SUCCESSFUL YEAR

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 May 1939, Page 7

SUCCESSFUL YEAR

WAIRARAPA R.S.A. ANNUAL MEETING RECORD ATTENDANCE LAST NIG H 7. INCREASE IN MEMBERSHIP. There was - a record attendance of members at the annua! meeting of the Wairiiiapa Returned Soldiers' Association. held last night. The president, iMi 11. Brass, who occupied the chair, .-iiid tile past year had been one of the I most successful in the history of the kis.e.Gatici.i. 'i he financial membership | hai! in:;ri.;;:-ud by nearly 140. Members stood in silence for a minute out of rcsp.'ct to the k nine "Diggers" who had died during the year. AJr Brass extended a warm welcome to visitors and made special mention of the presence of several war time nursing sisters. The annual report, previously published. and the balance sheet were adopted. The secretary, Mr A. E. Prentice. was congratulated on the report and on his work and interest during the year. Reviewing the activities of the past year, Mr Brass said it was gratifying to see that the membership had increased from 470 to 007, which was the second highest in the history of the association. A great deal of credit for the increased membership was due to Mr 11. G. Alexander, who was on the job all the year round. The branches in the various Wairarapa towns had all played thifir part and had gathered in 50 additional members. There was, however, room 'for still further improvement t?nd he urged members to make evei'y effort to better the record of 832 established in 1921. The greater the membership the more the association could do to assist members in need.

Dealing with the financial position, Mr Brass said that the General Account had .finished the year with a credit balance of £247. A total of £367 was paid out in relief during the year, leaving a credit balance in the Relief Fund of £lB7. The credit balances in both accounts totalled £434, which was £206 more than at the close of last year. Conditions had been fairly good last year and the committee had thought it wise to conserve the funds as far as possible. Referring to the visit to the Wairarapa of 350 Australian returned soldiers during the centennial celebrations next year. Mr Brass said it was up to members to devise ways and means of raising funds to entertain the visitors. Grey town had done splendidly and had raised £l5O. (Applause.) To date £O3 10s had been raised in Masterton. Mr Brass, who said he was not seeking re-election, thanked members of the-committee and the branch chairmen for their work during the year. Mr Prentice said the Wairarapa now occupied eleventh place on the membership list of major associations. Since the inauguration of Poppy Day in 1923 a sum of £-1333 15s had been collected, which, with grants from the Canteen Funds and the Patriotic Association, reached a total of £7,266. Out of that, cash grants of £5,668 had been made to ex-servicemen. Poppies had cost £1063 and administration only £204. The ratio of expenses to the total receipts was 2.8 per cent. Poppy Day receipts in the Wairarapa this year had been a record.

The following officers were elected for the ensuing year: President. Mr R. Whyborn; vice-president, Mr H. G. Alexander; "treasurer, Mr L. S. Nicol; auditor, Mr N. H. James; committee, Messrs W. White. H. J. Brass, A. G. Wallis, J. H. Irving. L. T. Wylie and W. R. McMinn; branch delegates to lhe executive committee, Mr C. A. Chennells (Carterton). Miss L. Higginion (Greytown), Messrs A. Robbins (Featherston) and F. Craig (Martinborough). It was decided to place on record appreciation of the splendid services rendered by the retiring chairman. Mr Brass.