Thoughtful Moments

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 42, 8 February 1946, Page 2

Thoughtful Moments

(Supplied by the Whakatnne Ministexs’ Association}.

VAKAMISHNERI ■ (By a Padre) The heading requires a sub-title and many sub-titles could be supplied. For instance, “Dramatically cheerful givers” might serve, or “Missionary allocation raising at one big hit ” or, if disapproval must be expressed at the Church's ashing lor

monev under any circumstances “Modern trafficing in the temple.” 1 may be quite wrong but I have sensed in our New Zealand Church a considerable degree of dissatisfaction with the bazaar or sale as a method of raising Church finance. Some folk have considered the coming of chain stores and the war situation which together have made large sales virtually impossible, have been blessings in disguise and they have turned in relief to annual golden offerings and individual freewill giving, both of which are. excellent but both of which tend to lack that visible degree of community effort and human interest a good sale used to have. No doubt much has been gained, but something that came out clearly in the Vakamishneri 1 saw recently has been lost.

The Davuilevu Methodist Education centre in Fiji, like all other sections of Hie Church, is asked to make annually a specified allocation to circuit funds. That allocation is, if possible, raised in one night at a Vakamishneri. The night chosen takes into consideration nearness to the community pay day. Methodism when it really belongs to the people, has a practical turn about it. Real life must have that practical turn. The Assembly Hall was fdled when I got there and a warm argument was in progress between Fijian teachers of the primary school and a teacher of the junior intermediate the boys of which having come early, as boys do to what they are keen on hud appropriated the front seats which in theory were to have been the seating area of the primary school. The headmistress of the primary school appeared and realising that justice would be impossible to obtain in such a late hour crush wisely accepted the situation. She had her revenge later when the boys of the junior intermediate were in the middle of their singing. Getting up quickly from her seat to attend to something she accidentally trod on a sleeping dog which protested loudly against such treatment. In large lettering on two big blackboards the names oh eleven persons or groups had been written up. Alongside sufficient space io set down donation amounts was left. Number one was the. Principal of Davuilevu; number two, the. theological school; . three. the primary school; four, the native ministers; five, the agricultural school; six. the junior intermediate senior departments; seven, the Teachers’ Training lnstitute:eight the nurse; nine, Captain N; ten, a memorial ko :

OUR SUNDAY MESSAGE

native minister who had died, and eleven, any visitors or strangers. It was a widedung net and one which would have won the approval of those who say that missionary allocations usually come from too select and too limited a group within the congregation. Certainly all Davuilevu was involved.

Proceedings began when the chairman, after stating the purpose .of the gathering announced the favourite hymn, of Methodists, “O lot a thousand tongues to sing.” Prayer was offered and a groups of hoys sang the hymn “Go labour on spend and he spent.” I do not know how many saw' the humour of the choice, lor the hymn was sung immediately before the principal gave in his gift. After it had been placed in the plate hi.s friends and “sympathisers” came up to the platform with supplementing offerings. The method apparently was to bring a gift in two sections—a substantial part that one devoted to the collecting made by one’s own family, school or group and another part whieli could be subdivided into contributions to other groups collecting. Around the secondary donations a good deal of excitement centred. A table for changing money into small denom-

inations was set up in a room of the hall, in . which the counting up of the gifts also was going on. The number and denominations and origin of coins and the counting up and changing of them proved an irresistible attraction for more than the small hoys and girls, and a constant moving stream of voluble humanity moved round the tables and crushed in and out the open doors. The writing up of the first counted amount, £5 fjs 9d, was enthusiastically greeted. By the time it went, up the primary" children Avere well on Avith their singing of a Fijian tune. An enquiry as to the meaning of line words brought, the information that they meant “Sonic, time AA r e’ll understand.” And so the collecting Avent on a speaker for each group indicating what his group was, thanking oufcsi.de 'donors and, then giving place to someone else. The gh’ing Avas cheerful to a degree and the. interest mounted as the total sum received rose. Time seemed to be of no particular object and J. was informed that the collecting might run on from 7.30 p.m. till 11 after which various groups would likely lurve a prolonged social meal together. Men and boys Avould lirst be fed and eared for that being the custom of •-lie country and then the Avomcn wan'd iurve the chance of recuperating after their strenuous serving by Having a good feast themselves.

OJ' tlie vakamisneri it would be easy Lo disapprove and enjoy being critical, but that would miss something. The experience of a school community being generous in a confessedly worthy cause to the extent of about £!)() in one evening is not encountered often in richer lands than Fiji.