LEAGUE SECRETARY'S NOTES.
135
TO OUR NEW MEMBERS.
It is always a pleasure in each quarterly number
of The Ypres Times to write a short letter of
welcome to our new members who have joined
the League from all parts of the world. It is
also most gratifying to know that a very consider
able number of members (who have unavoidably
allowed their subscriptions to lapse) have rejoined
to give their valuable assistance to the work of
making the objects óf the League more widely
known.
We look to you to help us in every way you are
able, and more- particularly in recruiting new
members.
Much useful publicity has been given to our
cause during the past year by the individual
initiative of members, who have approached their
local Press. The editors have been kind enough
to insert, free of charge, notices of our pilgrimages
to the battlefields, particulars of which you will
read in The Ypres Times and in the Old Com
rades' column in the Sunday 'papers, notably
The News of the World, The Referee and The People.
So if any of you should be successful in obtaining
free advertisement, please send a cutting of the
notice to headquarters, because we like to place
on record the activities of our members. At the
same time it gives us an opportunity of thanking
them for their valuable work.
The Ypres Times publishes the names of places
where branches of the League have been formed.
We are most anxious to extend these branches,
and we rely on you to inform us should you
consider there is sufficient enthusiasm in your
district to warrant the inauguration of a branch.
We are always pleased to correspond with any
one whom you may be kind enough to suggest in
the event of your finding it impossible to undertake
the organisation of the branch yourselves.
Let us hope that 1927 will prove a more satis
factory year to us all than the year now expiring,
and that our work will no longer be hampered by
trade depression and strikes.
We shall be most grateful for any help you are
able to render, no matter how small, and we
heartily wish you all good luck and prosperity
in the coming year.
TO BRANCH SECRETARIES AND
CORRESPONDING MEMBERS.
Before passing under review the events of the
year which has just closed, let me wish you all a
very happy and prosperous New Year. And
to my greetings I would add my grateful thanks
for the energy and activity which have been dis
played generally among you. Your endeavours
have been marked by a sincerity and perseverance
which could have had but one resultthat of
achievementand the achievement has been on
no small scale when considered in bulk.
Our thanks are due to alland especially to
Captain J. Wilkinson (Sheffield) for his loyal sup
port and continued interest in the League to
Lieut.-Colonel G. T. Henderson (Kenya) for the
immense interest he has created in the League in
his district, and for his fine recruiting work to
Mrs. Briggs (Harrogate) for her indefatigable
labours, which have been the means of gaining
us many new Junior members from New College
(Harrogate), where she gave a lecture on Ypres
and the Ypres League to Mrs. Lindesay-Kelsall
(Melrose) for her enthusiastic support and skilful
propaganda to Captain P. W. Burgess (Madrid),
one of the League's keenest workers, for the num
ber of new members which stand to his credit and
the entertainments which he has organisedto
Mr. E. M. Channing-Renton (hon. SpecialCom
missioner, Marseilles) for his energetic recruiting
efforts, as also for his interesting contributions to
The Ypres Times, and to Captain J. A. C. Scott,
M.C. (Gateshead), who started his branch in the
most depressing circumstances in the summer and,
thanks to his zeal and tenacity, it) is now in a
flourishing condition.
The London County Committee, a strong arm
of the League, who do so much to promote the
spirit of comradeship among its members, have
held many re-unions and a most successful smoking
concert, a report of which will be found on page
140. We are pleased to have this opportunity
to place on record our grateful thanks for the
splendid work they accomplish.
The Ypres League Appeal Committee started its
active campaign in the autumn, and has organised
the sale of its new song, Tramping Along," in
many cinemas throughout the country. The pro
ceeds will be devoted to taking poor pilgrims to
visit the graves of their relatives in the Salient.
We were able to take a party last summer, and
it is hoped to repeat this charitable work on a
larger scale this year.
Despite the anxieties and worries arising out of
the strikes, with their consequent effect on all classes
of the community, we were able, thanks to the
steady support of our members and friends, to
carry on. Although the pilgrimage at Whitsun
tide had to be abandoned, the Easter and August
Bank Holiday pilgrimages took place as usual,
and were a great success, the numbers in each
case being well over a hundred. Our travel area
now embraces the Somme battlefields, and a suc
cessful party was organised for the unveiling
ceremony of the South African war memorial at
Delville Wood on October the 10th, an account of
which appears on page 126. In connection with
this subject of travel, I should like to mention
the debt of gratitude which we owe to our repre
sentatives at Ypres and AmiensCaptain P. D.
Parminter and Captain Stuart Oswald, M.C.
whose valuable help contributes in no small
measure to the success of our pilgrimages and
travel bureau generally.
