Te Aroha Band of Hope.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 405, 25 September 1889, Page 2

Te Aroha Band of Hope.

A piGHLY successful meeting of the Te A roh a Band of Hope was held in the Te Aroh.a Public Hull on Monday evening last. Mr J. Ilott presided ; Revs F. G. Evans and T. A. Norrie, ulso occupying seats on the platf orm. There was a really good attendance, all the seats in. the Hall being comfortably tilled. The meeting was opened by singing No. 2G, Hoyle's Temperance Songs, after which Rev. F. G, Evans engaged in prayer. Before proceeding with the pro* \ gramme, the Chairman briefly addressed the meeting, and expressed the great pleasure it afforded him to see such a large number by their presence showing an, interest in the good cause of temper* ance. It was very encouraging to those wlio had to do with the getting up of Band of Hope meetings, and to those who went to bo much trouble iq preparing dialogues and recitations, and otherwise assisting at these enteitainments, to see a good large audio, ace pie ion t. This being the iiit>t occasion tli.it Rev F, G. Evans (Church of England), hud been present at one of thoir Band of Hope meetings since he came to iet>ide ut Te Aroha, he took this opportunity of, in the name of the Te Aroha Bund of dope, and of that meeting, accoiding him a lieaity welcome amongst them. Rev Mr Norrie (Prcsbyteiiau), had already publicly identified IriniHcli with temperance woik since taking up his lesliluncii at Te Aioha, and it was very pleasant and eucouiat;ing to see the minibtt-is of the three pint .-btant congregations (Rev IS. Lawry (V\Y.-.leyan), being Seciutaiy of the Band of Hope), piobcnt at that meeting, woiking unitedly tv advance the cutlet) of total abstinence. The cause was a. good one, upon which thoy could ask and expect a blessing, and thoie woie autplo indications on evuiy hand that the seed sown in ioimer years, more especially amongst the young, was bi ing ing i'oitk fiuit abundantly. One lemaiUable fuct xecently published he would wish to dnect attention to, viz., That tor the year 1887, 1,088 bepaiate persons weze leceived into prison in Now Zealand on account of drunkenness, but of that number on!}' 51 weie New Zealand born, oi European parentage. Ycung New Zealand, therefore, only furnished 4. 08 per cent of those so charged, while the proportion they bear to the population of tho Colony as a whole was 51.89. This wuss>urely most encourage ing. The great thing was to get the young folks enlisted on th,e right side at> early as possible The following programme was then gone through .—. — Hymn, 207 (Hoyle's), Dare to lo Right ; dialogue, A Country Booby, Masters Reginald Smales, Walter Mamgay, and John Strange ; song, A Dream Within a Dream, Miss Tudehope (of Auckland) ; address, Rev F. G. Evans ; pajrt song, Brave Soldiers, Hear, Choir ; recitation, Longfellow's First Poem, Master Bertie liott ; song, None Remember Thee, Miss West ; song, I'll take you Hom,e again Kathleen, Mr Burns ; recitation, The Charge of the Light Brigade,, Rev T. A. Nome; song (with chorus). Where is my Boy To-night, Eev S, Lawry ; dialogue, Parnin,g a Cobweb, Misses C. Bew, and K. Henderson ; song (with chorus), A jn the Window, Miss West ; recitation, An Inventor's Wife r Mrs Ilott ; duct, Children's Voices, Misses Winnje and Sarah Harris ; song, Tired, Miss Y. Pavitt; dialogue, Bearing Others Burdens, Misses IS. Hirst, ETE T Bow, and A. West r In hiu address Rbv Mr Evans expressed the great pleasure it afforded him i~o be present at tho meeting, and said he felt gratified to see so many adults amongstthe audience, and thereby exhibiting a sympathy with the work. The assistance of the elder ones was most important to tho young folks in the preparation of their several parts for these public meetings v Mr E^vana said he had for a number of years taken a deep interest in temperance work, and was agreeably surprised to find such a latge gathering at Te Aroha in connection therewith, as he was now addressing. Tho Key gentleman in his address related a very .humoroiib story he had read, which, very forcibly illustrated the folly of those who spent their, money on drink,. The proijiamme from fiist to last was really good ; each of the three dialogues were exceedingly well delivered (also thoroughly practical and to the point), The singing was good, likewise the lecitations, etc., and the audience warmly applauded every item ; one littlo chap, only live years of age (who recited really wullior so 3 oung a debutant) being lieai tily encored. Before concluding, tho Chairman, on behalt of the meeting, returned special thanks tv the visitors who had so kindly assisted during the evening". Several new pledged were takon at the close.