No. 20 -- 24 Nov 1931

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

My dear Noel,

We were disappointed again this mail because we did not get a letter from you. The last letter we received was dated 16th September and we are naturally concerned to find out how you have been getting along in the interval. Kath. Also was without a letter and your last letter to her was dated 29th September. I suppose you have been up to your eyes in your new experiences and finding it perhaps difficult to earn your way and at the same time carry your schedule of studies. I can only hope that everything is O.K. with you.

The Argus (Melbourne),
Thursday 19 November 1931, page 5

We had the 12th National Convention in the building on Saturday November 21 to Monday November 23. The convention was much better than we anticipated it would be and we were particularly gratified with the large number of our own members who put in an appearance at the meetings. The convention had some excellent discussions based upon questionnaires circulated among the Association on the subjects of "Our purpose, our youth, our times". These created splendid discussions and I am confident it clarified the thinking of quite a number of the delegates who were present.


The National Committee finance was the major problem we had to face. In view of the difficulties being experienced b y the Associations in making regular allocations to National support, it looked as if it would be almost impossible for the National Committee to carry on. However, there was a very fine spirit of loyalty expressed toward the National Committee and I have no doubt that the necessary money to run a modified programme will be available if not from the Associations, it will  be secured from interested friends. Frank Trainor will be finishing up as an employed man I think about the end of the year. It is doubtful whether we will be able to carry Woodcraft unless he practically raises his own salary by personal solicitation.

The Argus (Melbourne),
Tuesday 24 November 1931, page 8

The support of the Indian work will also be diminished to some extent, although we will make strenuous efforts to keep our contribution as high as possible.

Mr. Thomas Thomas, after 15 years of service, has resigned the  Chairmanship of the National Committee, and Mr. R.W. Nevile, of our Board, has been appointed Chairman. Mr. Thomas will be Honorary Secretary to the Committee. This will introduce a little new blood and it may be all to the good in the future of the work. I shall send on to you some of the figures in connection with the Australian Movement, and some reports which give the salient features of the programmes of the Association. This will be interesting reading and material which you can pass on to your friends or to the College Library.

We also held a short Employed Officers' Conference at the close of the convention, and appointed Charlie Jutsum, President of the Employed Officers Association and George Briggs, Honorary Secretary and Treasurer. This should help to revive interest in the Employed Officers' Association which it sadly needed. During the past 18 months or so there has been practically nothing done in its interests.

I have not a great deal of home news to pass on to you as conditions are much the same at home as when I last wrote.  The boil on Mother's chin has gone  and she is O.K. again. The kiddies are all well. Joyce has written a letter to you which has gone under separate cover. Mother has also written to you under separate cover.

Ruth has been home each Tuesday (her day off from the hospital).  She is just as keen as ever about her work. Keith has another ship in just now and this will keep him busy for this week. We are glad that he is managing to get these odd jobs to help keep him going. Rex. Baker is away again in the country and has been for some days past. He seems to hang on to he present job, although he growls a lot about it.

Joy is to have her examinations this week, and I am hoping that she will do well, and will continue her free schooling at another school. If not, I will probably send her to Fintona or the Presbyterian ladies College. Edith seems to be quite sure of having done well in her examination and I have not any doubt that she will go to Gardiner or one of the other elementary high schools.

In view of the fact that they do not seem over anxious to continue their practice at the piano, we have practically decided to give them a rest for the next year from tuition in pianoforte and I believe that the effect of it will be that they will be more keenly interested to take it up again. In any case it will not do them much harm  as we will see that they continue their practice at reasonably regular intervals. My own judgment is that they have not displayed any particular ability and it is hardly worth while continuing the tuition. Then again we must consider curtailment in some of these expenditures in view of the reduced income.

They Sunday School will have its picnic next Saturday which happens to be Henley Day and I suppose the whole family will be at Sandringham Picnic Grounds. I personally would rather have gone to Henley-on-the-Yarra, but mother has determined to go with the kiddies so I suppose I will have to do likewise.

We have not seen or heard anything of the Harrisons for some weeks, although I understand that Mrs. Harrison is still away in a position in the country.

Ivor Burge is back again from his honeymoon.

Jim. Swain arrived a little over a week ago from Perth, Western Australia. His job over there has finished up and he is now looking for a position in Melbourne. I understand there will be other adjustments on the Perth staff and it is likely that Parsons, the Physical Director, may be dispensed with and Ern. Saunders is likely to get the job. You will recall that Saunders went to Montreal and if this information is correct he is returning again to the Perth job. He was on the staff of the Perth Association some years ago and was also located there as Migration Secretary representing the British National Council of Y.M.C.A.s.

You will be interested in hearing that Holmesdale Nitschke has been selected to represent Australia in the first test match against the South African Cricket team now touring Australia. Mr. Dick Nitschke called in last June and left his card; and called in to see me the other day. He reports that the Nitschkes in South Australia are all well.

I think I told you in my last letter that I was to be inducted into the Eldership of the South Hawthorn Presbyterian Church. That induction ceremony was postponed, but it will take place next Sunday morning. three of us, Jack Roberts, Jack Gray and I are to be inducted.

I had a letter the other day from A.W. Alley, membership Service of National Council of Y.M.C.A.s of New York, in which he reported having met you at the conferences. I have not heard a great deal from America during these recent weeks, but I suppose that is largely because of the busy period an the opening of the Associations' programmes, September, October, etc.

I have not heard anything from Clive Glover for months past.

In this mail I am sending you a Money Order for Ten Dollars, which I hope will be of some little service to you. I wish I could make it five times the amount.

Please let me know how you have been getting along. We are all anxious to hear. I wish to goodness we could do something with that blessed amplifier, but seemingly it is impossible to dispose of it. When Rex. returns I am going to have a good talk with him and see if we cannot dispose of it piecemeal.

Well, I must finish now. This letter should reach you somewhere about the 20th December, and I hope, boy, you will have a Happy Christmas, although we shall miss you from the home circle.

We hope that you are enjoying your work, despite the difficulties you are facing.

I have forwarded a few newspapers to you which I hope you received safely. I shall also send you one or two others by the next mail.

With warm love from us all,
Yours affectionately,
Dad

No. 13 -- 1 Sept 1931

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

My dear Noel,

Yesterday I received a copy of the Y.M.C.A. Blue Book giving particulars of the Association at Calgary. This is certainly a fine piece of printed matter, and I imagine was specially prepared to act as propaganda in a financial effort on behalf of the Calgary work. Thank you for sending it on to me.

I am expecting there will be a letter at home giving fuller particulars of your trip across Canada. We have had several mails leaving at pretty close intervals recently, consequently you have received I think in all about four letters from me this month.

We held the Circus on Saturday, and it was a splendid success. The afternoon performance was attended by between 300 and 400 people, mainly at our invitation. We hurriedly arranged to invite the poor children from the City Mission, North Melbourne Mission, Montague Boys, Deaf & Dumb, and a number of other groups of a like character. It gave the kiddies an afternoon's entertainment, and at the same time provided an audience for our performers. You know that the afternoon gathering is never largely attended, and is really more in the direction of a final rehearsal than an actual performance. Next year we intend to extend the invitation list pretty widely, so as to bring in a large number of the children's organisations to see the show. The evening performance went off splendidly. It was quite as well attended as other years, which of course was gratifying to see. We thought that because of the financial depression, there would be a considerable drop in the attendance, but our fears proved to be groundless. I am sending to you under separate cover a copy of the circus programme. I thought that probably Clive would be interested in looking it over. The standard of performance, was, I think quite up to the usual. Some of the items were, in my judgment, a little better than other years. At any rate most folk seemed to be entirely satisfied with the show. Of course,  it is too early to say how much we are likely to clear in the way of financial returns.

On Saturday night we also had a group of about 300 folk here in the building in connection with the Methodist Young People's Movement associated with the Methodist Babies' Home. Matron and her staff had the job of providing supper for the m and consequently could not attend the circus gathering.

Matters in connection with the Queen Carnival are gathering momentum and I think the response on the whole ought to be pretty good. Most of the committees organising the carnival are putting in a lot of time and thought into preparations for raising money and I think the results are proving quite good.

We are considering a big scheme for the crowning ceremony. Tomorrow night the Executive will meet to decide the details. We feel that we can make this crowning ceremony a big feature not only from the point of view of publicity, but also of some assistance in the scheme of money raising. The cards in connection with the Queen Carnival are not quite ready, but as soon as they are available I will send you a copy so that you may see just exactly how the plan is arranged and you will also see the photographs of the folk you know. (Enclosed).

Matron has been busy preparing curtains for the cafeteria and we expect this week to have them up, and we think the cafeteria will look much more homelike and the bareness removed from the walls. We are also putting covers on the tables which should give a very bright effect.

At our little Church we held a Father and Son Sunday, a week ago and had a fine evening service. Keith accompanied the rest of us to Church, and I think enjoyed the service. On the following Wednesday we had a Father and Son "Get-Together" gathering in the Church hall. Keith could not attend, but I went alone to see what the show was like, and was, of course, drawn in to make an address. It was quite a good thing to have the Church folk rallied together in this way, and I think it is likely to become an annual service. Next Sunday is Communion Service at the Church. You will be interested in hearing that I have been asked to become an Elder of the Church. This may involve an election, and it is possible I may not be returned because I am not well known among the Church folk. However, if they want me you can be sure I shall be only too happy to take any part I can in the development of the Church's life.

Tonight there is to be held a Minstrel Revue in connection with the Queen Carnival. This will be held in our Social Hall and is being organised by the Y's Men, Residents, etc. The proceeds will of course swell the total towards crowning Kath Lilford as Queen. Mother, I think, will be in to have a look at the show.

I have not much home news to pass on to you, as it is only a week or two since I last wrote. Ruth was out for the weekend. I think she spend practically the whole of the time in bed as she not only had a heavy cold, but was feeling the strain of the heavy work she had been experiencing.

The kiddies are well. Yesterday was Joyce's birthday. She is now sweet 14. I was told last week that I had to provide a cover for her tennis racquet which I think a very modest request and quite in keeping with the times! Of course, we will give her something for her bank account, but she doesn't consider that a present. She thinks that money that is saved is not a present.

Mrs. Harrison is still with us. To be quite frank we are beginning to be a little "fed up" with the rather prolonged stay with us, but of course we are only too glad to help them in their time of difficulty as Harrison has not had too good a time during recent months.

Later: We did not receive a letter this mail, as I had expected. Yet, on second thoughts I do not see just how you could have sent it in view of the fact that you would be crossing Canada about the time the mail left America. In the rush of the Toronto conference you would not have a great deal of time for letter writing.

Tom Laing was good enough to send a postcard from the conference in which he mentioned that the Aussie boys were having a good time, and getting a great deal out of the conference, especially along Fellowship lines. He said that you were busy making contacts to help you later. I am sure you would have a great time meeting the other Australians as the Conference.

We were sorry to learn that Ern. Saunders could not attend and more sorry still to learn that he was to finish up at his Montreal job at the end of August. This will mean another "move on" for him. I hope you kept a list of the folk you met at the Conferences who remembered me overseas, and in America. It would be a great pleasure to receive from you some idea of the folk whom you met.

This letter will reach you just before your College work commences. I understand it is due to arrive in America about the 26th. Allowing several days to cross to Chicago, you should get it just at the time your school work opens up.

From your contacts  with the Springfield boys, you will have gathered quite a lot of information concerning College life and work, and I hope you will put that knowledge to the best possible use.

You will find that it will pay you handsomely to keep in close touch with the men you meet at the Conferences. An occasional postcard or letter will be a valuable means of maintaining connection with them. It is customary for a young fellow to drop a lot of these personal contacts but I urge that you maintain them and keep in frequent touch with the folk by an occasional letter. If you cannot do that, post something to them concerning one or other of the branches of the Chicago Association, reports, printed matter, etc. This helps to keep a closer touch.

Rex told me the other day that the person with whom he was expecting to effect a sale of the amplifier has gone cold on the proposition, so that we are still as far off as ever, as far as disposing of it is concerned. It looks as if in the ultimate we shall have to dismantle it and sell the parts, if we are to get anything out of it at all. Rex is away in the country this week and I have been urging that he should do his best to introduce the amplifier to any folk in the country who may be interested in providing music for dance halls, picture shows, etc.

By the way you will be interested to hear that Williamson, the dentist who lived in the building with us for several years, is leaving for North Western University, Chicago, by this steamer. He will, therefore, be in Chicago about the beginning of October. I have given him a card to yourself so that he may make contact with you shortly after his arrival.

Don't forget to get in close touch with Mr. Norman Weston, Physical Director of the Evanston Y, Chicago. He is a good friend of mine and will help you I am sure. Also Harry White and Laurie Bowen, whose addresses you have. Look them up early.

I must close now. All the folk at home send their love. We hope you will capitalise every opportunity now presented to you. Hard work will bring its own reward.

Yours affectionately,
Dad