No. 9 -- 21 July 1931

Mr. N.A. Hughes,
C/o Young Men's Christian Association College,
5315 Drexel Avenue,
CHICAGO. Ill. U.S.A.

My dear Noel,

By yesterday's mail we received your letter posted at Suva, in which you describe the happenings at Auckland. We were very glad that Mrs. Kirk established contact with you and showed you some courtesy.

When your letter came, Keith was very wrath that you did not give any particulars concerning Stan. Kirk. He was naturally anxious to know where Stan is and what he is doing.

I also had a letter from Mr. Drew telling me that you had gone through the building and had met a number of the staff men. I, too, am sorry that you did not meet George Adair. George is one of the finest fellows in our Movement in the Dominion and is doing a remarkably fine piece of Boys' Work, perhaps the best in the Dominion.

We had a letter from Cli. Willis and also from Irven Herbert. They gave additional particulars concerning your time in Sydney.

You will be surprised to hear that the Herald published your photograph on Wednesday of last week, together with a paragraph informing folk that you expected to land in Canada on Friday or Saturday last. We have had quite a number of comments from various folk who saw the paragraph.

Mr. Barker of Suva was good enough to send me a letter also, in which he mentioned that you had visited the Guild Meeting at the Mission and also that you met Mr. McMillan. I am glad you had this opportunity of meeting these good friends as they are splendid folk. McMillan is an exceptional man, and I am very sorry that he left our Movement, to go into Government service.

It is hard luck that you did not arrive at Suva until dark. I had a similar experience on my first visit there, but tried to make up for it by seeing all we could in the few hours at our disposal.

The kiddies, of course, are just full of questions regarding your trip and eagerly await the arrival of your letters. I think they will be writing you by this mail, so that you may have quite a budget from the members of the family.

Ruth started at the Hospital on Wednesday, the 15th. She is enjoying the work, although the hours are long and the work exacting. A rather strange incident occurred on her first day in the hospital. Someone went through her purse and stole her money, and a string of beads, so that I was surprised to find her at the office the next morning asking me for money as she was stony broke. I suppose it is a good thing, as it will make her careful with regard to the disposal of her goods. She will perhaps put things away in future and not expect everybody to be absolutely honest.

Rex has been down Gippsland installing some talkie apparatus, but this week is unemployed again. He is, however, expecting to start on Monday of next week.

I had several letters in reply to those I had sent to America. Stanley Brent of Vancouver, regretted he could not see you, as he would be out of Vancouver, but he was making arrangements for someone else to show you courtesies.

R.L. Ewing, of New York, forwarded letters from Mr. Brentley, Activities and Personnel Secretary for New York. Bentley said that he would do all that he could to help you find an opening and he thought it wise for you to keep in touch with Chicago, as that would be the logical place for you to locate. Mr. Ewing evidently wrote to Mr. Glen. O. Pierrel, Assistant Secretary, Y.M.C.A. 19 South LaSalle Street, Chicago. Pierrel said that he would do his best to help you, although he was not very hopeful of locating anything, because of the fact that the Chicago Association is already over-manned in relation to the funds they have to spend. He would make enquiry especially among the Camp Directors, to see whether they might use you, and at least provide room and board.

Naturally I am hoping that Laurie Bowen and Clive Glover have been able to do something in this direction for you. I think it is quite probable, Noel, that you will have some difficulty in securing remunerative part-time work, if I judge correctly the tenor of the letters I have received. I do think, though, that you should concentrate upon the Chicago situation, because of its possibilities for the future during your college work. With a few good friends such as those to whom I gave you cards, I think you should be able to locate a useful job.

Ralph Cooke, a the Chicago Men's Hotel, will I know, do his best to assist you.

Now, just one or two things concerning the work here. We had a wonderful night on Saturday, when the Suburban Clubs had their "Get Together" social. There were about 475 present and it was a great show. I am enclosing a copy of the programme.

The Suburban Club Leaders' Training Corps is doing splendidly and we have over 40 fellows enrolled in it in preparation for service in their own Church Clubs. I think you will find this to be something quite out of the ordinary and not many of the American Associations are doing similarly.

The Suburban Scheme for raising finance, instituted by Mr. Crosby, is steadily gathering momentum, and I hope it will be useful to the Association in providing additional revenue.

I would suggest that any copies of printed matter we may send to you might be useful to the College Library. They always seem anxious to get samples of this kind and I would suggest that perhaps it would be helpful if you passed it on to the Librarian after you have finished with it. The July issue of "Manhood" was sent direct to the College. The careful perusal each month, will give you material for talks, especially as you speak at groups in the Associations. It is by this means that you may be able to pass on to other Associations some of the matters which may be of interest to them, seeing that the work describes conditions in Australia.

Mr. and Mrs. Harrison left us on Sunday, after some 6 1/2 weeks with us. He has secured an agency for Gippsland, and will be travelling in that area. It is possible that they may return to us again a little later on.

Keith tried yesterday for a job with O.Gilpin who advertised for a Customs Official. There were about 100 after the job, including in the number some who were licensed agents, so that Keith does not imagine he has much chance of securing the job.

I hope you have not forgotten to send your address to the College authorities, so that mail matter can be forwarded to you, and time saved in that way.

We have not yet been able to dispose of the Amplifier, although we have had one or two nibbles, but nothing that we could finalise upon. By the time this reaches you, you will be well on the way towards entry to College.

I hope it has been possible for you to continue some degree of study in preparation for the entrance examination the College authorities will require.

Many new experiences have fallen to you in the past few weeks and you may now be feeling the strain of continuous travel and the high pressure of the Conferences. A week or two in a Boys' Camp will be splendid preparation for your entry to College. I hope it has been possible for some of our friends to make an opening for you in this direction. Please be good enough to secure a complete set of the reports of the three Conferences and post them to me without delay. I will see that you are reimbursed for the cost of postage, etc. Maybe you have thought of this, while you were at Conference, but if not, be good enough to secure copies and send them on to me. See that they are securely packed, otherwise they will reach here in a very dilapidated condition.

And now, my boy, we all send our loving regards. We are not forgetting you before the Throne of Grace. We sincerely hope that you will capitalise every opportunity presented to you and make it count in the preparation for your future life work. So much depends upon your ability to do this if success is to be achieved. You know I have constantly spread the gospel of "hard work" as the main condition in achieving success. I am confident it still holds good. You are not likely to have too much time on your hands at College, seeing you have got to earn your way through.

If you are stuck at any time, of course you must let me know and I will do my best to help you, but in view of the further reductions we have just had here in salaries, I do not want you to make any claims unless you are really in need, but if you are in need, please cable immediately and I will do my best to help you.

With warm love from us all,
Yours affectionately,
Dad

No. 2 -- 23 June 1931

Mr. N. A. Hughes,
C/o Y.M.C.A,
325 Pitt Street,
SYDNEY. N.S.W.

My dear Noel,

I am enclosing a card of introduction to Mr. Gordon Virgo, son of Mr. J. J. Virgo. You will notice from the address that Gordon is the Superintendent of the Palama Settlement near Honolulu. I would suggest that you ring him on the phone and, if possible, make an arrangement to see him if only for a minute or two. He will be glad to welcome you I know, especially for his father's sake. I have known Gordon Virgo for many years and of course had contact with him in London during the war. He was then an officer of the Canadian Y.M.C.A.

The original letter on YMCA letterhead.

Flickr

Miss Yates gave you the list of introductions which should prove of use to you for rapid reading, especially when you are at the Conference. You will hear of many of these men and I would suggest that you endeavour to make contact with most of them when you have the opportunity.

I had a letter from Alec. Moodie this morning and I would suggest that early on the voyage, you propose to Alec. that you should meet daily to consider the outlines prepared by the World's Committee on the Conference subjects. This will be a useful thing for you to do, and Moodie's long experience in Association world should help to clarify many of the problems dealt with in the outlines.

Letter from Chas. F. Grosby of the
Melbourne YMCA accepting
Noel's resignation as he leaves for
the United States.
(click to enlarge or view on Flickr)

I am specially anxious that you should let me know what your address will be immediately you conclude the Cleveland Conference. If you get any jobs offered to you, please write immediately do that we may be able to send to you direct during the period between the close of the Conference and the Commencement at the College.

I had a ring from Mr. Boyer of the C.P.R. this morning to say that the insurance of your baggage requires a further payment of 5/2d. They forget to charge you the difference in the exchange rate on the premium. This I am paying, so you need not worry about it.

Of course you will ring up your relatives as soon as possible. My suggestion to you is to pay your visits not later than Wednesday night, so that you have Thursday morning free to attend to your own affairs. It would be a good plan to leave for the boat about 2 o'clock so that you can take everything direct to your cabin on arrival at the ship, and thus save all the mad rush at the end.

Noel's letter of introduction from
F.D. Trainor, the National General Secretary
of the Australian YMCA.
(click to enlarge or view on Flickr)

Little Edith came to me this morning and said that she was crying for you during the night. You can readily understand their feelings and our own just now. Mother has not said a great deal but I know quite well that she is feeling the parting very acutely. I can only suggest, old fellow, that you will drop her a line before you leave, so that she might hear from you at once.

Please remember me to all the folk in Sydney, and of course to Mr. Swainson and the members of the staff.

With warm love,

Dad.

P.S.  This afternoon Keith brought in your wristlet watch. I think it would be a good plan for you to take this with you, so I have packed it separately and have addressed it to the boat. Please do not fail to make enquiry regarding it when you arrive on board. I thought it might miss you at the Y.M.C.A.

See related post: About the Sydney letters