The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1880-11-02 00:00:00

ANNUAL MEETING OF THE WORKING

MEN'S CLUB.

This was held on Friday es sing last, when the chair
was taken by the President, G. K and the
following report read by the hon. Secretary, Mr. K B.
Mace, who is highly valu.d :—T. e present balance in our
favour is not so large by £9 11 . 81. It will be seen,
however, on looking at the helm+, shoat, the expenditure
has been found necessary. It • ill be seen too that there
has been a decrease in the number of our members. The
number of our annual members his been 102: quart. rite
member?, 181 ; visiiieg mambo's, 13; t ttel-296. In the
previous year the number Are• Tnere his bet it,
during this yeer, *torah, r lecr.• e .4 honorary solace b re
owing to various c uses; but I e.on.oot clone this report
without expressing our best thanks to ail tlo,e who st:11
continue to assist us. The committee thank those gent'e-
men who still continue to help us by supplying the club
with popes.
The balance-sheet showed that the receip.s. including
• balance of £4B 6.. 541. from Net rear, amounted to
£l5O 9.. 3i.d. The honorary subscriptions were £166. dl ,
annual members 41t.°. £l5 q 'early ditto, £lB 12-.
The b dance at the end of the pre+ent year is 1:38 14.. 91.
s-c-sses of the club, this ler the 17' Anne meetin4 at
The CHAIRMAN einreseed his ele%•ure at the continued
whi.h h+ had preeid .d. L aet y. a- th re seemed to be •
little ebb, or " guider," •. they rall-d it in Weymouth, ,
there were 27 members lose than in the previous
year; but the guider seemed to hare come to an end,
and there ii nuve • p-oeorirt of ruore members for the
winter than 1 'at year. The defflency in the number
of members had e.elaxed a small deficiency in the
1 amount of eilbs.-riptions, and thee was also a deficiency
of honorary subscribers; they had not made any
effort, for some years puot, to ineresse their honorary
subscriptions, for they had felt the time was coming when
they could be independent of such help. Two lodges of
friendly societies met In their room, and the committee
had always striven t make this the headquarters of the
friendly societies of the town; and that those who have
come here shall find within theee wells proper, sujtabl+,
and comfortable headquarter.. 0, the out-going ails
there Is a little Jewesse in the sae; but that is simply
because the rooms here b-en let f. r meetings, and the
cost of the extra gas had been far more than compensated
by the amount for which toe row was It The balance
in hand is £lO less than the previous year; but t is is
at:counted for by extra expenditore ; the inside painting
of the upstairs room costing £lOl5. They were in a new
building, which does nt require much repair no • ; but
as it grows older, the repairs will grow heavier, and that
is why they are putting amide a balm se at the S arias,
Bank. Tide has increased, so that now they hove
£3l 8.. 1111., so a very fair sum is herd for the repairs. The
committee's earnest desire ix to make the library one of
the chief sources of instruction. Sometimes bale are
given wh,ch are unsuitable, and sometimes they were
unfortunate enough to make purchases of books that are
not suitable; these are to be weeded and more suitable
numbs+. made. There was nothing to disturb or dispirit;
the members have got on withoct any disagreement or
want of harmony, and indeed the chief thing in • club
like this is to promote the eorncut and harmony of the
members, and for the member,' to do their best for the
dub. The committee would be glad to sae a larger per
C•••••• of annual members, he aid not think the per
ceettge of annual members is as great as it should he,
compared with the numbers of those who like tickets for
one or two quarters. It WWI • small thing for a member
to make up the difference beteeen his one or two quarters'
and his annual ticket, and the rno-e they could rely upon
their own efforts and exertions, the more sound will be
the position of the club. lie moved the adoption and
printing of the report and balancs-shest.
Mr. Rossztd. seconded, and it wee carried.
Mr. LUCAS proposed a gift of CI to Mrs. Bone, which
was agreed to.
It WWI agreed to take BeGY aroniels during the winter,
and some alterations were mode as to other paper,.
Mr. DOWN.I.I asked would it not be well to Ka Sir
Frederic Johnstone and try to get the ground-rent taken
off
me PRISSIDENT sail they had tried very hard before;
but could not succeed. The best way would be to get •
letter very numerously elened by the member*.
Mr. lisCn reminded the meet,ng that Sir Frederic only
gets £4 19.. out of the £8 ground-rents, for he eves a
guinea subscription.
The PRVIDIZIT saki Sir Frederic was not member for
Weymouth when they tried before to get the ground-rent
off.

—irotes of thanks tl the President and Beastery were
Cordially passed, reference hen g made to Mr, Mace.
no halanos-sheeta It wu said that daring the
Wri°l7:l7me they were on the other side of the water they
never bad a clear halknee-shett

The PRESIDER' alld SBCRZTAIT respmded. Mr. Yeas
remarking of alone he e whi not show such a balance-
sheet if be did not receive the money. and Kr. KUM
hoping they would be equally prosperous next year.