President’s Message

White Ribbon, Volume 19, Issue 8, 1 September 1947, Page 3

President’s Message

Dear Friends. Will you allow me to stress the fact that we are fast approaching the time when we must make momentous decisions in regard to the conduct of our Unions. I speak especially of the matter of nominations for official positions that will be vacant in our Local, District and Dominion Unions before many months are past. The points to be borne in mind are, I think, chiefly these : Earnest prayer that those who are suitable may he willing to accept nomination; that they may already have, or he willing to acquire, the necessary qualifications; that we may find Piesidents who feel the absolute necessity for ending the liquor Uaue; that we may find Secretaries and Treasurers who take their work very seriously, who attend to letters and returns at once, not weeks after they should have been dealt with; that all officers are out of office at the annual meeting and that if we nominate a fresh person we are not “putting anyone out.” Don’t let us ever forget that those who have held office care about the Union and will surely not allow any personal feeling to affect the work should someor.e else he elected.

We all feel that the Union work is “For God," therefore, we are willing, nay. anxious that it shall he as perfectly carried out as possible. Will you carefully consider the following points, for the preparation of which we are indebted to Mrs. Mountjoy, as forming a resolution of protest from Dominion Officers : -

1. Urging reforms which were proved to he beneficial during the war period by means of legislation, especially—2. Restriction in advertising. 3. Prohibiting drink on trains and other public conveyances. 4. Prohibition of the removal of liquor from licensed premises during closing hours. 5. Prohibiting the sale of wine without a magistrate’s licence. 6. Creating an offence of keeping liquor for sale by an unlicensed person in a licensed district. 7. Arrest and search without warrant for selling or exposing liquor for sale by an unlicensed person. And so, as we face many duties, some of them difficult, let us pray the prayer of Robert Louis Stevenson: “Help us to perform them with laughter and kind faces: let cheerfulness abound w r ith industry ” May God bless us, everyone, and may we have no mher desires than to serve Him and honour the King. Yol * sincere friend, C. E. KIRK.