Review of Tininre, ijOli?,. 



74: 



THE OVER SEAS CLUB. 



NOTES AND REPORTS. 



The Organisers" Tour. 



Mr. and Miss Wreneh left West Australia 

 on August 13 by the "Nestor"' for Durban, 

 where they will start their extensive and 

 arduous campaign throughout South Africa. 

 They propose to spend three months in the 

 Union, and expect to reach London before 

 Christmas. The Organiser reports having had 

 most enthusiastic meetings in West Aus- 

 tralia. At Perth he addressed a monster 

 gathering some 2000 strong, and altogether 

 appears to have found the branches well 

 organised. As usual, his cheery personality 

 gave additional heart and impetus to all the 

 local secretaries and committees. 



The Question of Union. 



The visit of Mr. and Miss Wrench has re- 

 sulted in the starting of many new branches, as 

 well as in the giving new life to those already 

 established throughout Australasia. In New 

 Zealand, far more homogeneous than Au.s- 

 tralia, the various branches are federated to- 

 gether. The Over Seas Clubs there have de- 

 cided upon a uniform .subscription, an<i 

 united action, when required, is now easy. 

 That is as it should be. Ere long the vai-i- 

 otis branches in Australia will be federated, 

 but whether the clubs in each State should 

 tirst be united or whether the Union should 

 bo at onte a Commonwealth matter, is for 

 the branches themselves to decide. Union is 

 strength, but the difficulty of federating all 

 the branches now is obvious. The easier way 

 is to bring all the clubs in each 'State into 

 line, and afterwards federate the States. 

 That is the simplest method, but it may not 

 be the best. The matter is now receiving 

 attention by the various clubs. The obvious 

 advantage of uniform rules and regulations 

 and concerted action will commend itself to 

 everyone. In Queensland this has been at 

 once recognised, with' the result that last 

 month a conference was held in Brisbane. 



Ultimately a meeting of the representatives 

 of tho different States will have to be held, 

 and pending any definite arrangements being 

 made in the matter, I will be glad to rcceiv<> 

 correspondence on the subject, which will 

 r<'ach all the brat:clies in the pages of th<> 

 Revi<>w. 



Those wishing to start branches of th<' 

 Over iSeas Club in their town or district <'an 

 obtain all information from the secretary of 

 tho club in each of the States. (.See iianirs 

 and ad(lress<>s, page 744.) 



A Thing to Avoid. 



Every branch is autonomous and can do as 

 it like.s, but it is certainly inadvisable for 

 any committee to alter the wording of the 

 fundamental objects of the Club. One of the 

 advantages of federation would be the avoid- 

 ance of anything like this occurring. W^e 

 have to remember that throughout the Em- 

 pire the motto, creed and objects of the Club 

 are known and definitely accepted by every 

 member. With the best intention in the 

 world, and following out the spirit of the 

 Club, too, one of the branches has altered 

 Object 3 to read: "To insist on the vital 

 necessity of maintaining British supremacy 

 on the sea and in the air." We all agree, I 

 . expect, in the need of adequate provision to 

 make Britain strong in the air, but if 

 branches begin altering the Objects of the 

 Club, changes will inevitably be made which 

 will not be approved by Over Seas members, 

 say, in Africa, Canada or New Zealand. The 

 great value of the Over Seas Club is that it 

 draws together people living all over the 

 world. Every brancli has now tlie same com- 

 mon objects. They ought not to alter them 

 unle;^ every branch throughout the Empire 

 wants it. Incidentally, if the wording as 

 sent me is correct, the alteration is inaccu- 

 rate because British supremacy in the air 

 cannot be nMintained, for alas, it does not 

 yet exist ! 



Branch Reports. 



I should be glad to receive notices from 

 every secretary in Australasia about the 

 activities of his branch, together with any 

 photographs of the doings of tlie Club. Please 

 note, though, that if these communication 

 reach me after the 2Ufk of the month they 

 will be too late for insertion in the number 

 appearing early in the following month. 

 Several secretaries have complaine<l that 

 their reports have not been published in the 

 Review. This is eith^n- because they ri'ache<l 

 me too late, or were addressed to Mr. 

 Wrench, who now has them in Soutli Africa ! 



Club Notes. 



M cUKiarne. — The (4iairnuin, Mr. Peters, re- 

 port.s that the branch has now 800 members, 

 who greatly apprtx^iate the Club rooms in 

 Kmpire -Arcade. These are so poi)ular that it 

 has been found necessary to secure new rooms 

 for lady members in the same building. A 

 second l)illiard table has been installed. At 

 the inaugural smoke night given at the Club 

 rooms, tlio Ix)rd Mayor, Alderman D. V. 



