Mr. N.A. Hughes,
C/o Y.M.C.A. College
5315 Drexel Avenue,
CHICAGO. Ill. U.S.A.
My dear Noel,
I
expect there will be a letter arriving on Monday from you, but in view
of the fact that the mail closes in the early afternoon and I shall be
engaged the whole of Monday morning with the staff conference, I have
decided to write to you this morning. It would have been nice if we
could have answered any of the matters that may come to us in your
letter, but I am afraid that will have to wait now until the next mail.
All the folk at home are well. Most of the colds that they had have gone.
Ruth had
a very heavy cold and it surprised me how she managed to keep going in
her job, but she has managed to throw it off and seems to be in pretty
good form just now. She is just as interested in her nursing as ever and
I have no doubt in my own mind that she will be able to stand up to the
exacting nature of her work.
Mother is also keeping very well, and the kiddies likewise.
Keith expects
to get a job again with the Wheat Commission and is hoping that he will
be able to get into the forwarding and shipping end of the work as that
lasts longer then the receiving section.
You will be
surprised to hear that Keith received the Cup for the highest batting
average in the cricket team for which he played last season. I think he
was as much surprised as anybody else. It is a very neat little cup and
now adorns the over-mantle in the drawing room.
By the way, I am enclosing the letter from
Mr. Fred. Hartnell,
Secretary of the Melbourne Rotary Club in Chicago. I am hoping that you
will be able to deliver this letter in person and perhaps the folk
there may be able to show you some little courtesy.
We also had a letter from
May Glover
in which she mentioned that they had made arrangements for a certain
room for you at the college and that they hoped to be seeing you
shortly. They seem to have had a particularly happy time at the
Minneapolis Boys' Camp at Lake Independence, Loretto.
John Cook
also wrote by this mail. He has had a particularly bad run of illness
for some months past. He was hoping that you might keep in touch with
him by an occasional letter.
We had a notice from the Lands Department advising us that noxious weeds were growing on the two sections at
Burwood, and we were informed that unless the weeds were dealt with in the next three weeks, we would be fined.
Keith went
up yesterday to investigate the reason for the notice and discovered
that there is a great deal of gorse on his section, but your section was
fairly clear of it. A pal and he will be going up to the land next week
with axes and slashers so as to destroy the gorse. A little later on it
will be burned after it has had a chance to dry out. Talking of the
lands reminds me that we have received a bill from Messrs. Maddock,
Jamieson & Lonie for £3:19:0 being costs of the agreement and Caviat
on you account and £2:5:0 on Keith's account. I suppose we did the
right think in lodging the Caviat in case of any trouble that
T.M. Burke's company may get into. I will pay the account a little later on.
Rex has been away for the past fortnight attending to some talkie
installations in the country. We thought he would have returned before
this. We have not heard any word from him and expect he will come back
to the city this weekend.
You will be interested to
hear that
Harold Thompson who does the cinema work for the Vikings has
been urging the
Vikings Club to purchase your
amplifier, so that talkie
performances can be put on at the Association Building.
Ern. Gollan is
giving the matter some through and we will bring the machine in for them
to try it out at a show they are having next weeks. I do not know
whether they will be able to purchase it or not. In any case they will
not be in a position to pay spot cash for it. However, we will do our
best with them if they feel to buy the machine. I am getting concerned
at our inability to dispose of it as the winter is practically gone, and
we may not get the same chance of selling it during the summer months.
there is not likely to be the same measure of demand.
This afternoon we are to have a visit from the
Ballarat YMCA
and expect about 20 to 25 men in the party. We shall have tea together
in the Lounge Dining Room, after which there will be matches in
billiards, volleyball, basketball, etc. This is one of the attempts to
bring about closer relationship between the country Associations and our
own. In a week or two, a group of our boys will be visiting Ballarat
Association for competition purposes.
By the way, the
Queen Carnival
is moving along quite nicely and is gathering momentum and interest. I
have looked at the figures on the score board and notice that
Kath. Lilford is leading with 3079 votes,
Lil. Langham second with 2319, and
Miss Davis
of the juniors, third with 1990 votes. I must say that we are very
pleased with the way our members are responding to this Queen Carnival
competition. the Interest has been splendid and a great number of
functions has been arranged by each of the committees. We are closing
the competition on October 8th, when we will have taken Wirth's Olympia
for the crowning ceremony. We are planning a very big gathering with an
excellent programme. If this is properly worked we should get a full
hall, as the interest should be good. The first part of the programme is
likely to be a demonstration of our work by a grand parade of
practically all our clubs and classes. We expect to have the help of one
or two choirs, brass band, etc. The crowning ceremony is staged on
quite an elaborate plan, and I think we shall have an evening of
considerable interest and enjoyment. Arrangements have already been made
for costumes for each of the queens and we think the ceremony should
have some beautiful effects.
The staff men who were ill, have all returned to their jobs.
Alf. Hines' leg is still causing him to limp, but I think it will be quite well again within the next week or so.
Bob Way still has some pain from his rheumatics, but he is on the job and getting steadily better.
Matron has had a number of her teeth out and she is not feeling too good as the result of the extractions.
The
South Hawthorn Presbyterian Church
decided to do without a sale of work this year, and on Tuesday last
some of the members of the session, with the Minister, were in
attendance at the Church building all day, to receive the gifts of the
congregation. A sum of over £70 was subscribed by direct giving. This
was an excellent result for such a small church.
Mr. Baird
has enquired on several occasions concerning yourself, and we have
passed on any information we have had regarding your movements.
We
are still finding the financial position pretty difficult in the
Association. I think we shall have to face further economies as we
cannot hope to continue the losses we are making each month.
This
letter should reach you just as you are getting into the collar of your
studies. There will be many strange experiences come to you int he next
few weeks and you may find it somewhat difficult to set your mind to
the steady routine demanded by college life. So many new impressions
will be crowding in upon you, all of which have a very disturbing
effect. The newness of college life too, will mean that you will require
to make a great deal of readjustment in your ordinary habits. I can
only express the hope that you will take things as philosophically as
possible, and determine to give your best thought to the work
immediately in hand.
I am hoping too, that you may have
had success in meeting all the requirements of college entrance
examination. To start your work without arrears of studies, will mean a
great deal to you, but even if you have to make up certain subjects, it
is astonishing how quickly the can be disposed of if they are tackled
resolutely and with a determination to win out.
I
repeat what I have tried to say in other letters, that whatever success
you may achieve in your studies, the important thing is that you should
recognise that the work of the Association is primarily that of
religious leadership. Cultivate a close relationship with Christ through
your private study of His word and prayer and service.
We all unite in love to you,
Yours affectionately,
Dad
