Y.M.C.A. LADIES’ AUXILIARY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 March 1939, Page 10

Y.M.C.A. LADIES’ AUXILIARY

ANNUAL MEETING OF MEMBERS. FAREWELL TO MR A. E. BATE. The annual meeting of the ladies’ auxiliary of the Masterton Y.M.C.A. was held in the rooms on Tuesday last, ,the general secretary presiding. There was an attendance of 20 ladies and apologies were received from Mesdames Taylor, Young, Bannister, " Wing and P. R. Welch.

The annual report, presented by the honorary secretary (Mrs Cottle) stated that the year had been one of the most successful and progressive in the history of the Masterton Y.M.C.A. Three new members had been welcomed during the year and the membership now stood at 24 active members, apart from the honorary members. There had been eleven well-attended meetings during the year. The special functions held were the Mother and Son Tea, the Mother and Daughter Tea and the Father and Son Tea. All these gatherings were held in the new Hall and were most successful, the Mother and Daughter Tea having an attendance of approximately 160. Among other outstanding events of the year, was the juvenile concert, organised by the Auxiliary on August 10.

The balance sheet showed the finances of the Auxiliary to be in a very satisfactory position, the bank balance being approximately £7, after an amount of £25 had been handed over to the Association’s funds. r The retiring president (Mrs Beecroft) thanked all members for their willing help and the work they had done during the year, and expressed the hope that the good work would be continued in the coming year.

The election of officers resulted as follows: President, Mrs Beecroft; honorary secretary, Mrs Cottle; honorary treasurer, Mrs Nelson; trustees, Mrs Nelson and Mrs Pike (all re-elected). The following ladies were elected vicepresidents: Mesdames Mackay, Prescott and Clarke. At the conclusion of the annual meeting and before the serving of afternoon tea, Mrs Beecroft, on behalf of the Ladies’ Auxiliary, presented the retiring general secretary, Mr A. E. Bate, with a handsome reading lamp and a very fine English dictionary. In making the presentation, Mrs Beecroft referred, in appreciative terms, to the work Mr Bate had done and to the great assistance he had been to the Auxiliary, during the past 14 years. Mrs Kilgour also referred to Mr Bate’s work and pointed out that, when Mr Bate first came, the Auxiliary had a membership of only eight. Mr Bate, in returning thanks to the ladies for their gifts, expressed his appreciation of the great assistance they had been to him throughout the years. He reviewed the growth and development of the Auxiliary’s work, under the various presidents, from the small body it was when he came here, up to its present large membership and sound position. He said he owed a personal debt to the ladies of the Auxiliary, for the great help they had been to him and he felt that, if he had success in his new work, it would be to a large extent through the experience he had gained in working with the ladies here. Much of the success of the Y.M.C.A. work had been due to the Joyal backing given by the ladies and it would indeed be difficult to picture the Association trying to carry on without their help. Through their efforts, new things had been attempted' and done; new ways of helping the community had been fouund. The work of the Auxiliary would remain a living memory with him wherever he might be. Mr Bates said it would be difficult to single out any member of the Auxiliary for special mention, but he wished to pay a special tribute to Mrs Kerr, the only life member of the Auxiliary, for her loyalty and the wonderful work she had done. In again thanking them for the presentation made to him, Mr Bate expressed gratitude to all the members for the spirit of co-operation they had shown throughout the time he had worked with them. The function concluded with the serving of afternoon tea.