Charter Dinner 1939
To celebrate the occasion of our charter, a grand dinner was held at the Centennial Restaurant at The Exhibition in Rongotai with 73 guests. The Mayor and Mayoress, Mr E.P. Hay and Mrs Hay, and Mrs Peter Fraser were among the guests.
The multiple course dinner included Clear Soup, Fillet of Sole a la Royale, Roast Turkey and Cranberry sauce, Potatoes and Green Peas, Iced Peaches, Pineapple Flummery, Fruit Salad and Ice cream, Salted Almonds and Muscatels and coffee.
During the function the founder and President, Miss Kathleen Moore, was presented with a gavel of New Zealand honeysuckle wood with a silver inscription plate. It is still in use today! It was reported in the Evening Post the ‘tables were a delight to behold’, with decorations of yellow roses, blue cornflowers, delphiniums, and irises in the club colours of gold and blue. Golden roses were worn by all the women. The floral work was completed by one of the founder members, local florist, Miss E. Black.
Membership of the club was on a classification basis, and restricted each club to one member eminent in her own trade or calling. Wearing the Soroptimist badge indicated the wearer as an expert at the peak of her profession and trade. Occupations of some of the Club members who later joined were, a hospital matron, broadcasting administrator, gas industry lecturer, chiropodist, pianoforte teacher, an income tax expert, a subeditor, head teacher, dispensing chemist, guest house owner, harpist, surgeon dentist, ladies outfitter, teacher of voice production, milliner, an interior decorator and a frock designer.
In 1940, one of the first gifts from the Club was the presentation (in London) by Mrs H.D. Williams (President of Federated Soroptimist International Clubs of Great Britain and Ireland) of four ambulances to the War Office. These were presented on behalf of members in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada to be used for field service. In London at the time it was reported, aviator, Miss Jean Batten had been helping with the Soroptimist appeal to raise funds for the ambulances.
Meetings of the Club consist to this day of a business segment and once completed, an evening meal is served with a guest as speaker.
The multiple course dinner included Clear Soup, Fillet of Sole a la Royale, Roast Turkey and Cranberry sauce, Potatoes and Green Peas, Iced Peaches, Pineapple Flummery, Fruit Salad and Ice cream, Salted Almonds and Muscatels and coffee.
During the function the founder and President, Miss Kathleen Moore, was presented with a gavel of New Zealand honeysuckle wood with a silver inscription plate. It is still in use today! It was reported in the Evening Post the ‘tables were a delight to behold’, with decorations of yellow roses, blue cornflowers, delphiniums, and irises in the club colours of gold and blue. Golden roses were worn by all the women. The floral work was completed by one of the founder members, local florist, Miss E. Black.
Membership of the club was on a classification basis, and restricted each club to one member eminent in her own trade or calling. Wearing the Soroptimist badge indicated the wearer as an expert at the peak of her profession and trade. Occupations of some of the Club members who later joined were, a hospital matron, broadcasting administrator, gas industry lecturer, chiropodist, pianoforte teacher, an income tax expert, a subeditor, head teacher, dispensing chemist, guest house owner, harpist, surgeon dentist, ladies outfitter, teacher of voice production, milliner, an interior decorator and a frock designer.
In 1940, one of the first gifts from the Club was the presentation (in London) by Mrs H.D. Williams (President of Federated Soroptimist International Clubs of Great Britain and Ireland) of four ambulances to the War Office. These were presented on behalf of members in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada to be used for field service. In London at the time it was reported, aviator, Miss Jean Batten had been helping with the Soroptimist appeal to raise funds for the ambulances.
Meetings of the Club consist to this day of a business segment and once completed, an evening meal is served with a guest as speaker.
