MOTHERS' UNION.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14833, 26 November 1913, Page 3

MOTHERS' UNION.

ANNUAL MEETING.

The annual meeting of the Mothers Union was held yesterday in St. John s Schoolroom. In the absence of the Bishop, the 3>ean took the chair. Thero was a full attendance. , The Dean read the report, and briefly addressed the meeting. Hβ said he believed that the Mothers' Union was an organisation which came nearer the centre of the spiritual life of the nation than any other, inasmuch as it entered into the very heart of family life, and dealt with tho development of character in the child. The opportunity thus given was tremendous, out everything depended upon the nature of tho influences thus brought to bear. If they looked around them they saw on every hand a tendency throughout the world to relax certain bonds. "Tho bond of discipline," he went on to say, "is relaxed. Are we not all aware that children to a large extent do just what they please; that loyalty and obedience to one's country, to any authority whatever, to the Great God Himself, is relaxing ? Again, the bond of truth; in this age we find exaggeration on every hand in ordinary speech, in literature, and elsewhere. Consider the 'bond of moral responsibility, and note how easily e , ff? gements are broken; how lightly ciV emed is the marriage tie; what shrinking thero is from pain and trouble. Does it not all mean that the generation has lost its hold upon God? Do we not need to press upon mothers the duty of once more, teaching the children reverence and the fear of God? Our grandparents were brought up upon the Ten Commandments and the old Church Catechism, with its wonderful teaching of our duty to God and to our neighbours. Let us gather up once again these strong spiritual influences and weave them into our own lives and into the live>s of our children." . ■»;': The adoption of t"he report was moved by the Rev. Hush Leach, who said—"The fact that'while of necessity there, is diversity of work and occupation, yet no less certainly, is all such occupation interdependent—the mother at home, the father at work, the children at school or at horne —each has but a share, and upon the well-doing of each depends the well-being of all." In illustration of the importance of faithfulness in little things, he recalled tho fact that the death of the Prince Imperial of France and the change of a dynasty was apparently dependent on the fact that the girth of his Raddle was made from a bit of shoddy, leather; it gave way as the Prince was mounting in haste, and left him defenceless before the assegais of the Zulus. Tho well-doing of tho least was indispensable for the well-being of the whole. , The report was seconded by the Rev. P. Cocks. H© said lio would like to know something more of the work ■which was done by the various branches of the un ; on. He warned his hearers against the reading of undesirable papers, bad literature, theatres, and nicture shows, and urged mothers to keen a high ideal in their homes. The following officers were elected:— Presidpnt. Mrs Julius; vice-wesidonts, Mrs Carrington and Mrs H. L. S«d- ---; secretary and treasurer, Mrs Kirknatrick; literature secretary, Mrs A. Merton.