AN extraordinary meeting of the Somerville Fruitgrowers Horticultural and Agricultural Association will be held on Monday next, at 8 p.m, in the Somerville Hall, to consider the advisability of holding the annual show and other business. Ladies are cordially invited to attend.
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MR James St George Sproule, youngest son of Mrs Sproule, Flinders, and the late Mr James Sproule has obtained a commission in the Royal Field artillery. He was wounded four times in Gallipoli and went to England after diphtheria, where he now is to train.
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ANNIVERSARY services in connection with the Frankston Methodist Church will be held on Tuesday next, when the Rev. R. Bradbury, of Balaclava, will preach at 11 a.m., 3 and 7 p.m. On Monday evening a public meeting will be held in the church, for which a good programme is being arranged. Collections will be taken up at each service in aid of the Trust Funds.
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OWING to legal technicalities, the proposed poll of ratepayers with regard to the granting of powers to the Frankston Gas Company to supply electricity to the Shire of Frankston and Hastings for lighting and power purposes, has been postponed to a date to be fixed. In a future issue a fresh advertisement will appear and we reserve further comment upon the subject until its appearance.
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AT the commencement of the year the Presbyterian body determined to inaugurate regular Sunday services at Frankston, and the Rev. Neil McDonald, who has been stationed at Somerville for some time, was deputed the task.
Considerable success has attended the rev. gentleman’s efforts, and for the last two Sundays good congregations have assembled in the Mechanics’ Hall. For the present these services will be held every Sunday morning, commencing at 11 o’clock.
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SINCE the heavy engagements in which the Australians took part in Gallipoli on August 8, Private Noel Edgeworth Somers has been reported missing. He is the eldest son of Dr Edgworth Somers, of Mornington, and was attached to the 14th Battalion. He is 22 years of age, and was educated at the Royal Naval College, Osborne, Isle of Wight, and at Stonyhurst, England.
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A good house attended at the Frankston Mechanics’ Hall on Tuesday evening, when a good Bioscope Show was screened by Rankin’s Picture Co.
The pictures were good and very plain and distinct. During the evening several young girls did a profitable trade by selling baskets of home-made lollies.
The entertainment was promoted by the Local Branch of the Red Cross Society, and the funds wll be benefited to the extent of £10 or over
Dr Maxwell spoke on the good work done by the Society, and the necessity of not growing cold and lax in continuing the same, as long as the war lasted.
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ON Saturday evening next the members of the Mornington Amateur Dramatic Club will give an entertainment in the Somerville Mechanics’ Hall in aid of the Red Cross Society.
The programme will consist of 3 one act Comediettas, “ Snowed up with a Duchess,” “The Kleptomaniac,” and “Their New Paying Guest.”
The members of the Club playing in this entertainment are all young ladies of Mornington.
The plays are spoken of as being most amusing and apart from the patriotic purpose that the funds are to be devoted to, should ensure a full house.
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THE bazaar held during the Xmas holidays in the Mechanics’ Hall, Frankston, in aid of the local Catholic Church was highly successful.
The ladies of the congregation had got together a large number of articles, both useful and ornamental, and the stall-holders and their assistants were kept busy disposing of these to their patrons, and by the time of closing on New Year’s night, the stalls were pretty well empty.
As secretary, Miss J. Hogan did a large amount of work, and the success of the function, in a great measure, was due to this young lady’s efforts. After all expenses are met there will be a considerable balance left to go towards the church funds.
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OLD patrons of the Frankston Sports were pleased to see that Captain Sherlock was so far recovered from his serious accident as to be present at the sports for a while and renew acquaintances. He was the recipient of many hand shakes and congratulations.
Mr R. T. Pickieg, who has left the district, was also welcomed back and gladly given a place on the committee, where he worked as energetically as ever. Mr W. Pettit, a former secretary of the club, again paid the old spot a visit, and was welcomed by many old friends.
Mr F. Jolly, though not a competitor this year, travelled from Queensland, and spent the Xmas holiday quietly with his parents in Frankston. He mentioned to us previous to his leaving on his return, that he would in all probability be with us again in time for the 1917 sports, and if all went well, would take a part in some of the athletic events, at which he is no mean expert.
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MR G. W. Reed, who has been State School teacher at Somerville for the last 8 or 9 years, has been transferred to a school in the Ballarat district. His going will be very severely felt by the residents, as both Mrs Reed and himself have made themselves very popular during their stay in the district. In musical circles Mr Reed took a prominent part, and the concerts of his pupils, organised by himself, will long be remembered as special treats. Mr Reed also took a lively interest in the various organizations of the town, being president of the Fruitgrowers’ Association for the current year and also chairman of the Mechanics’ Institute committee, and was very energetic in all movements connected with the recruiting campaign.
It is much to he regretted that a few days before leaving he met with the great misfortune of having his house and furniture destroyed by fire. The family were away from home on the evening of the occurrence and before anything could be done towards extinguishing the flames, the fire had gained such a hold that every thing was destroyed, nothing being saved but what they were then wearing. The cause of the fire is unknown.
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WE again call attention to an advertisement in another column stating that steps are being taken in the Shire in response to the Federal Recruiting Appeal. A local committee has been formed consisting of all the Shire Councillors, with the president, Cr Griffeth, as chairman, and the Shire Secretary, Mr J. E. Jones, as hon. sec. All communications should be addressed to the Shire Recruiting Committee, Somerville.
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From the pages of the Mornington Standard, 15 January, 1916