840 



Review of Reviews, 1/10/13. 



THE OVER SEAS CLUB. 



FEDERATION IN QUEENSLAND. 



Mr. Sidney Austen, the energetic secre- 

 tary of the Toowoomba Branch, writes as 

 follows about the recent conference in Bris- 

 bane, where an Over Seas Council for the 

 State was formed: — 



" At the request of our organiser, Mr. 

 Wrench, I took in hand the working up of 

 the formation of a Council for this State, call- 

 ing upon each branch to send delegates to a 

 conference in Brisbane on 11th August. A 

 very good muster was the result, 15 delegates 

 being present at our deliberations, represent- 

 ing Brisbane, Toowoomba, Townsville, Char- 

 ters Towers, Gympie, Longreach, Barcaldine, 

 Rockhampton and Bundaberg. We met at 

 10 a.m. and the morning session was devoted 

 to the opening address and a discussion. 

 After lunch some Brisbane friends took us 

 up the river in a fine motor launch, which 

 gave us an opportunity to meet in a friendly 

 way, and informally discuss ' Over Seas ' 

 matters. Then at 7.30 p.m. we met for busi- 

 ness again, with the result that a very 

 sound and strong Council was elected, con- 

 sisting of — Patron (His Excellency the Gov- 

 ernor), president, two vice-presidents, five 

 councillors, with hon. treasurer and hon. 

 secretary. It was felt to be much better to 



have a small and live body than to have one 

 too large and un wieldly. All the members 

 are active and successful men, with large 

 business interests, and we feel sure they will 

 worthily guide our Queensland branches 

 along safe and useful lines. Opportunity was 

 taken during the afternoon to present to Mr. 

 Jas. Frostick (the organiser and founder 5 

 of the Brisbane, Charters Towers and Gympie 

 branches) with an address and a handsome 

 jewel, showing the State of Queensland with 

 the Club's badge in diamonds and rubies. 

 This was presented by the three branches 

 named." 



Alderman A. J. Diddams, of Brisbane, was 

 elected president, and Mr. Sidney Austen, 

 hon. secretary. Amongst others, Wynn 

 Williams, M.L.A. (Charters Towers) ; Alder- 

 man Renshaw, Mayor of Rockhampton; Al- 

 derman McClelland, Mayor of Townsville ; 

 Alderman Maynard, of Bundaberg; Jas. Fro- 

 stick, of Gympie ; Alderman Johnson, Mayor 

 of Charters Towers; and Hon. E. H. T. 

 Plant, of Charters Towers, were present at 

 the conference. 



The other five States should set about 

 forming similar bodies, preparatory to the 

 creation of a Commonwealth Council. 



SECOND NEW ZEALAND ANNUAL CONFERENCE. 



The second annual conference of delegates 

 representing the branches in New Zealand 

 of the Over Seas Club was held in Welling- 

 ton in the Mayor's room at the Town Hall 

 on August 29th. The Mayor (Mr. J. P. 

 Luke) welcomed the delegates, and in doing 

 so paid a tribute to the aims and objects of 

 the Over Seas Club, which he said helped to 

 inculcate and maintain the Imperial spirit 

 wherever Englishmen congregated. 



The following delegates were present: — 

 Messrs. T. J. Martin (Waihi), A. Myers 

 (Auckland), R. Gardner and H M. Haycock 

 (Palmerston North), Dr. .1. M. Warren (Mar- 

 ton), T. A. H. Field (Nelson), J. F. Grierson, 

 H. Langford, and A. Kaye (Christchurch), 

 Captain Barclay (Wellington), J. A. Hanan 

 (Invercargill), and J. K. Macfie (hon. secre- 

 tary bo New Zealand Council). 



Mr. A. M. Myers, M.P., took the chair. 

 the Mayor being called away, and in open- 

 ing the business of the conference, said that 

 he understood an attempt would be made to 

 affiliate the Over Seas Club and the Victoria 

 League in such manner that they would 

 retain their identity. The aim of these 

 bodies would be the same, but there were 

 special objects for which the clubs were estab- 

 lished, and these they would individually 

 carry out. The Empire had reached a criti- 

 cal stage in its history, and the outposts of 

 Empire should do their duty in maintaining 

 its prestige; this they could do in many 



ways, and by the support of such clubs as 

 the Over Seas. 



After some discussion as to the form in 

 which Empire Day should be celebrated, it 

 was decided, on Mr. Myers' motion, that it 

 be an instruction to the various clubs to cele- 

 brate the day by holding a patriotic concert 

 in conjunction with kindred societies, and at 

 which patriotic speeches could be made, and 

 also that where possible speeches to school- 

 children be arranged for. 



It was also proposed that a bonfire be lit 

 on Empire Day on some prominent position 

 in the various districts. The bonfires were a 

 demonstration of the Club's existence, and as 

 they would be lighted in England and else- 

 where on Empire Day, they should also be 

 lighted in New Zealand. The motion was 

 carried. 



It was decided to recommend the Clubs to 

 1m id some suitable celebration on the Club's 

 birthday, 27th August; and that the matter 

 of appointing ladies' sub-committees to col- 

 lect clothing, frozen sheep, etc., to be sent 

 lo the poor in the Old Country be left to 

 the discretion of the various branches. 



The question of having a " Welcome Hall " 

 in the Auckland Exhibition was also dis- 

 cussed and it was decided that the attention 

 of the Executive Committee of the Auckland 

 branch be drawn to the proposal, and that 

 ib be requested to draw up some scheme on 

 the matter. 



