FRIENDLY AID SOCIETY.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 476, 31 May 1890, Page 5

FRIENDLY AID SOCIETY.

Auckland, May 24. Tjik Auckland Working Men’s Friendly Aid Society, on the occasion of their eighteenth anniversary, last evening gave their annual soiree, concert and dance. The soiree was hold in the Oddfellows’ Hall, Parnell, when about 100 sat down to a bountiful repast of good things supplied by Mr R. Forgie. As this hall was not large enough for the concert and dance, after tea an adjournment was made to the Sc. Bonaventura’s Hall, a line roomy building just suitable for the occasion. The Chairman of the Society, Mr Emery, opened proceedings by giving an outline of the annual report which will be submitted in full at a business meeting in June next. The afiairs of the Society, he was glad to say, were in a fairly good condition. The amount received for the year fiom all sources amounted to £l6B Is Od ; amount paid away for sick gifts, doctors and oHer expenses was ;1'223 8s lid, of which £2OO alone was spent in sick gifts ; the balance in the bank stood at present at £414 5s lOd, Before commencing the evening entertainment, a letter was reqd from Mr Moss, regretting tliqb would be urn ablo tp a(>teqd, 4s important business defajnpd liiqi. The concert programme, a varied one, \yas begun by a pianoforte selection by Miss Fitz, which wa3 tastefully rendered. A comic song by Mr Double was greatly appreciated by the audience, who demanded an encore. Mr Teague in his two songs scored a decided success, and two songs by Mrs Hodgson wei’C sung very credits ably. “ ti°ver and Bird,” by Mrs Maxwell, who was in good voice, was one of the best items of the evening, and Mr Ellis, in his “ Maid of the Mill,” was also very good, A violin and piano solo by Mr and Miss Mitchell was played in good style, and was loudly applauded. Songs by Miss Turk and Miss Martin were also well rendered ; and a sailor's hornpipe, by Mr Adair, so delighted the house that he had to respond to a decided encore. A song contributed by Mr Mitchell at the last moment brought the concert to a close. Praise is due to Misses Hodgson, Good, Maxwell, and others, for their assistance as accompanists. The hall was cleared for dancing, which was kept up till an early hour in the morning.