GREYMOUTH

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVII, Issue 9, 4 March 1909, Page 327

GREYMOUTH

On the evening of "February 12 the members of the Greymouth branch of the, H.A.C."B. Society .assembled in the St. Columba clubroom to do honor- to . Bro. T." P. ,o'Donnell, who has held the. office of treasurer to the branch for thirty-four years 3 and who has been- a member for over thirty-seven years. The programme for the evening consisted of a :euchre -tournament, interspersed with songs and recitations. After refreshments had "been- .dispensed, Bro» T. P.. Fogarty (president) addressed the meeting. He said they had met to, do honor to. the oldest living member of the society, and one Avho had dene much in the past to maintain the society intact. .The members owed Mr- O'Donnell a debt of gratitude for having kept the society going when it had to face great difficulties, and the members felt that they could - not allow him to retire from the office of treasurer, which he had held so long, without tendering him their best wishes for long life and health to enjpy the remainder of his life, and to make him some slight acknowledgment in the shape of an illuminated address, in which they set out their great appreciation of his services to the branch. He believed he was correct in saying that Mr. O'Donnell was, the oldest officer of the society >n Australasia. He therefore had the greatest pleasure in handing Bro. O'Donnell the following address as a proof of the respect in which ho was" held by the members of - the Greymouth branch : — - . " 'Dear Bro. O'Donnell, — It is with feelings of great re- ; gret that we, the officers and members of St. Patrick's Branch No. 17 of the Hibernian Australian Catholic Benefit Society, accept your resignation of the office of treasurer which you have filled so worthily during the past thirty-four years. During < that long period,, as a fervent Catholic and a staunch advocate of Hibernianism, you have . done much to tide this branch over the many difficulties encountered in the past and materially assisted to place it in the strong position it a;t present occupies. In expressing the appreciation and gratitude of members for the many and valuable services you have rendered to this branch during your term of office, we trust that God in His mercy may shower, down His blessings upon you in this evening of your life, and, thai;' you may be spared -many years to enjoy that rest irom labors which you so richly deserve. — We remain, on behalf of the members : P,atrick Deere, past president; Thos. P. Fbgarty, president; W. Sullivan, vice-president; <!)?. Smyth, .warden; J. Sullivan, guardian; W. H. Duffy, secretary; P. Blanchfield, treasurer.' ' " Mr .<* O'Donnell, in acknowledging the address, thanked the members of the branch for their appreciation of his past services, and proceeded in a" humorous way -to give some reminiscences of the struggles of the earlier times to keep the branch going, sliowing that after making a good start in the early days the members had gradually drifted away until they nearly disappeared altogether. Having passed through a critical stage,-^ they had again come out strong, and the branch was in a good financial position. He could look round now and say that there was not a single member alive who lad been' a member when he joined it, but_ one pleasing fact remained — that a' majority of the members were young New Zealanders. He trusted that they would continue to prosper, and that his successor would- enjoy the same confidence as the members had reposed in him and for as long .as .he had enjoyed it. The President said they also desired to mark this occasion by presenting their secretary,, who had recently taken to himself a wife from Dunedin-, with a token of their respect for him, and. to wish him and. Mrs. Duffy long life and happiness. He handed Mr. Duffy a hanging lamp and a brass-mounted- fender-, both of which he hoped would be of use in their future hpme. , Mr. W. Duffy, in acknowledging the presents, thanked the president for his friendly remarks, and" the members for their nice presents. He trusted that the "branch would continue to prosper, and hoped before long to have a membership roll "of two liuiidred.