NBWTA Report 1903-077
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148 149 County Unions, those Sunday School Superintendents who would make use of it. I hope later in the year to suggest that a gathering of Sunday School teachers be held in each town or county under the auspices of the County Union, when the matter and need of Temperance teaching can be laid before them. BEATRICE McDoNALD. work daily at the White Ribbon Settlement. The Branch also took the initiative in holding a public meeting and forming a large general committee for Social Institutes, and the work is very successful so far as it has been established. The Branch Superintendent is on the General City Committee. Moseley and King’s Heath (Birmingham), Workington, Shipley, Southport, Aspley Guise, New Brompton (Kent), Doncaster, Winsford (Cheshire), Wellingborough, Caversham and Horsforth have Saturday evening popular concerts. Newport (Mon- mouthshire), Crook, Streatham and Balham, Basford and Hyson SOCIAL INSTITUTES Superintendent: Mrs. Green, Saffron Walden, Blackfriars Road, Tunbridge Wells, Wimbledon, DEPARTMENT. Tom MIrcHELL. This is the second report of this department of work, which was created in 1901 with the object of bringing before the Branches the paramount necessity of their doing practical work to reduce the temptations to drink, and consequently to reduce drunkenness, by providing places of resort for the people which shall prove to be effectual and attractive counter-attractions to the public-house. This would seem to be the logical course for temperance people to take who are always longing to see, and working for, the reduction of licences, and who realize the necessity there seems to be for the public-house, while at the same time deprecating the sale of intoxicating liquors which is found there. This department urges all temperance people to take steps to demonstrate this to those who would accuse us of being only a great negative force. As Superintendent of this Department, I issued my second letter of appeal and suggestion in December, 1902, and had 1,000 copies printed and circulated. I took great pains to make it helpful in suggestion and attractive in appearance, hoping thus to secure its escape from the fate that awaits appeals generally. There was posted to each of the 835 branches a copy of the White Ribbon Bow Letter, together with more detailed accounts of ways and means issued by the Social Institutes Union and the Scottish Social Institutes Union. Before the 1903 Annual Council Meetings a list of printed questions was sent to each of the 835 branches, with the result that 236 branches sent replies. To the first question, ‘‘Has your Branch adopted the Social Institutes department of work?” four branches replied in the affirma- tive, and these are Chesterfield, Idle, Hoylake, and Bradford City. To the second question, ‘‘ Is your Branch doing anything to provide a counter-attraction to the public-house ?” forty-seven Branches replied in the affirmative. Chesterfield reported Saturday evening popular concerts. Idle provides refreshments in the cricket field every Saturday during summer as a counter-attraction to the drink tent, which has ruined many during the past twenty years. Hoylake has regular meetings on Saturday evenings of a popular character. Bradford City rents a cottage in one of the worst slums of the city, which is always open, and employs a White Ribbon Sister, who works amongst both girls and women, and visits a great deal. British Women and Langley Hill report that they help existing organizations. Wirks- worth reports that members have a room for youths, with games, papers, &c., and others supply cheap jugs of tea in the Market Place to prevent stall-holders from buying beer. Heswall Y’s are raising money to build a Working Men’s Institute. Lewes has a Working Men’s Institute, where games and refreshments are provided. Walmer and Deal report that their President has a most successful Institute for men with Billiard and Reading Rooms. Ashton-under-Lyne has a successful Girls’ Club in a cottage the Branch rents in a slum, where ladies attend every evening, and a service is held on Sunday. It is answering splendidly, and giving the girls a cheerful place in which to spend their time, instead of in the streets. Buxton has a British Men’s and British Lads’ Club, also Coffee Room, which should be included in another Superintendent’s report. | Manchester and Salford report that they have a Men’s Club, Boys’ Club and Girls’ Club. Bury has a Girls’ Club. Bingley is working hard for a large bazaar to raise funds to provide a suitable room for a Social Institute. Nuneaton Y’s have a very successful Girls’ Club in a neighbourhood where it is quite usual for girls to frequent public-houses. Ledbury had a tea tent at the Agri- cultural Show. Ealing Y’s have a refreshment tent on Bank Holidays. Felixstowe has a tea tent ina much-frequented picnic place. Felton has three temperance tea rooms. Tottenham is building a large tem- perance rest and institute near several newly-erected factories. Ilkley Y’s have a girls’ club, and had a stall at a bazaar for P.S.A. Hall, which is really a social institute. Tulse Hill (West Norwood) has fortnightly meetings and entertainments for the people, and a goose club of five hundred members. Paddington and St. John’s Wood have social and goose clubs. Pickering, in union with the Men’s Temperance Society, has opened a reading and recreation room for young men. Aberdare does much social work through a Bible reader who devotes five days a week to temperance social work. Harrogate reports that many of its members work on a social institute committee. I have also received reports of work at fairs and hirings from eight branches ; and work in connection with coffee houses and coffee carts by seven branches, but as departments of work exist for these I must not report on them. To the third question :—‘‘If so, is it as a result of the appeal I have sent ?” three branches replied that their work was a direct result of the appeal, these being Newcastle (Westgate Road), Bingley, and |