The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1878-10-29 00:00:00

WORKING YEWS CLUB.

The annual assistant a this club was held in the .Minroom, on Friday evening last. President, Mr. G. Eliot,
suppxted bi Hr. Jam* Robertson and Kr. W. T. Hallett,
with Mr. E. B. hon. s-cretary, and &goodly number
of members, ..ms of whom attended to the business in •
free-and-easy way, smoking oi re aline pagers at the time
it was going on, this freedom and ease being, we believe,
in accordant* with the wishes oi Hr. H Edwards,
Donor of the club-house.
. . . _ . . .

Oath. call of the chairman, Mr. Mug read the following
report:—" In premuting t'iis report, with the accompanying
statement of account., for the past year, ending September
11), 1878, I have much pteasure in announcing • large
litereem of funds, also an Increase of members both
quarterly and annual. The numbs., of yearly members
his been 1011. quarterly members Ha visiting member*,
makeing • total for the year of 496, against ISS of the
previous year. Tb. two winter quarter, Were very well
attended. Your ewlll-Wittle desire Me to tender their
thank, to three gentlemen who still continue to furnish
the dub with the Deily rideprepa, Graphic, and Shipping
Oestifte, also for various books &nil local pews. Thereto still
a Ersdual falling•olf of honorary subscriber.; but I cannot
allow thin meeting to pus without thanking those gentle•
men for their kind support. You will please notice that
the committee have this yeer added to the library •
complete net of Yr. Cherie. Dickens's works, and hone
during the winter to further increase the brinks in the
library, by adding several new volumes. This report
should not be closed without reference being made to one
very succesful work brought about through the asency of
the club during the past year. The Dorset Industrial
I:Whitson, so warmly token up by the county, eri largely
supplied by visitors, and no successfully raided out
financially, was originated in the committee room last
year, and various members of our club were mainly
instAinental in bringing about its ettooms.--October, INS
—ZDWARD a MACS, hoc secretary.
Statement of account summarised:—

Itscums. I. d.
8.14.0c4 brought forward 1 Og
Honorary subscriptions ... 19 1
Members' subscriptions 39 1 1
Vusi Peace .
of Tab/sand paper 4
Year's biro of room oy "Excelsior" Oddfellows 5
Dinging classes, hire of room
Divine wavier hire of room ... ... 13 1
bir. 0/room. 11
Dorset Industrial Exhibition ... 5

131 Id 61
RIPVCDROILL d.
Sir Frederic Johnetone or coiled rent. Imes
laud tax . 51s _
8

ciUl ::: 7-3
Charles Dickens's works ... 3 7
Poorrit. .41
Laoc Board raie. 512
E.ar sad periodicals (Tucker) . 814
P•ri• and periodicals 4 8
Y.r."(111 ;47ndrintin4 • •
4 15
J. Rolls custodian,ngesiUs. * :• 8
Inuirasioe, bagatelle primes, (detailed in • 610
belanc. skeet)
E 4
Cub in Sarin Bank az 13.. ; Cub in 40 10 8

131 16 61
It will thus be seen that the balance in hand has nearly
doubled during the past year.
The Ctutwaik had jut been reminded by a gentleman
who had been connected with the club from Ito earliest
days, that the balance sheet presents • very different
appearance now from the sheets produced to the members
in the original room in High-ureet It was • subject of
satisfaction that their financial position bad gradually
improved. For some years put they had been looking
forward to • balance in band; the corner had now been
turned, and since they bad • balance in band it had
Increased. This proved Out the principles on which the
club was established, the management of the committest
the harmonious feeling amongst the members, and
also the financial thecoo--sll proved—that the lines
on which the club woo conducted 'have hitherto been
right ones. The honorary subscriptions are falling off;
but they ought not to grieve at that ; for some time past
they had not been asking for honorary subscriptions, thou
which remained were those of old friends who had helped
them, and am these dropped off, others were not asked for.
But as long as the subscriptions of the members incrust*,
they should not mind the diminution of the honorary
members for its self-support allows the healthiness of the
club. They were still able to let their rooms, and thie TOO
a considerable source of income; the bagatelle table in
which they had invested /Al, had turned out • financial
success, for the sum received for using it was more than
the interest would have been from the same sum in the
Savings' Bank. The gas bill had been heavy, the reason
being that the committees had sat here for the Industrial
Exhibition, and used a greet deal of pa ; but they had
more than paid for it by the very handsotne subacriptiou
they gave to the club. When the bazaar was held here, •
considerable quantity of gas was burnt ; but that was also
reimburse-1. The other items were about the same and he
suppo ed would continue so, showing that by careful
management the club would continue to be stccessful.
The purchase of 18 volumes of Charles Dickens's works
had been by no means expensive, and the committee have
in view the purchase of • new set of Sir Walter Scott's
novels, at a second hand price, so that with all Dickens's
and all Sir Walter Scott's novels, they would be very well
set up with the best light literature in the English
la It had been suggested other books should tie
added the library, and they intended Ito look it over
hod weed out WM& Friends had given books not quite
tdapted to the club's wants, they werelmuch obliged to
hem; but the book. were not u•sd,,,,iso the
oommittes thought of selling them, and making
some addition to the library in that way. The library is
now pretty full, and the book-case it I. proposed to extend
for the committee think it wise to keep the club very well
supplied with good and useful books, and such as are
appreciated. It must he remembered also the club is no.
landlord of its own property; they entered this property
as • new building, sal it was remarkably well built, so
that he did not think there had been a leak since they
came in. But they must won spend some money on the
outside, and in painting upstsirs, and would do it as
cheaply and well as possible Another matter he men-
tioned was • lade in this town Is very &oldeus to start •
French class. Her evenings are disengaged during the
winter, and if • sufficient number of men will form •
claw, she will devote one or two evenings a week to
teaching. She is an excellent French echolar, and had
been used to teaching, and will do so, if enough join the
class at 61. per lemon per member, very reale:maids terms.
The awfulness of learning French comes still more before
our mind now we are indirect communication with France,
arid the value of it was proved by the fart that one num-
bey of the club who bad made • hobby of studying
French, had got • good berth and earned very good wages
simply on account of Lis knowledge of the language. The
report also mentioned the Dorset Industrial Exhibition—
it was a great gratification that the exhibition which
origiaated In the club, hail been so thoroughly
successful. He hoped, and had no doubt, there will
be an exhibition held in another part of the county
another year, and wLb ea much success as ours.
We ought not to forget the generous offer of Kr.
Edwards, r it, to enable members of this club, or exhi-
bitors at that exhibition, to go to Paris. The offer cause
rather late in the day, and nobody was able to avail him-
self of It; but it should not be forgotten. Another matter
spokes of at the exhibition wee important, although the
time had not yet quite arrived for it to be carried out. Er.
Albert Buttes suggested that something might be done
toward* an amalgamation of the clubs throughout the
county, so that if • member went from here to D *cheater
for work, some arraneement might be made whereby he
might present his ticket to the club there and be
admitted, and if Dorchester, or Blandford, or Shaftesbury
men COMO t.) Wey 13.1.1 al, they might have the same admix.
tug. it might also be arranged for the different club' to
associate in order to have • good entertainment each, and
divide the expenses. It *a* very expensive to get • good
entertainer down from Lmidon for one club', but If •
number combined the expenses might perhaps be halved,
In conclusion the chairman remarked—Of coulee the
backbone of the club is the number of member,; but
almost OS important is their harmony with each other.
So long sews have *good number of members and manage
to rub along pleasantly togrther, nothing need interfere
with the club's success. He proposed the faience sheet
sad rtheipt be received sod adopted.
Seconded by Mr. DORT and curled,
Mr. Dessau, moved an alteration of the 3rd rule, that
there might lee nitro ordinary members of committee
instead of six, as the honorary members generally do not
attend committee meetings, wishing to lea., the members
to manage their own affairs.
Yr. Limas seconded, and it was agreed to.
Mr. DOTZT proposed that the honorary members be not
re-elemed yearly, bat remain permanently elected.
111 r. &Mani escionded, and this was also carried.
The Ciathmax mad an alition for the loan of the
large ream, fur a quadrille class, He stated the applica-
tion was made by three must rupectable young men, and
the class would be kept select.
Mr. Loco, the bon sec., and others, pointed out that
the large room is not adapted to have all-round dancing;
and the members below would not be stole to reed.
The application was refused.
Kr. LOW would like to have some prizes offered for
bseatialle, chus, and drauehte this winter, the bagatelle
prises having answered well
Ibis was agreed to, the amount being left to the com-
ml.l46:

ii;: W. T. lIALLICIT mowed a vote of thanks to the hon.
see, and that imbe asked to remain in office another year
Carried.
Kr. Macs, in 'amending, consented to remain in odic,.
lir. Dona ',mowed a Tote of thanks to the chairman
and, on Mx. RIMILL emending. it WU carried, and Kr.
zwrr nappmiedged the compliment, and Ike meeting
clawed.