BAND OF HOPE-The United Band of Hope held their first meeting on Thursday, February 6th, under the management of Messrs. T. and C. Freeman. The Hall was well filled. Some short and and interesting addresses were delivered by various members of the Temperance Society, after which the following programme was gone through in very good style:— Recitation, Mr. J. Sargent; song, "Mother kiss me," Mr. D. Crick; reading, "Smoking Chimney," Mr. W. Clark; dialogue, "The Fuddling Wife, and how she raised the wind," Messrs. B. Vorley, J. Knight, and Misses E. Vorley, E. Crick, and M. A. Bull.

WESLEYAN BAND OF HOPE—On Monday last, an entertainment was given in the Temperance Hall in aid of the Wesleyan Band of Hope. The Rev T Bromage presided. The following programme was well executed:—Hymn, "Guide us to Thee," Company; quartet, "Moonlight on the Lake," Misses Fuller, Messrs. J. Mackness and J. Farey; recitation, "Two armies," Mr. J. T. Mackness; song, "Liberty," Mr. J. Farey; duet, "Father bring home your money to-night," the Misses Wrighton; recitation, "A scene in human life," Miss Bull; song, "Toilers in the mine," Mr. J. Mackness; dialogue, "A change of fortune," the Misses. Bull, D. Wrighton, Messrs. Vorley and Wrighton; glee, "Sons of England," Company; song, "Vicar of Bray," Mr. J. Farey; duet, "The old armchair" (encored), the Misses Fuller; quartet, "Wandering through the city," the Misses Wrighton, Messrs. G. Bull and J. Mackness; recitation, "Black beer v. Brown Stout," Mr. B. Vorley; song "I marry no man if he drinks" (encored), Miss Wrighton; dialogue, "Saturday night," performed by nine characters.

On Monday afternoon the village was paraded by the Band of Hope, headed by the Temperance Brass Band, in their new uniform. Numerous flags, banners, &c., enlivened the procession, which halted at intervals for the band to play and the children to sing selections of music. The band was conducted by Mr. Skinner, and the singing by Mr. Farey. After the procession tea was provided in the Temperance Hall, which was twice filled with the members of the Band of Hope, and twice afterwards by the public. In the evening a public meeting was held in the same place, which was crowded to hear a lecture from Mr. Inwards, subject, "Forty years of my experience as a temperance lecturer," with amusing anecdotes. The lecturer was greeted with frequent rounds of applause. The Rev. J. T. Barker presided.

Entertainment—On Tuesday evening a temperance entertainment was given by the Band of Hope, in the Temperance Hall, to a good audience. The following is the programme: Part song, "The Temperance Trumpet," Company; song Mr. W. Packwood; recitation, "A childs inquiry," Miss E Clark; song, "The old Sexton," Mr. Elliott; quartet "All Well," Miss Wrighton, Mrs. White, Messrs. Mackness and Skinner (encored); part song, "Round the Spring," Company; recitation, "Intemperance," Mr. B. Vorley; dialogue, "Tit for tat," part one; song, "Beautiful Star of the Evening," Miss Wrighton; dialogue, "Tit for tat," part two; part song, "Dear Fatherland," Company; duet,"What are the wild waves saying," Miss Wrighton and Mr. Mackness; recitation, "The Drunkard's Wife," Miss Bull; song, Mr. Skinner; part song, "See our ranks," Company; song, Mr. W. Packwood; dialogue, "Lawyer Chargum's clients," seven characters.

OLD BAPTIST BAND OF HOPE— The members of the above Society held their annual treat on Monday. Tea was first provided, for about 140 children, and afterwards a party of senior members and friends sat down. In the evening an entertainment was given. The Rev. W. J. Tomkins presided, and gave an appropriate address. Recitations were given by P. Bettles, Miss E. Sargent, Eliza Strachan, Ethel Linnett, Annie Groome, Edith Childs, Mr. J. Strachan, and Mr. Norris; a solo was very nicely rendered by Miss Tailby; and a reading by Mr. T. Everard. The choir sang several well-known melodies, and a very pleasant evening was spent. At the close five joined the Society.

TEMPERANCE ANNIVERSARY — On Monday the Temperance and Band of Hope Societies of Rushden paraded the village, after which a public tea was provided in the Temperance Hall, which was well filled The outdoor amusements took place in a field kindly lent by F. U. Sartoris, Esq., and in the evening a public meeting was held in the Hall, at which a number of addresses in favour of total abstinence were delivered.

Rushden, Northamptonshire Band of Hope Union
On Friday, October 1st, meetings, in connection with this Union, were held at the Temperance Hall, Rushden. In the afternoon a council meeting was held in the committee-room, and a paper was read by Mr. Oliver, of Northampton, on "The best means of conducting a Band of Hope."

Mr. Oliver offered a few suggestions as to the best means of conducting a Band of Hope, the result of seven years' apprenticeship as secretary and conductor of Bands of Hope. The first essential was a good conductor, and if the duties of secretary and conductor were combined so much the better. The conductor must be the guiding spirit of the band, and, in his personal connection, he would have to teach punctuality, reverence, order, hope, kindness, gentleness, integrity, perseverance, firmness. The length of a Band of Hope meeting should not exceed an hour and a quarter, unless special occasions required it; young folks appreciated short, sprightly gatherings, and preferred weekly meetings; these, however, were a considerable tax on the time and energies of the conductor, though, it they were well sustained, they were very desirable. The meetings of a Band of Hope should take place regularly; irregular meetings were very disappointing, and resulted in loss. Once established, the progress of a Band of Hope might be stimulated by meetings of a varying character, at intervals, such as "spelling bees," "definition classes," for which prizes might be offered, so as to stimulate competition. The retention of the senior members of a Band of Hope was a very important matter; the temperance truths they had imbibed ought to bear fruit and benefit the society, but how to secure the services of young folk just merging into maturity was a somewhat difficult problem. One good plan of interesting older members was to form a choir, and occasionally give an entertainment; and the older members should be appointed on the committee, or appointed visitors on absentee members, or in any other way which would induce them to take a continued interest in forwarding the work of the Band of Hope to which they belonged. With regard to the funds required to carry on a Band of Hope, the expenses might be met by nominal subscriptions; and where Penny Banks were not existing in connection with the schools of a parish, one might be added to the Band of Hope with great advantage, and thus inculcate thrift with sobriety. In conclusion Mr. Oliver observed that the highest results in the educational work connected with a Band of Hope were not to be obtained without earnest effort, steady persistence, and never failing faith in ultimate success.

After the council meeting, tea was provided, and in the evening a public meeting was held in the large hall, under the presidency of the Rev. E. Templeman, vicar of Higham Ferrers. The attendance was moderately good.

The Chairman, in opening the proceedings, said he had been asked to take the chair, and he did so with very much pleasure, because he thought the object they had met to promote was one in which they all felt a deep interest. They had met to discuss that one aspect of the temperance question to which they found very few people offered any objection at all, and that could hardly be said of any other phase of the question. They met with objections all sorts to what was called temperance work in regard to people who were grown up, but when they dealt with children almost everybody said, however much they might disagree with them in other respects, "You are certainly doing the right-thing in trying to bring up children to live without the taste of intoxicating drink at all." It was sometimes thought that the training of the young to abstain from intoxicating drink was the most hopeful part of the work in which temperance advocates were engaged, but he did not think it was wise to be led astray by that thought, because, though it was hopeful to see the young growing up to womanhood and manhood without having anything to do with intoxicating drink, yet, at the same time, it was a very happy and a very delightful part of the temperance work to reclaim, or bring back into the path of rectitude those who had fallen into the sin of drunkenness, and temperance work would not be complete if it did not seek to benefit the middle aged as well as the young. This meeting, however, was held, for the most part, in the interest of the young. It was the first meeting that had been held in Rushden in connection with the Northamptonshire Band of Hope Union, and he would just briefly state what its objects were: 1st to assist in the formation of town and district Band of Hope Unions and Bands of Hope; 2nd, to aid existing Band of Hope Unions and Bands of Hope; 3rd, to engage qualified agents and lecturers; 4th, to provide speakers for special meetings of associated societies; 5th, to arrange for public meetings, conferences, sermons, &c.; 6th, to facilitate the formation of lending libraries of temperance and other useful books in connection with societies. Under these six heads there was an abundant field for useful and valuable work, and he thought most of those present would be glad to take a share. Good works, they knew, involved a certain amount of self denial, and there was no one, he supposed, who put his hand to a good work who was not prepared, in some way or other, to deny himself, for the Master's sake, to carry it on. Anyone who took up temperance work must be prepared for a good deal of self-denial, and a good deal of misrepresentation; they might even find themselves abused for carrying on the work, but it was a fact that as time went on people were more and more ready to take the temperance side in dealing with the drinking customs of our country, and it was a fact that many who once looked upon temperance advocates as fools did not hesitate to say now that they were the wisest people in the world. Temperance workers, however, were not guided by what people chose to say about them; they were determined to do their work quietly and devotedly, and they might depend upon it that the bread cast upon the waters would bring forth its fruit in due season, and, in the end, they would have their reward. (Applause)

Mr. Oliver, in the course of a brief address, said the parse of the Union was nearly empty, but some of the Rushden friends had been good enough to give them money. They wanted £50 a year to carry on the work of the Union. He looked upon the Union as a sort of a supplementary Board-school for the teaching of temperance, and he thought they might in time apply to Government for help to carry on the work. This might be a wild idea of his, but if it was right for Government to take the ratepayers' money to teach an abstruse subject like biology, why should it not be right for Government to take £100,000 a year to teach people the evil of drinking intoxicating liquors, and the good effects that were derived from total abstinence.

The Rev. Thomas Ruston (secretary of the Union), spoke highly of the good work that had been done in behalf of temperance in the village of Rushden, and made a forcible address in support of total abstinence. The clergy and the doctors were now on the side of the total abstainers, and able and learned men were engaged in writing against the moderate use of alcohol, which was doing so much harm by undermining the constitution, and affecting the brain.—After a short speech from Mr. Nathaniel Smith, The Rev. W. A. Davis (the newly-appointed pastor of the Old Baptist Chapel), spoke of himself as the successor of a man whose praises were in everyone's mouth, who was most devoted not only to the cause of religion and of politics, but also to the moral and spiritual welfare of this community - a man who laboured long and earnestly, might he not add successfully, in trying to further the moral and social, as well as the spiritual interests of this village, or this town, if they chose to call it so, and in his opinion Rushden was worthy of being called a town, and although his predecessor was his senior in years, experience, and ability, he trusted he should not be unworthy of furthering the work which his predecessor had so well promoted. Mr. Davis then went on to speak in favour of total abstinence, observing, in the course of his remarks, that a minister who came to Rushden who was not a total abstainer would very soon find himself in an uncomfortable position.

At intervals during the evening; there was some excellent singing by what was rightly advertised to be an efficient choir.

BAND OF HOPE—According to arrangement of the Northamptonshire Band of Hope Union, the Higham Ferrers Wesleyan Band of Hope went to Succoth Baptist Chapel on Wednesday evening, and gave a good entertainment to the Band of Hope of that place. The following took part in the proceedings: Mr. S. Pack (presiding) J. Partridge, W. Rogers, W. Patenall, C. Horrell, C. Payne, A. Middleton, and Misses M. A. Partridge, M. Groome, S. and E. Black wells, L. Horrell, M. Clements, and E. Woodhouse.

OLD BAPTIST MEETING BAND OF HOPE-An entertainment, presided over by Mr. S. Harris, took place on Tuesday, when a programme was presented, in which Miss L. Linnitt, Mr. W. Partridge, Mr. T. Everard, Miss M. Knight, Mr. C. Darlow, and Miss E. Knight took part.

CHELVESTON - ENTERTAINMENT—On Monday evening last a temperance entertainment was given in the schools by the members of the Old Baptist Meeting Band of Hope, Rushden. The chair was occupied by the Rev. E. Templeman, of Higham Ferrers. The entertainment consisted of recitations, dialogues, singing and short addresses. A capital programme was gone through in a very able manner before a good and appreciative audience. The following took an active part: Miss Amy Thompson, Miss Annie Bayes, Miss Annie Margetts, Miss Mercy Harris, Miss E. Denton, Miss M. A. Denton, Miss E. Chettle, Miss Knight, Miss E. Sargent, Miss S. Knight, and Messrs. J. Farey, G. Farey, D. Crick, T. Everard, E. Elliott, F. Cowley, R. Savage, S. Harris, C. Ashby, F. Ashby, C. Bates, W. Partridge, and Stringer.

BAND OF HOPE DEMONSTRATION—On Monday the Rushden Temperance Society celebrated their 40th anniversary by a fete and gala. The members and the Bands of Hope assembled at the Temperance Hall at 1.30, and formed into procession, headed by the excellent Brass Band, under the conductorship of Bandmaster W. Skinner. A number of conveyances were engaged to carry the smaller children. Having paraded the village, the procession halted on the Green, where a number of Temperance melodies were sung by the children, who had been taught by Mr. W. Packwood. After the singing the members of the Band of Hope, 400 in number, retired to the New Hall and partook of tea, while the band played a selection of music. Addresses were then given to a number of adults on the Green by the Rev. W. A. Davis, who stated be wished to congratulate the Society on four things — first, on having such a beautiful day to celebrate their 40th anniversary; second, on having so many those present who were the founders of the Society, and had remain true ever since; third, on the good results that had flowed from the efforts of the Society all along the line; and fourth, in the practical success they had had in the erection of perhaps the best coffee tavern in the county, and one of the best in the midland counties.—The Rev. Mr. Croxford, in a very interesting speech, exhorted all to diligence in the cause, and said he was sorry more of the old teetotalers were not present to assist in making war on the drink. He wished to see the public-houses closed on Sunday, as the churches and chapels would be then filled. Drink was a foe to commercial and social progress, to the gospel, and to the homes of the people; it was a foe to both soul and body.—Mr. C. Pollard, of Kettering, in an effective speech, reviewed the difference in the outlook of the temperance cause now and 30 years ago, and related some instances of the benefits resulting from, total abstinence.—Mr. T. Collings, Wellingborough, congratulated the abstainers of Rushden upon the fact chat Churchmen and Nonconformists had united in that day's demonstration, and expressed his conviction that the union of all good men in aid of the movement was essential to its success.—Mr. Kidgell also gave an address.—The assembly then retired to the hall, where between 200 and 300 took tea. After the repast they joined young people in a field kindly lent by Mr. Smart, where games were played. Some choice music was discoursed by the band, and more speeches made by the same gentlemen who addressed the afternoon meeting.

BAND OF HOPE TEA AND ENTERTAINMENT—On Thursday, Sept. 28th, the Band of Hope connected with the Old Baptist Meeting held their opening meeting of the season. At 3.30 a capital tea was provided for the members, and an hour later a public tea took place, which, however, was not largely attended. After tea the children adjourned to a field lent for the occasion by Mr. D. Dickens, where games of various kinds were indulged in. At seven o'clock an entertainment took place, presided over by the Rev. W. A. Davis. The Chairman gave an instructive address urging the importance of young people holding fast to their principles. He hoped the members would attend regularly and punctually. The programme was then proceeded with, the following taking part:—Songs—Miss Jenny Gates, Miss E. Elliott, and Miss S. J. Knight; recitations—Mr. T. Everard, Miss Emily Knight, Miss Eva Sargeant, Master C. Neale, and Miss Fanny Knight; and dialogues—Master Willie Sargeant, and Mr. Harris; Master C. Neale, and M. Stringer; Misses Emily and Lizzie Knight, and Mr. T. Everard. An efficient choir also sang a selection of part-songs in a creditable manner. Mrs. Adnett rendered good service at the harmonium, and Mr. Fred Collins played a violin accompanist to one of the songs. There was a good attendance.—On Tuesday evening, in accordance with the Northamptonshire Band of Hope Union plan, the members of the Irthlingborough Wesleyan Band of Hope paid a visit to the Old Baptist Meeting, and gave a service of song, entitled "Little Davie," setting forth the advantages derived from the holding of Band of Hope meetings. The Rev. W. A. Davis presided, and gave the connective readings. The musical portion was very creditably given by the Irthlingborough friends, Mr. G. Farey accompanying on the organ. The service was well attended, and the usual votes of thanks were accorded.