HAMILTON LADIES' BENEVOLENT SOCIETY. Annual Meeting of Members.

Waikato Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1407, 9 July 1881, Page 2

HAMILTON LADIES' BENEVOLENT SOCIETY. Annual Meeting of Members.

The Becond annual meeting of the subscribers of this society was held at the Court House, Hamilton, on Thursday. There was an attendance of ab&frfcjifteen, a dozen or that number, being , ladies. On the motion 'of 'Mr Lsff&ney, the Rev. Wm. Calder 1 was called on to take the chair. - - —»-•*«- The Chairman said, they were met according to their custfom to present to the Society the report and balance-sheet for the p;i3t year. , He -read, the report as follows :— Report o^ the Ladies' Benevoient Society fob the Ybab Ending July, 1881. In laying before the public the second annual report of the workings of this Society, I wish to call particular attention to the great difference between the expenditure of this year and that of last. There is but one cause for,!this — the lamentable falling off in our subscriptions, which hi«t year amounted (with donations) to the sum of j£6i 2s 6d, white this year it has only reached the sum of just about half— £2B is, subscriptions; £32 iqs ipd,, total. Various causes may have conduced to this falling off— the bad times generally, the departure of some of our lady sub- i scribers from the neighbourhood, and, we tear, in 1 many cases the slackening ot interest in the doings of the Society on the part of those who helped us at starting. It would be well if we could remedy all , these causes of retrogression : The first by contenting ourselves, in some cases, with smaller contributions ; not reducing tho subscription of £1 on the part of those who have hitherto given that sum/but, in seeking further help, to receive half or a quarter of that sum, according to the means, for tho time being, of those applied to. , The second, by striving, if possible, to keep up the number of subscribers by individual members interesting themselves to introduce new members to supply the places of those who have left the neighbourhood, which is generally possible in a changing community such as this. Ihe third) which is only an amplification of the second,, by impressing npon the public generally the just claims ot the Society, and Ute impossibility of its thriving if crippled a'nd stinted by l.ick of funds, thd sustaining of which falls so lightly on tho many and so heavily on tho tew. It should not require any very deep argument to convince people of the usefulness of tho Society, though some persist instating that there is no distress of want ot any kind, because they do not happen to come in contact with it. AH who give the subject a thought should acknowledge that circumstances often arisewhich places labouring people beyond helping themselves; accident, long illness, death ; and it is scarcely fair that at such times a few kindly-hearted, energetic, people should have to cinVas from door to door for just sutticirnt help to meet individual cases to save the pockets of those who question the usefulness of the Society because there arc no obsolute "poor i" nor is it fair that because the novelty of the thing has worn off wo should, as a Committee, bo compelled to help most inadequately cases which, had we had the funds, we might have effectually relieved.

Balance-Shbkt. Our expenditure has been a,s follows: — Expenditure — July, 1881 : Rent, £2 ; travelling expenses paid, ,£5 15s ; meat, £6 us 8d; bread, ,£si6sgd; tfrccenes, £2 10s 8d; nursing-, £1 ; milk, losBd j coals, $s 6d ; medical comforts, £j qs 6d ; stamps and circulars, 5s ; balance, 10s. — Total, £32 19s lod. — Receipts : July, 1880, cash on hand, 10s 8d ; by refund from Indian Famine Relief fund, £2 Ht> 26. ; 1879-80 subscriptions paid, £2 ; subscriptions received for 1880-81, £i& ts. — lotdl, £32 igs iod.— -Assets . By cash m bank, ss ; cash in hand, 7s. — Lucy Caldcr. President ; Adah Hume, Trcasurci . — Audited .iod found correct: R. Ftt<:maunce Sandcs, William Calder, Auditors. The meeting would see that the Committee had not spent nearly so much during the past as in the previous year, but they must not be led to think from this that not much good had been done. — A great portion of the fiftst year's expenditure was tor mattresses, blankets, aud other necessary appliances which would remain a trade asset for some time to come. The Commitiee had afforded a good deal of relief during the year, and looking at the dullness of times he thought there would be many calls upon the Society before the winter was over. It wns therefore very necessary that those who could afford it should subscribe their pound as hitherto, and that those who could not should make themselves responsible for a like sum, which they could endeavour to make up in smaller contributions. He pointed out in forcible language the cnobling effect upon the giver which the exercise of charity had, and urged the taking of greater interest in the objects of the Society. On the motion of Mr Laishley, seconded by Mr 8,. F. Sande.s, the report and balance-sheet were adopted. 1 he Chairman, in reference to the item C 7 Os 6d for medical comforts, remarked that the Society had at le.ist £0 worth on haiid, so that the item wns not so formiddble as it might ;ifc first sight oppear. The meeting then proceeded to the election of office-bearers for the ensuing 1 year. On the motion of Mrs Hume, Mrs Calder was re-elected piesideut. Eight ladies having- been nomintcd to act on the Committee, a ballot was taken, resulting m the election of the following ; — Mesdames Seurnnoke, Jolly, Gwynne, French, Fnlton, and McGovern. Messrs. K. Hill and L. Cussen were appointed auditors. Mr Laishley suggested, in regard to tho item •' travelling expenses," that the Committee might, in cases where the fares of indigent or sick persons to Auckland had to be paid, make application to the Borough Council. A cordial vote of thanks having been accorded the out-going Uommittee for the efficient manner in which they had carried out their duties, and a similar compliment paid to the Chairman ior presiding 1 , the meeting terminated.