAND

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 590, 16 February 1929, Page 6

BLIND INSTITUTE BAND

SUCCESSFUL TOUR That the tour of the Blind Boys’ Band had been an unqualified success was reported by the director, Mr. Clutha Mackenzie, at the last meeting of the trustees of the Jubilee Institute for the Blind. The boys behaved splendidly, giving excellent programmes, and everywhere they left behind them an excellent impression as to the practical results being achieved at the institute, he said. The capacity of the boys to look after themselves in the different homes in which they were billeted, their enjoyment of swimming, bathing, cardplaying. dancing, and so on, had given people quite a different idea of the efficiency of the blind. The balance-sheet shows that the total takings in various centres, after the payment of local expenses, amounted to £1,142. Organising expenses, band uniforms, boys* pocketmoney, etc., amounted to £325, leaving the net proceeds at £Bl6. The trustees decided to make a gruiU of £3 00 of this money among the members of the band, as a reward for their very fine services, so that the sum of £73 6 remains available for future development, and the trustees have decided to devote this to gymnastic equipment, and to further musical training.