No. 26 -- 3 Feb 1932

Mr. N.A. Hughes,
C/o Y.M.C.A. College,
5315 Drexel Avenue,
CHICAGO. Ill. U.S.A.

My dear Noel,

We were expecting a letter to be delivered yesterday but there has been some delay in the mails from America, and we do not anticipate the letters will be distributed until the afternoon mail. This will be too late to catch the outgoing mail which closes at 2.30 p.m.

We are all well at home. Apart from the fact that Keith has had a very bad face, caused by neglect of his teeth. He had two extractions the other day and this has left a very sore jaw, the cavity not having properly healed. He has had pain for very nearly a week and nothing seems to stop it. The rest of us are in good form.

There is no
royal road
to success
in life, excepting the road of
hard work.
What you do in the next few years
will color
your entire future.

Ruth has written you under separate cover. She is a little bit upset because of the heavy work at the hospital. At present she is on night duty which means that she has to sleep during the day. Somehow she doesn't seem to be able to get into this habit, and consequently just now she is desperately tired and nervy. If she can once get over the inability to sleep she will be alright. I do not want her to become ill at this juncture, as it will undoubtedly put her back in her training. Working all night and attempting to sleep all day does not suit Ruth. She has so few hours in which to do anything else. She is not supposed to leave her room until five o'clock in the evening, and she starts work again at 8.30. Nursing is a pretty hard job.

Joyce has also written to you. Both Ruth's and Joy's letters are in the one envelope.

Mother is keeping particularly well. I think the holiday at Manyung did her the world of good. Edith is greatly thrilled about her new school work at Gardiner, specially with the fact that she is now learning French. Joyce starts at Fintona on the 10th February. Just now she is being rigged out and I can tell you it is some job to supply all that is required at a school like Fintona.

Keith has been playing Cricket for the Y.M. While he has not done anything startling, he has still played a useful innings and has done a little with the ball.

Alec. Moodie has been successful in getting a job with Messrs. Thomas Reynolds at East Prahan. This is the firm with which Mr. T.C. Reynolds and Rod. Macdonald of the National Office are connected. Alec. originally was in the bakery business. In fact I think he served his time at that trade. It was his experience in that connection that made the opening for him with Mr. Reynolds. As you know their product is macaroni and Alec. is to hold down a job in the factory which has distinct possibilities. Now that he is in Melbourne, we are hoping that we shall get some portion of his leisure time in connection with our own work.

Reg. Gray has been appointed to a curacy under the Bishop of Bendigo. After spending a year at the Bendigo Diocese in active Church work, he will likely come to Ridley College in Melbourne for additional training. This is quite in line with Reg.'s desires and I think he should do well in the Church of England ministry.

Ern. Saunders, who was on the staff of Montreal Y.M.C.A., has arrived at Perth where he will probably take over the physical and boys' work. I understand, privately, that Parsons, the Physical Director, is likely to leave the Perth Association and in view of that, I imagine that Saunders will take on the physical and probably the boys' work.

Mr. Crosby's father was buried on the 25th January. Mr. Crosby has not yet returned and I do not expect him back for some days yet. There is sure to be a good deal of business to wash up in connection with the estate.

The "Mr. Lang" mentioned by George
is Jack Lang, then premiere of New South Wales.
He was a controversial figure who proposed
an alternative recovery plan to get out
of the depression. He ended up being removed
from his premiership by the then Governor of
New South Wales.

We closed the year with a deficit of £2695. This is about £300 better than we anticipated. Mr. Hooke is of the opinion that it is not a bad position when all things are taken into consideration. However, it is serious enough and we do not want to face a similar situation this year. I must say there is a very definite "lift" in the financial tension and a more hopeful outlook seems to be abroad. We are not "out of the wood" in Australia as our position is so closely allied to the world situation, and our recovery is dependent upon an increase in the prices of our primary products. However the changed political situation has materially affected the outlook of the people and if we can keep Mr. Lang of New South Wales in hand I think the situation will slowly but steadily improve.

We had a letter from Mrs. Smith of Sutherland Road, Lyall Bay, in which she advised us that Gilbert was married last November. She sent an account of the wedding which was evidently a pretty big affair. She also reported that Stan. Kirk lost his young lady by death.

We were to have had a picnic at Manyung on Feb. 1st, but there was so few who signed up to go that we had to cancel the conveyances as we would have had rather a serious loss to face. However, a number of private cars went down and according to Ivor Burge, they had quite a good day. We were disappointed at having to postpone the picnic but it could not be helped.

I am on the job with the annual report and hope to have it completed in a week or so. As soon as we have copies available we will send one along to you.

Kath. is getting on quite well with the book-keeping machine and we are pleased that most of the back work has been overtaken and from now on we should be able to have accurate daily returns showing our financial position.

Yesterday I had a visit from Sid. Cox who used  to live next door to us when we lived in High Street, Dunedin. Sid. mentioned that his cousin Bernard Cox is a student at the University of Chicago. I understand that Bernard Cox was employed by the New Zealand Government as an engineer on the Otira tunnel and that some little time ago he went to Chicago to extend his experience in engineering. It might be worth your while to make contact with him. I am sure he would be interested to know that you came from Dunedin and that you knew his cousin, Sid.

Just now we have about 25 fellows staying with us, who comprise the Tasmanian Boxing and Wresting team who were over here for the National games. This has been a good lift to us in our dormitory and cafeteria.

We are also co-operating with the Herald Learn to Swim Campaign and quite a number of fellows are making use of our pool for this purpose.

Matron is keeping well, and so is Miss Ray. Bob Way is still on holiday at Shoreham, but he will probable be back at the end of next week.

We are organising a visit to Camp Manyung - weekend Feb. 20 and 21st, with the object of interesting our Business Men's Groups in the camp. This should be a good means of popularising the camp especially the community camp next year.

The following weekend I expect to go to Somers Camp with a party of Rotarians. Our Rotary Club has given a lot of support to the Somers Camp, and I think this is one of the means adopted by the camp authorities to show their appreciation of Rotary's help. By the way, have you made use of your letter of introduction to the Rotary Headquarters at Chicago?

The Minnie the Mermaid record
mentioned by George
could have been this recording from 1930
by the Bernie Cummins Orchestra.
It was a popular song of the time
and was frequently parodied with bawdy lyrics.
Have a listen at YouTube.

I looked over the list of gramaphone records and found that we have 36 records in the case. "Minnie the Mermaid" is missing from the collection, but all the others named by you were in our possession.

This letter should reach you towards the end of your second term, and I suppose you will have settled into your stride and become more accustomed to the routine of college life. I hope, my boy, that you will be able to surmount the programme you have set for yourself and that you will achieve success in your studies. You know all your friends on this side will be greatly delighted to learn that you have done will in your school work. It will not be long before you will have completed your first year's study. I suppose that would come somewhere about June.

We can only hope that you have given yourself application to the tasks in hand and that you have achieved success. There is no royal road to success in life, excepting the road of hard work. What you do in the next few years will color your entire future. Naturally we all want to be proud of you in the work you do in preparation for your life service.

We want to know more about your activities both inside and outside of the college. The details are always interesting.

All the folk at home unite in warmest love, and the folk at the office send their kindest regards,

Yours affectionately,
Dad.

No. 22 -- 22 Dec 1931

Mr. N.A. Hughes,
C/o Y.M.C.A. College,
5315 Drexel Avenue,
CHICAGO. Ill. U.S.A.

My dear Noel,

Your good letter of 6th November arrived yesterday. We were delighted with the news it contained. We quite understand that you will be finding it difficult to keep your correspondence going, especially in view of the schedule of studies you are carrying and the amount of outside work you are doing.

Thank you for the clippings from the student paper which helped us to appreciate the push ball contest, and some of the other features of college life. We were greatly amused at your account of the push ball contest and of your golfing experiences. It is good to know that there are times when you have the opportunity to “let up” a little and can manage to see the humour in the situations you are facing.

It is fine to learn that you have been successful in securing a sufficient number of jobs to maintain you reasonably well. Between the work in the main lounge and cafeteria, you are practically covering your needs for food and shelter. It was good of Clive to help you secure the other job at the Community Church. This should be quite a good piece of practical work which should stand you in good stead along the line of experience as well as proving so remunerative. I have been wondering how that will work out in the winter months. I hope it holds for you and that you will have other opportunities of similar kind turn up should that not continue for long.

Your medical examination on the whole, I think, is pretty good. You must simply attempt to make up any of the deficiencies referred to in the Doctor’s report, especially in the matter of posture. The others are not so important, although I know that vaccination is required in America, although it may not be necessary in Australia.

All your Christmas cards arrived safely and I am pleased to note that you sent to a number of the Directors as well as to your immediate circle of friends.

Thank you also for the greetings from Tom Laing and Vic. Jones and also from Clive and May. Tom Laing was good enough to drop me a letter by this mail, telling me about the fellows at Springfield and how they are progressing.

Your enquiry regarding David Unaipon raises the question in my mind as to whether you do not already possess a copy of Unaipon’s book . I have a very distinct recollection of handing you my copy. Have you looked through your material? In any case I am sending you another copy so that you may be able to make use of the material as opportunity presents itself. I am afraid you are asking too much to expect David Unaipon to write out anything for you. You may not know but he has been away from Melbourne for the past three months and is now I think in South Australia, so that I am afraid it will not be possible for us to get any material of the kind from him.

The phonographic record I will endeavour to get and send on to you, although there may be some problem in packing it securely for transportation to America. I am wondering whether it could not be procured in the States. I will make enquiry regarding that from the Vocalion people.

I am very delighted to hear that you have been giving addresses on Australia, so as to give you more material that you may be able to use I am sending to you a copy of “Australia Today.” This is a splendid magazine published by the Commercial Travellers’ Association and is full of interesting information concerning Australia.

I was very delighted to get the copy of the Association College Bulletin with the picture of the student body and faculty and also a small group of foreign students in which both Clive and yourself appear.

Alec. Moodie returned to Australia a fortnight ago. He has an offer open for me to return to Honolulu to a position with Ralph Cole. Unfortunately, however, there does not seem to be any possibility of us “wrangling” his re-entry to Honolulu on account of the stringency of the immigration laws. We have tried in several directions to get the American Counsel here to stretch a point in his favor, but there seems to be little chance of this being done from this end. If Moodie could get action taken at Washington in might be worked that way but it doesn't seem very hopeful. When Moodie got to Sydney he was advised by the Brisbane Association that his position on their staff was closed. Evidently before he left for America there was some understanding with the Brisbane Board that he should take a position abroad if one opened up. During the time that he was away conditions at Brisbane became exceedingly difficult and the Board felt that they could not re-emply him on his return – So that Moodie came straight on here to Melbourne and did not return to Brisbane. His wife is staying with her people at Geelong. Alec. is now looking out for another job, and there seems to be precious little opportunity for anything in Association work so that he will have to return to business again. It seems an awful pity that he cannot be fitted into Association work especially in view of his recent experiences and the wealth of information he has obtained concerning the Association in Canada and America.

By the way, we had a letter from John Akau, Junior, one of the Honolulu delegates, in which he wished to pass on to you his greetings. He spoke very highly of the enjoyable time he had with the Australian fellows en route to Toronto.

Keith sat for two subjects in his Intermediate Accountancy, namely, Commercial Law and Auditing. He was very unfortunate in just missing a pass in both subjects. He got 58 in Commercial Law, two marks below a pass, and 60 marks in auditing, five below a pass. However, he is not very disturbed about it as he now feels hat he can do much better in the May examinations. It would have been a great thing for him to have secured these two subjects at this examination and would have made it easier for the May examination. Now he will need to take five subjects in May. This will be a bit of a hurdle for him, but he feels pretty confident that he can do it.

You will be glad to hear that yesterday he secured a job with Louis Dreyfus & Co., Grain Merchants, 465 Collins Street. This will probably see him over the next few months while the wheat season is on. He also has prospect of another job and is nibbling it so as to discover whether it will be a better one than the Dreyfus job. It is a great relief to know that he will be employed during the next few months at any rate.

Ruth was home today on her usual day off. She is still in the surgical ward, but expects that she may have to take duty in the Children’s Ward before long. She is still happy in her job although she finds the long hours a heavy strain, particularly since the motor accident I referred to in my last letter. Evidently this shook her up more than she thought.

Edith was not successful in securing a Scholarship at the University High School, but she did obtain a free place at Gardiner for the next two years. Joy unfortunately failed in arithmetic, consequently did not secure an additional two years free place. She will probably go to Fintona or Presbyterian Ladies' College in the New Year. They were both greatly delighted with the postcards you sent along and of course at the news contained in your letter.

You will be  glad to hear that Mr. Handley of the Melbourne Boys' High School, has accepted a position on the Boys' Work Committee. He is very keen and has been exceedingly useful. Mother went along to the High School Break-up and he then spoke to her about the time you were at the High School. Evidently he has a warm pot in his heart for you.

Nearly all of the wind-up social functions have been held at the Association building. The Vikings' Dinner was held last Thursday with about 100 fellows present. It was a great turn-out. Jack Brideson was awarded the McRae Cup and Len. Lacey came second.

Last night we had a combined Senior Activities Dinner at which the "13" Club and Mrs. J.R. Nichol's helpers were guests. This was also a good affair with about 90 to 100 present. The diplomas won by the Educational students were distributed and Frank Trainor gave a splendid address.

I think in my last letter I told you that we would probably have to close down on "Melbourne's Manhood". We now think it is possible to continue it in a re-organised form. Our printer has undertaken to publish it without cost to the Association. We shall have to reduce the number of pages and print the magazine on different paper so as to reduce costs. You can be sure I am delighted that we are able to continue it.

Laurie Bowen wrote me the other day and in his letter narrated the difficulties the Association Movement was experiencing on account of the depression in America -- how impossible it was to find jobs for men in Association work, as most of the larger Associations were reducing staff rather than increasing the number of their employees. I can quite understand the situation as we have had to reduce our own staff pretty drastically during the past year.

I have nothing further to add regarding the amplifier excepting that Jack Walsh had an enquiry a little while back for an amplifier. He is endeavouring to get the enquirer interested in your machine. Rex. is similarly endeavouring to place it with some of the country picture shows.

Under separate cover I have sent to you a copy of each of the "Argus" and the "Herald" giving the election results. You can see as you peruse the papers how wonderfully the commonsense of the Australian voters has manifested itself in the swing away from some of labor's wild-cat financial schemes. This result should help to re-establish confidence in business circles, and perhaps help in the reduction of unemployment.

We are expecting fine attendances at all of the camps. At Manyung we expect about 60 for the young men's camp and between 20 and 30 at the community camp which follows it. At Shoreham we are expecting the following attendances at the four periods: 70, 60, 70 and 35, but in the last two it is likely that the enrollments will be considerably higher than the figures given, as the entry dates do not  close until some time in January. The Scouts are also holding a camp so that we shall have 7 camping periods before the firsts week of February.

I am endeavouring to get away for the Community Camp at Manyung, and hope to take mother and the two kiddies along for a fortnight's spell. Mother is keeping very well, I am happy to say.

Well, my boy, we must express our delight that you are managing to maintain yourself and I hope, studying hard. I quite understand that you will not find it easy to carry your schedule, but I know you will do your best to stand up tot he strain and that you will capitalise every moment of your time and make it contribute to your success. Don't become too seriously involved in the social life of the college at the detriment of your school work. That is the common error made by students in their first year. There will be ample time for social life when you have demonstrated your ability to carry your schedule with honor to yourself and to Australia. We are all greatly encouraged by your last letter and we wish you every blessing and success in the New Year. Naturally we shall want to know how you got on with your first term's work and we hope you will keep us posted with the results of any tests.

Don't forget to keep close to the Source of all strength; you will need His continued guidance and blessing in all that you undertake.

With our united love,

Yours affectionately,
Dad

(handwritten postscript) The Staff send greetings also McDonald (of N.Z.), Trainor, Jenner, Nichol, Hooke, and heaps of others.

No. 17 -- 14 Oct 1931

Mr. N.A. Hughes,
C/o Y.M.C.A. College,
5315 Drexel Avenue,
CHICAGO. Ill. U.S.A.

My dear Noel,

There is a mail leaving this afternoon, so I am dropping you a further line to give you additional news concerning affairs of the Association and at home.

Clipping from The Argus (8 Oct 1931), Page 5

The Queen Crowning Ceremony has been quite a big feature of the past month, and we are happy to say that it turned out to be a splendid success in every way. Each of the departments, Junior, Viking and Senior, "pulled their weight in the boat" and we had  such a multitude of fixtures that it became a severe tax upon everybody. I think in all over  40 separate functions were organised by the three committees in the interests of the Queens.

You can well understand what that meant both inside and outside of the Association. The Crowning Ceremony on Thursday last went off splendidly. Ivor Burge characterised it as "one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen". I think all of the folk who attended the ceremony were favorably impressed, and we have not heard one adverse comment. It meant a whale of a lot of work in preparation, but it was well worth while. I am enclosing a copy of the programme so that you will be able to follow the proceedings. The grand entry of the Queens was a very spectacular and impressive affair.

The voting was continued until about 9.15 p.m., then for a quarter of an hour we did not publish any results. this left the issue entirely in doubt, and during that time people were asked to contribute either in cash or promise, towards the voting for various Queens. When I made the announcement there was great excitement from the supporters of each of the Queens. The voting resulted as follows:--

Queen of Youth -- Kath Lilford --      30579 votes       £127  8  3
Queen of Juniors -- Ruby Davis --     30186 votes      £125:15  6
Queen of Vikings -- Lil. Langham --   22664 votes      £ 94   8  8

A total of £347:12:5. Of course expenses in connection with the effort will have to be deducted and I imagine that somewhere in the neighborhood of £300 will be the nett result. The whole effort was an excellent thing in that it welded together the various departments in one useful effort and its by-products in this respect were particularly good.

Kath Lilford stands
behind Edith Hughes

Kath had had a very heavy cold for some days prior to the Crowning Ceremony, but she managed to keep going alright, and is now quite well again. This effort entailed a tremendous amount of work upon the various groups and I personally feel that they have rendered very fine service to the Association in bringing the competition through so successfully.

We have had quite a lot of sickness in the house. Matron has been kept busy with attendance upon 'flu patients. There has been a very serious epidemic of influenza during the past tow months.  Some of the hospitals have had wards filled with nurses who were unable to continue their work because of the 'flu. Miss Bourchier was also away and so was Wally Muston. Muriel Ratcliffe is also down the 'flu just now.

In view of the legislation resulting in a reduction in mortgage interest, we are appealing to our debenture holders to accept a 1 1/2% reduction so that in future the rate of interest payable will be 5 1/2% We are hoping that they will agree to this arrangement. Of course, if any of them object to it we must keep our contract with them and pay 7%.

With all the interest centred in the Queen Carnival, we had a pretty lean month in finances in September, consequently we went back about £350. Our deficit to the end of September is £2419. This is a very serious position to be in, and we are having special meetings of the Finance Committee to see whether we can effect still further economies. This business is getting on our nerves a bit, and we are all feeling a bit frayed by the continual worry over finances. Despite all that we have done to promote additional business, we have had very little result from the extra promotion.

I have had several letters from America during the last few days, and also from England. In a letter I received from John Pontius, he spoke of meeting you at Cleveland. I am quoting from his letter -- "It is my sincere hope that we may be afforded the pleasure of having him at our home at intervals while he is in America. I extended an invitation to him to consider our home his American home during  his sojourn here; and I sincerely hope he will accept that at its face value. When he wants to get away from student environment into real home atmosphere, Mrs. Pontius and I shall be very glad indeed to have him feel free to visit us. I say that we told him this. Lest he be hesitant about accepting it I wish that you would write him and confirm the literal intent as well as the spirit of our invitation." Pontius also said that they had a visit from Alec. Moodie.

Fred. J. Smith of Toronto wrote -- " It was certainly great to meet your fine son during the Toronto Convention. I went out of town during the latter days of the Conference, and when I returned Noel had gone, and I have not been in touch with him since, but hope I will have the opportunity of meeting him again soon.

Ralph Cole has written me a second letter in which he referred to the pleasure it gave him to have you in their party en route to the conference.

F.J. Chamberlain, National Secretary of Great Britain, also referred to his meeting with you and so did David Gunn, the General Secretary of the Y.M.C.A. at Doncaster, England.

The National Convention is booked for November 21 to 23 at Melbourne. We are expecting reasonably good delegation from the other Associations, especially from the Victorian centres. I must confess I wonder just what we are going to do in the way of legislation at this convention, although in some senses it is necessary that we should meet to discuss future policy, especially in relation to national work. Mr. Trainor who was to have finished up with the National Committee on the 30th September, is continuing until after the Convention. Mr. Woodcraft is still in New Zealand, but I do not think he is having much success in his financial solicitation.

Messrs. Crosby, Jenner, Hooke, McKean, Nichol, Forster, etc. are all keeping well.

Ivor Burge is to be married on the 7th November, to Miss Eileen Laurie. Messrs. Jutsum, Gollan, Gray, Way, Hines and other others on the staff are all keeping well. We have to answer a large number of enquiries from the members, residents, etc. as to how you are getting along.

The kiddies at home are well. Both of them are greatly excited over the Guild Display which is to be held on October 29th, and next Friday the competition for medals will be held. Both of them are hoping to be successful, although I do not think that Joy can expect to win the medal this year, as it was her first year in the senior section.

Rex. has been away for over a week installing talkie apparatus in one of the country towns. Keith is still without a job, although he expects to be with the Texaco Company for 10 days or a fortnight commencing on Monday next.

Mother is keeping well and is, of course, concerned as to how you are getting along. You must give her some particulars regarding how you are faring so as to assuage her concern.

All our attempts to dispose of the Amplifier have so far met with no success. There has been such a tremendous drop in values, that I do not think that we are likely to get anything like £40 for the job or even half of it.

Ruth has practically finished her probation and we expect she will be taking up full responsibilities as a nursing trainee. She seems to be very much in love with her job.

I must finish now. I know you will do your best to give us full news concerning your new work. I sincerely hope you are finding everything  to your satisfaction. I should like to know just what attitude has been taken by the College authorities in relation to your entrance exam.

Be good enough to get Mr. Haughton to send me several copies of the catalogue with the small pamphlets giving other particulars.

With warm love from us all,
Yours affectionately,
Dad.

No. 15 -- 29 Sep 1931

Mr. N.A. Hughes,
C/o Y.M.C.A. College,
5315 Drexel Avenue,
CHICAGO. Ill. U.S.A.

My dear Noel,

Since I last wrote to you, your two letters of the 14th and 23rd August have reached us. We are very delighted to hear of your doings. According to your fist letter you had arrived in Chicago a few days before and you were then staying with Larry Bowen at Lincoln Belmont Y. We were naturally interested in your reactions to the size of Chicago, although presumably your contact with other large cities had to some extent prepared you for the experience.

It was very good of Larry to meet you and to care for you as he did, and I must write and express my appreciation of his goodness.

I knew there would be difficulty experienced by you in locating a job, especially before your arrival at Chicago. The Associations are all having a difficult time between the stock crashes, failures of banks and the general business depression. Conditions must be pretty difficult for many of them, and in view of this I did not anticipate you would be rushed with jobs. Letters I had received had indicated in practically every case that there would be some trouble experienced in placing you satisfactorily. Then again, Convention time is hardly the time to expect attention when everybody in going "eyes out" and the local staff men are burdened with a thousand and one details.

I am glad that you had such a happy time with the folk with whom you were billeted at Cleveland. It is the general experience that Convention delegates get little opportunity to meet the friends who billet them, apart from the fact that they see them late at night, and have breakfast with them in the morning.

I thought the humidity of an American summer would give you a taste of real heat. We in Australia do not understand the degree of humidity which American people face in their summer heat.

I am very delighted that you met a number of the man, such as Pontious, White, Rhodes and others. They are a good bunch of fellows, and I am sure contacts with them will be of service to you in the future. I hope you will let me know the complete list, so that I might drop them a line as opportunity offers.

You must not allow the complexity of the American Y to blind you to its real worth. Many huge institutions have to show some degree of commercialism if their big service departments are to be maintained effectively.

It is good to hear that you met Dr. Jenkins and that they are helping you in the matter of employment. They are the people who could probably do most for you in that direction.

I am sorry to hear that Vic. Jones and Tom Laing had some difficulties regarding the grant from National funds for Conference purposes. No doubt they have communicated with Trainor on the matter.

I was interested in your account of the journey from Toronto to Cleveland. People would find it difficult to imagine that you could make the trip on such a small expenditure. I am glad you were impressed with the Niagara Falls. They certainly cause one to feel surprised a their extent and magnificence.

Your letter of the 23rd cheered us, as we were beginning to wonder whether you would strike a job that would be of real value to you. I think I tried to impress you on a number of occasions that you would find a great difference in the cost of living in America compared with Australia. I think you will find, however, that once you learn the lay of the land, you will be able to save money in quite a number of directions at present unknown to you. There are many directions in which a knowledge of the stores will help you to reduce your living expenses. You are certainly doing remarkably well to keep your meals down to 80 cents a day. I suppose you are eating at the Y Cafeteria. It cheers our hearts to know that the Association folk stood by you so loyally and helped you reduce your living costs.

We were very interested in your picture of the musical festival. It must have been a remarkable sight. It was good of Larry to take you to it.

I did not imaging that you would find your typing experience to be so useful to you. It is good to know that you have been able to capitalise it in the way you have. I think you will discover that everything that you do can be used as a means of earning money, and in a large centre like Chicago you will have opportunities to do work which in Australia would be practically impossible to find.

Naturally, we are anxious to hear what type of job you ultimately secure. It would be great if you had the chance to work at the desk at the College as it would bring you into close touch with practically all sections of the College work and with all of the students and faculty. With what you could earn in that direction and in others, it might be possible for you to see your way to almost complete support.

The other suggestions concerning the Oak Park Y and Lincoln Belmont Y would be of very definite value to you in your practical Association training, and it would be well if you could perhaps extend your experience beyond desk work, so that you could command a much better job in succeeding years. The apartment job does not impress me as being of much value to you apart from its money value. No doubt you will discuss all these matters with Clive and Larry, and in the long run find something that will be of definite help to you in your professional work.

I am looking forward with interest to the receipt of the printed matter concerning the Conferences. Some material arrived at the National office a few days ago, but it was of a very scattered nature, and it did not convey anything like an adequate idea of the discussion and findings.

Thank you for your good wishes regarding my birthday. Joyce was awfully tickled to get the letter from you. She will no doubt be writing to you within the next day or so.

Now just a little news in other directions. I had a letter from Alec. Moodie, written from New York, in which he mentions that he expected to see you in Chicago in about a week's time from date of writing.

I also had a letter from Sid. Peck in which he enclosed your letter to him, expressive of your thanks for the letter he had sent to you.

R.L. Ewing of New York also wrote to me and mentioned having met you at the Conference and of the suggestion he made that you should return to Chicago, as he thought there would be better opportunity for you there.

There is another mail form America arriving tomorrow, and I expect to hear from some of the other American friends to whom I wrote concerning yourself.

The folk at home are all well, I am happy to say. Mother is keeping in excellent form and so are the two kiddies. Ruth was home again for the weekend. She is keeping well, although exceedingly tired from the heavy work at the hospital. She is still showing great keenness in it and I think she will make a success of it. Keith had an accident at cricket on the 19th September. He went down to the first practice and a fast ball glanced off his bat and hit him in the eye. It was badly gashed just below the eyebrow, and necessitated some stitches by Dr. Ashton. However, the eye is practically better again apart from some discoloration. He had a beautiful "peeper" and looked as if he had been in a first-class fight.

Rex's job is still holding  and I think he is beginning to realise that he must hang on to it, no matter what kind of treatment he receives.

Mr. Harrison has changed his job recently, but it doesn't seem to be much of a catch and I imagine he is not doing particularly well just now. Mrs. Harrison has had to take a job in the country so as to help keep the pot boiling.

In the Association we have had a particularly busy time with the Queen Carnival competition. So many functions have been help in the interests of the three Queeens that it has been impossible to keep touch with more than a few of them. The crowning Ceremony takes place on October 8th, and just now we are all busy in making the necessary preparation for the function. We are hoping that it will prove a great success, although there is a tremendous amount of detail to handle in connection with it. We have taken Wirth's Olympia and we want to make it a first-class affair. You will be interested to hear that the score board shows the following positions:

Queen of the Juniors - Miss Davis - 4207
Queen of the Vikings - Lil. Langham - 6852
Queen of the Youth - Kath. Lilford - 6339

The score board does not denote the actual position, as during the past week a considerable number of functions have been held, the returns from which are not complete, and consequently the votes have not been added to the scores. I think Lil. Langham is well ahead at the present juncture, because of the Garden Party held at Mr. Crosby's house on the 19th inst. Kath. will take a leap forward after next Saturday when a motor picnic will be held at Mr. Crosby's home at Tremont. The Juniors are also putting in strenuous effort and it looks as if we shall have a very exciting time next week as the returns from all of these functions are added to the score.

Edith is tickled to death because she is to help Kath. in the Queen Crowning ceremony. She is to be either the Crown Bearer or a Page to Kath. Of course, each of the Queens will have their retinue of attendants.

Financially, things have not improved at all, although we had a bit of a lift from the Dormitory during Show Week. Financial returns in practically ever department have shown a bit of a slump and we are facing a very serious position in the general account. We are hoping that we may get some relief in reduced interest charges, on our overdraft and debentures, legislation for which is being enacted and we hope we will benefit from it. This may make a considerable difference to us next year, but will hardly affect our position this year. We are commencing to look forward to the summer period, and now that the better weather is coming we anticipate increased interest in our out of door clubs and camping.

A great deal of useful work has been done at camp Manyung and regularly parties have gone down each week to effect improvements in the property. Two bunk houses have been erected and over 200 trees have been planted on the property. Other improvements have also been made.

Last week seven fellows spent the entire week at Shoreham doing a thousand and one odd jobs in preparation for the junior camps. A scheme for beautifying the property has been approved, and trees have been planted and a whole lot of other useful things done which should enhance the camp property.


I have one or two people interested in the amplifier, but it seems almost impossible to effect a sale. The Vikings were interested in it, but I do not think it would be wise for them to attempt to buy the machine, as their use of it would be limited and as the summer months are approaching there would not be much chance to raise money by picture shows to pay for it. There are two others who are nibbling but whether we will be able to dispose of it I cannot at present say. I am very sorry that so much money is tied up in this machine. With the drastic reductions in radio goods I am beginning to doubt whether we can hope to secure anything like £40 for the machine. However, I am not going to sacrifice it, but will do my best to get the highest price possible.

We had a Rotary Boys' Work conference at the Y building on Saturday, 19th September, and had 27 men present, representing seven Victorian Rotary Clubs. We outlined our work for the year and also made a number of important decisions affecting our work. I hope you will get into touch with the Rotary Club Headquarters at Chicago and will let me know the result of your visit.

I think it would be good for you to ask Mr. Vernon to send me several copies of the College catalogue with the other pamphlets, giving information to students so that I might pass them on to the fellows who are thinking going to America for additional training.

By this week's mail a letter arrived from the Delta Pi Alpha Fraternity of Chicago College, which I am sending here-with. Presumably the writer did not know that you were then in Chicago.

This week you will be commencing your studies, and I imagine there will be much excitement occasioned by your entry to school life. I am hoping that you will get a reasonably good classification, so that you may not have to make up too much in back studies. It would be a good help to you if you could face your first year's work without too may arrears to be made up.

I have not written to the College authorities regarding yourself, because I felt that it was not right for me to use my position in any way to secure additional recognition for you. I will, however, write them shortly. By now you will have had your entrance status determined, and your plans laid out for your school work.

What has happened to your diary? Did you find the job too much of a "fag" to continue it? If you are wise you will keep a diary. It would not take you long to make your daily entries at the close of each day, while impressions are vivid, and it will keep a record which you will look back upon with a great deal of interest in after years.

Well, I must close now. We wish you every blessing, my boy, in your work. Keep in touch with Church life. Settle at one Church in your neighborhood and do your best to help out in some direction in Church life. Don't forget that your effectiveness in the future will depend very largely upon how close your keep to Christ.

With warm love,

Yours affectionately,
Dad.