The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-06-10 00:00:00

ANNUM'. MEETING OF THE STE WPONEY CLUB

ALLOIDIENT SOCIETY.

The annual gathering of the club took place on Tues-
day last, at the Foley Arms Hotel. About nine o'clock
the Brierley Hill Band arrived and shortly after pro-
ceeded to Kinver Church, a few of the members follow-
ing which continued to increase as they went on the
road. On arriving at the church a good number were
present. An excellent sermon was deLvered by the
Rev, R. Fletcher, vicar of the Lye. The members then
reformed themselves and marched back to the Hotel
and they afterwards held their meeting on the green.
On the motion of the Rev. R. P. Turner, seconded by
C. Noel, Esq., H J. W. H. Foley, Esq., was voted to
the chair and read the following report :

THIRTY•FOURTH REP I.IT OF THE S EWPONEY BECHER.
CLUB.

Dalin the past ye r ninet?,en male members, an,/ one
female member have entered the cub. Eight male
members have been erased for non-payment. There
have been two deaths.
The number of benefit members in the club is now
94, (being an increase of ten since last year), namely,
259 males and 35 females, which, with 35 honorary
members makes a general total of 329.
Among the benefit n.embers thirty-one have received
si, k pay. The payments for sickness amounted to £7O
7s, anti the money received from the members on this
account has been £l6O 9s 21. The balance in hand on
the s'ck fund amounts to £1,032 7s 90.

The balance in baud on account of the burial fund is
£726 7s Bfil.
Nine members have received from the annuity fund
£7l ; the balance in hand on that fund amounts to
£3,281 tis

The expenses of the auxiliary fund have been £52 183
Id, leaving a balance due to the clerk of £7 4s 51d.
The balance in Iland on the benefit fund account is
£6 634 14381.

The interest :ast year amounted to £222 us id, and
the total balance on the interest account from the com-
mencement of the club is now £1,604 121 60.
The number of annuitants fa one more than in 1874.

The trustees regret the merely nominal increase in
the number of female members, but the members will
observe that the falling off last year in the male con-
tingent has been more than recovered; there being an
increase of tan in.tead of a decrease of six. The
trustees also regret that the auxiliary fund has been
unable to meet the demands upon it. If necessary this
must be rectified from the benefit fund, at or before the
next quinquennial division.
Under all other heads this report shows an increase,
and is of a perfectly satisfactory character. It will be
specially noticed that the sick fund payments are not
much above half what they were last year.
The balance in hand continubs to increase, ana has
now reached £6,634 14, Bd.

The committee have not yet taken any step in pur-
tin ince of the Friendly Societies' Act, but from Mr.
Taylor's repri upon this Act, they are of opinion that
they are now acting within its provkions.
A letter from Mr. Bailey is sitij )ined referring to
sorae remarks in the Friendly Societies' Report on Mr.
Fifths m's tables.

The trustees on the whole think the members miy
remain satisfied with the present state of things.
The above repnt was drawn up by our late president
and co-trustee, Lord Lyttelton ; and is believed to be
one of the latest acts of his useful lifs. The surviving
trustees cannot but think that the members of the
society would desire to express their grateful sense of
the many and unceasing valuable services rendered by
him to the society from its commencement. They
would also with to convey to Lord Lyttelton and Lady
Lyttelton, together with the members of the family,
their deep sympathy with them under the irreparable
loss they have sustained.
The supplementary r3port, brought down to the time
of the meeting, showed the number of members had
further increased to £299 and the funds to .£6,838 lis
11d.

The report was adopted on the motion of the Rev. SW
J. Heale, seconded by Mr. G. Osborne.
The Rev. R. P. Turner moved that the society forward
to Lord and Lai)? Lyttelton copies of the rep irt, and
assure, them that the members of the club thoroughly
endorsed the reference in the last part of the report to
the late Lord Lyttelton, who was the president, patron,
and one of the trustees of the club.
Mr.s'ityder seJoncled the • motion, which was carried
uuanimouly..
On the motion of the Ref. J. Hodgson, seconded by
Mr. Webb, Lord Lyttelton was elected presidant and a
trustee of the club in the room of his fat'ier.. The
executive, of the club was next 'Elected. '

TIfiRTT FIRAT REPORT OF THE. TRUATEF,S OP Tlig

STENVPpNEY AsSOCIATI9N.
. • • „ . • . , • ..
titi,teei! to report that last yesr the land
has be'rti •Underlet to 582 tenants, at a profit of .IBV
7}ll, which wlth. 8!1.Id intere.st from the Saying,' Batik,
4s:' County c9gct ,fecs, makes a.total of £9O 16s
net: eipepsea hayelieen £lll fsi 113, showing a loss
on the: year of. 1:2:1,1C.S '.2A. Tn surplus of last year
was 0,1, this stun ileducted from £23 192 J,
leavegin`defiCieUey on ihe_yJiir's tvcount of £ll 18. 70.
Sine the ace in it was in iie up the stun of £2l tis
-Id ho been received, reducing the fitual arrears to
£4l lie 103.

1 'rho arrears to a few of the distrie', are hither than,
to 1871. The :igent :toes not anticipat, any ditli,nl yiu
obt tilling the greater part of those due. ,
A very great .ncrease will hi ooserytid in the item" '
'• Repairs of Feuc,s," which last year aortuitte t to
£35 12,4 11d, ag 'last 1',21 I;, lid in -It=7l- Tit's large
liter-ass his arisen from the necessit; :n. new feucieg
at the Lye, amounting to .1:.•21-1s Y. 1., This is an extra
expend' Aire, whica will not again occur for some years
'rile .rits'e a hay : to- latoent toe recent :teeth of Lord
f.yttelton, who has been the president and a trustee of
toe society from its emeinencement, ”.111 whose active
icterest and personal aasistance in the. in inagement of
its ittriir,, render hi: lo.: such its they can hatlly hope
ever to see rer:laced.
We regret that the accounts for 1873. show a deficiency
of .. reclipts :IF compared with the payments made.
It . , ...ay be a till uted, oa the one h Ind, to a reduction
it. tl.a numblr of-i.rres now rented by the society, us
compared v.-itil form ,r years, and an unusually large
amoutit exycnded in fencing.
Before- the expiration of the current ye ir, some steps
must be taken to bring the expenditure and receipts into
a more satisfactory relation to each other. ,
On the motion of Mr. C. P. Noel, seconded
by the Rev • W. .1.- Reale, Lord LYttelton was elected
president of the society in the place of his father.
The Chairman next proceeded to distribute the prizes,
which Were for the best cultivated allotments for the year
1875, end consisted of 'bibles, testaments, and forks.
The members then sat down to dinner in a large tent
on the green, the chair being occupied by Mr. Foley.
After dinner the Chairman said it was not customary
to have many toasts on an • occasion like that, but they
were bound as Englishmen to drink the health of the
Queen. •
..
I The health of the Prince and Princess of Wales and
the rest of the Royal Family was drunk.
The health of the Bishop and Clergy of the diocese
of Worcestir and Lichfield was given and. responded to
by the .Revils. 11. Fletcher and J. Hodgson. .
Mr. Turner propO,e 1 • success to the " Beeher Club ".
and in doing- so-teferred at considerable length to the
advantages to be derived by persons joining this club to.
any other, and the great support it had received from
the .late Mr. Foley and the late .Lord:Lytteltont who
.Were . in fact the founders of the - club—(cheers). nc
was very pleased- Lord Lyttelton-was fitting up- the'otlicea-
of his father as . president '-anti trustee, and hoped he
',would live long to be amongst theni-clie.ers).. ~.
... .
tsi: The next- tesiiv-tvai theheelth 6f the
,Chnirman.
~. The health 'of the \'`lsitorit 49,4,responded to by the
ataste. -Mr. Buckmore. -----,-- •
4.,..mr,. -,j.,,Tpyjnr, the secretary then gave a lengthy]
account of .the position mad workings..uf the Cnd
..Mr...Fialasoir's titbits. ~ ', •
- The meeting then broke up.
• ---------------------lub and
Mr -1
.:. ;The weather being all that
.pleasure seekers could
of ,t-,i'e Stewponey Antis Hotel,.
.4vish,..they took. ttdvantage of ikaud thousands. -found- -
:she spocts. were in: -a field adjoining the
their-way to the grounds
grounds and
,consiated of every amuseineut that attend those places
of resort, and-appeared to have done 'a -very 'good imade, :
*specialty in the cocoaqint department; swinging boats,
..and..ahoothig' 'al/eri4, and there could not have been-
less,tban 7,60 Q persOus present. The Prestwood gardens
.were. Madly thrown, openby Mr. Foley, and persons ob-
tained Permission by ticket and a' good number. availed
, themtelvts of the opportunity.- The females of the
Club partook of tea and seemed heartily to enjoy them-
selves.