WEAR YOUR BADGE.

White Ribbon, Volume 32, Issue 372, 18 June 1926, Page 16

WEAR YOUR BADGE.

(Contributed i

My lister and 1 were house hunting. We wished to lease a small house. On seeing an advertisement of wliat we thought might he a suitable one, we called on the owner, inspected the house, obtained |«rticulars, learned that there were several inquirers for it. and I agreed to return next morning to decide the matter. On my return next morning to take the house, if available, the lady owner said to me, “Oh, 1 have been hoping all night that you ladh's would take the house.*’ I asked why she was so keen. She replied, “Well, after you had gone, I said to my husband, ‘I do hope these ladies will take the house. Did you notice that one of them was wearing a little white bow' on hfr coat? I don’t know' what It stands for, but I know it means something good.’ We got a good house, and the landlady got a “White Ribbon" tenant. A “Y,“ wearing her White Ribbon badge, entered a small shop in the city to do some shopping. The shopkeeper, seeing the white bow', remarked, “I see you are a White Ribboner. My wife is one also, and I d like you to meet her.’’ He called his wife from an adjoining room and, in the course of conversation, she informed the “Y" member that she w'as a comparative stranger in the city, but had been a member of the I’nion elsewhere. The “Y"

reported the meeting to the President of her branch, who called on the lady and invited her to a special “Y” meeting, w'hich w'as being held, and put her in touch with the President of the branch of the l T nion, in whose district she resided. Owing to many changes of residence in various partH of the Dominion, the lady had got out of touch with the

I'nion, but was quit** keen to Join up again. “You are an A pout If* of Temperance. Are you doing an Apostle's w’ork?" THK It AIN■ K. Do you know how many W.C.T.H. niembers there are in New Zealand? Do you know how many then* are in your branch? Do the enemy know? Do neutrals know’? How are they going to find out? Knowing will often help to encourage them to join us. Your branch of the l T nion may he doing great deeds —I hope it is that will keep its name well in the fore-front of the battle. Hut a great achievement is simply a combination of many small ones. Transversely, it takes a lot of little ones to make a big one. So it takes a good while to do the big ones, or even to get ready for them. (Look how’ long it is taking to win Prohibition here, and that is in itself only a signpost of the country, i.e., all its inhabitants one by one, learning the use of temperance and self-control). And in the long preparation that is in itself so much of the battle, every little helps.

Every little advertisement of the Union, of a member's loyalty, her I'nion with other members, helps on our cause. Don't you feel it does? Then, isn’t it surprising what a lot of members who are always ready to give, help In ever)’ other way, don’t care to advertise the Union's strength by wearing our htidge, except at W.C.T.U. meetings? Or is it that we don’t take the trouble to remember it? Personally. I don’t. I find a much easier way is to keep the badge in each going-out frock all the time. Then it is no bother

to have to see to it just when one Is going out, and it is safe, ready to do its work, in advertising to everyone we pass, friend and foe and neutral (as yeti that we belong to a great Union that is up and doing. That way—one in each frock is much more use than keeping an only one, generally on a pin cushion, where it will never warn any opponent, not enough to worry him, anyway. But, if you are in town to-morrow, just look and see if yours is the only one of our badges visible in the streets, to a dozen badges of other associations, none more useful to the country than ours. Wearing the badge is such a simple and effective way of advertising membership, can’t you persuade some other members to do it habitually? Have you a spare one to pass on, by the way? KATHERINE MERCER