ST. VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY, DUNEDIN.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 31, 31 July 1902, Page 3

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY, DUNEDIN.

The annual meeting of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, Dunedln was held in St Joseph's Hall, on Wednesday evening o/ast Week fa 9 i O ofme P ro £rs bOP *"**** *** *"W" W W&8 a Ood 2*£ which wer^'fSiw 11 :-^ "^ "* *** In presenting to their subscribers a short record of the v«ar'« work the committee gladly take advantage of the opportunity to recognise public y the valuable help the Society has at all tim£ me ved from his Lordship the Bishop, the clergy of the dioceT the Nuns of the Good Shepherd (Mount Magdala), the SisWS Mercy (South Du.edin), U.B.S. Co., Messrs Callan aad Gallaway the Kaitangata Coal Co., and the subscribing members wT»m glad to say that the active members, who joined last year, have

attended the meetings well and have helped considerably with the work of the Society, but there is still need and room for more workers. Once more we appeal to the Catholics of Dunedin to beoome at least honorary members and enable us to carry on more largely our work among the poor. The committee beg to thank Mrs Cantwell for past services and regret that bhe finds hen-elf unable to continue as treasurer. During the year the Society received a legacy of £50 from the estate of the late Mr Johnston of South Dunedin, of which the sum of £30 was placed as a fixed deposit in the bamk. The euchre party held in April was successful and resulted in a net return of £11 16s. The following active members have been elected office bearers for the year ending July, 1903 :— President, Mrs Jackson (re-elected) ; vice-president, Mrs J. B. Callan (re-elected) ; treasurer, Miss L. Coneys ; secretary, Miss D. Purton (re-elected) ; wardrobe keeper, Mrs Swanson (re-elected). Articles distributed :— 6 pairs of blankets (new), 26 pairs boots and shoes (new), 3 pairs slippers (new), 13 pairs boot", (s.h.) 18 pairs stockings and Bocks (new), 7 do. (s.h ), 1 shawl (new), 14 cloaks and jackets (e.h.), 2 do. (new), 19 bodices (s.h.), 8 skirts (new), 17do (-.b.), 15 overalls (new), 2 do. (s.h.), 4 ohildren'sdrtsses (new), 9 do. (s.h.) 3 women's dresses (a h ), 14 shirt", 27 sets women's and children's underwear, 32 seta do. (new). 1 macintosh (new), 8 coats, (s.h.) 7 pairs trousers (s.h.), 5 vests (s.h.), 2 boy's suit* (new), 1 Jersey (s.h.), 1 cap (s.h.), 21£ yds flannel, 83yds flannelette, 100 yds print, 62yds dress material, 40yds lining, syds holland. Medicine, soup, etc., have been sent to various sick persons, and rosary beads, prayer books, and scapulars have also b een distributed. _ Forty-six sewing meetings have been held during the year, 366 visits have been paid to the poor, two penitents have been sent to Mount Magdala. eeven children have been sent to Nelson, three girls to the orphanage at South Dunedin, and a child to her people in Australia. The Society has also had 11 children baptised. Grocery orders have been given to 77 persons, and coal orders to 49, which is in addition to the truck of coal given to the Society by the Kaitangata Coal Company.

His Lordship, in proposing: the adoption of (he report and balance sheet, said he was glad to have the opportunity of thankingthose ladies who had worked bo energetual'y in the cause of chanty during the year. They deserved the be>t thanks ot those pret-ent and also of the community, for they had labored vtry carm stly and with great Buccess. They did not look for thinks ; they looked for something: higher— a reward from God. He was pleaf-ed to hear that this deserving Society was in a fl'.urnhirg condition, that many active and honorary members hud joined it since the la<t annual meeting, and trusted that there would be a considerable increase of members— both active and honorary— during the coming year. There was always poverty to be relieved, and even in the most prosperous times Bickness brought about oa^es of distress whioh required assistance They should urge their people to give every assistance to tho=ie good ladies who devoted tbptnselven to this work co that they may carry it on with success. Hii Lordship, in conclusion, thanked the ladies for what they hal done in the pant, and hoped the Society would prosper, and thit their revenue would increase, bo that they might continue still more successfully their great work of charity. The Rev. Father Murphy, in seconding the motion, said it had driven him great pleasure since the foundation of the t-o< iety to Bee the efficient manner in which the work had been carried out by thoße ladies who took an active part in its affairs They knew that many of these ladies were carrying out thin work of charity at a great sacrifice to thempelves. Their reward, however, would be in proportion to the sacrifices made. He hoped that mauy of those present would bucome active members, and suggested that the different parts of the city should be represented. By having active members in various districts of the city careless Catholics would b<* Bought out and induced to att nd to their dutus, and cases of distress would be discovered and relieve 3. Mr J. J. Connor regretted tl a there were not more men p enent at the meeting. He thought some effoit should be made to get the men to take a greater interest in the work of this admirable h«ici. ty As this was the only society among the Catholics of Dunedin f , r h • distribution of eh irity it should be generously supported and ma.ie as efficient as possible. He was gratified to he ir thut the affair* of the Society were in Buch a healthy condition. No woman could d . herself a greater honor than by becoming a member of this Socitty and it should be the highest ambition of every go .d Catholic to become an active worker for it,. The motion was then put to the meeting and carried Hia Lordship having thanked those present tor taeir attendance the proceedings terminated. '

SHEET. Eeceipts. Expenditure. £ b. d. lo balance in bank July 1901 ... 4 210 „ Subscriptions ... 71 3 6 „ Donations ... 31 4 6 „ Gross receipts of euchre party ... 14 17 0 „ St. Vincent de Paul poor box ... 310 9 £ c. d. By euchre party expenses... ... 3 10 „ U.S.S. Co. ... 16 0 0 „ Groceries ... 17 2 6 „ Boots ... ... 12 16 0 „ Coal ... ... 10 18 0 „ Drapery ... 45 10 1 „ Mount Magdala ... 5 0 6 „ Offerings ... 2 0 0 „ Urgent board ... 1 5 0 .. Nourishment ... 210 0 „ Sundries — stamps, telegramp, charwoman, train fare, etc. ... ... 6 9 6 „ Balance in bank... 2 0 0 £124 18 7 £124 18 7 rr:« t __j_i_-_ • _