The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1882-10-17 00:00:00

TlTl:sual votes of thanks were passed, when the
roosting was duly cloud by the D.C.R.

PB.I3ENTATION.

A very intereiting variety was made in the business'
on the resumption of the district business alter dinner,
when the brethren re-assembled In the Council
Chamber, . _ _

The District C'ef Ranger, Bro. HOBBS, rose and
.aid: Brothers. I have imposed opn me a duty
which gives me a great deal of pleasure. Some of you
will remember that at the lost October meeting it
was proposed to present our D. 4. with a testimonial as
• recognition for past @eerie.e in connection with the
working of the district. The matter was at once
referred to the District Management Committee, to
which committee Bro. Purchase was app.inted
secretary', and several members of that committee
from Courts 3,112, 3,433, 4720, and 6317, at once
set to work to obtain subscriptions and Instructed the
secretary to isrue collecting books to various c3olts in
the district, the result of which application has been
that nearly £4O was collected. The committee then
declded to wait upon Bro. Hounsell to ask him if there
was anything he would like in particular as a lasting
memento of the esteem and respect of the members
t 'ward. him, when it was decided to present him with
this besntiful silver tea and coffee service, which
service the committee has procured from Phillips,
Bros., London. The weight of the service is 7(1
▪ 104. C.d. per I unce which amounts to F4O 3.. 31, and,
with the Inscriptions, the price is brought up to £4l.
Now it affords
.rhe,. Bro. pourlsell, very much

pitman° on behslf of the sub,cribers who have so
nobly come forward to present you in their names on
their behalf with elegant service, and in sl do-
. _ . .

log I hope you will not relax your efforts in endeavour.
Inc to promote the welfare and prosperity of the
district, and I trust that your life will long be spared
to loccupy the povit'on that you now hold and have
h.dd for many ye ins pant, and whenever you use this
you will remember with pride and satisfaction the
goo I opinion in which you aro held by the members of
he district. lam sure, as far as lam pereomoly con-
cerned, I should never have been able to have dis-
charged the duties of D.C.R. had you not ased.tarl me
very much therein. I lake this opportunity of thank-
ing you for the Panicse y.m have rendered me during
my year of office, which has been a metuorablA year in
the history of Forestry, and a enccerful year
financially to the Weymouth Unitoi District and

otherwise.
The teethnonial wee than inspected by the brethren.
It consims of very handsome solid silver coffeeep,t,
teapot, sugar basin, and cream jug, of elegant pattern,
and Heed with gold. The principal pieces hear the
Inscription .—" Presented to W. C. T. Hennes'',
Werrontb, District A.0.F., so a
token of =teem for paet services. October 10th. IH2"
P. H.C.R. lloustieu, said: Worthy D.C.R. and
brethren, there are times in a man'. life when he can
hardly find word, to express himself, and I feel
somewhat like tit .t just now. When the oubject of
this testim .nisl was suggested a year ago. I had no
Idea that the subserptions would have ;Intro(' in, in
the way they have dose, and that so handsome a
gift would have been presented to me. It Is eleven
years ago since I was elect.' to fill the poet of
secret ,ry to the district. The Weymouth United
District was then not half re large as at prompt, we
had seven courts in our di.trict and about 500
members, this year we have 17 courts and 1,439
members. (Applause.) And I sin very pleased an I
grasifisd to see that not only have we increased In
the number of courts and ef members, but that our
fund. bear a more than proportionate increase. When
I was first elected escretary, the funds were £l5O, but
now the balance sheet shows that we were worth
at its publication £912, and tha., with the £72 paid
In as as the profit of our High Court Demonstration,
brings the fonds of the District up to nearly £l,llOO.
(Applause.) I have always done the work willingly;
I have always endeavoured to do my best fcr the
district. I do not suppose any one can plea=
everybody if be were to try ; but if I felt
there was anythinz wrong that ought to be altered,
I have never flinched from speaking out my
mind, and I Were the members have supported me
In so doing. From you, worthy D.C.R., I have
received every help and assistance ln carrying out the
work of Forestry in general and of our own district In
particular, and I regret that the time is so soon com-
ing when I shall lose your support as D.C.R. I have
never worked with • better D.C.R. than I have found
In yo". Again I beg to thank the members, and I
trust the delegates will carry to their Courts my
expresaions of heartfelt thanks. I trust, as you say,
my life will long be spared to render to the district
any service I can; if there is anything I can do to
advance the Intermits of the district you have only to
command me and I shell be very pleased to fulfil
your wishes. Again I beg to thank you.
Not only has Bro. Houn ell =road the special good
wishes of this district, but he is also entitled to the
hearty thanks of Foresters in the West of England,
for his able Ferformance of the onerous duties of High
Chief Ranger, and doubt's= it WWI this latter considera-
tion which caused the eubscriptions to the testimonial
to amount to so large a sum. Bro. Roussel' has well
deserved the grateful gift.