PARISHIONERS' MEETINGS.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17117, 12 April 1921, Page 2

PARISHIONERS' MEETINGS.

ST. MARTIN'S, SPREYDON. j The annual meeting of parishioners of St. Martin's Church, Spreydon, -took place on Tuesday,'the vioar (the-Rev. C. Oldham) presiding over a good attendance. The bftl&noe-skeet was very satisfactory, and although the expenses had been heavy,' there was a credit balance of £B. The collections, it was reported, had been the largest that St. Martin's had had in its eleven and a half years' existence. The subscriptions had also been good, and the annual appeal for the Church loan instalment (£2O) had been more than subscribed The vicar's report reviewed the year's work, and spoke of fair church attendance, and 1 good work by ths choir and Sunday school. The Sunday Echool attendance had . been mors regular, and the children's collections good. The St. Martin's Guild had done very good work, and by their aid £6O had been raised for the Sunday School Extension Fund. The vestry was appointed as follows: Messrs H. Brown (vicar's warden), W. Eden (people's warden), Messrs G. Mulcocfc, Ward, Smail, Bloor, Mathias, W. J. Mulcock, D. Merrett. L. Steel, and Bishop (vestrymen). The choir boys were then given their priws, and Mr Ward's work among them was suitably acknowledged. u Votes of thanks were passed to the numerous church workers. BT. MARY'S. HALSWELL. The meeting of the pardshionere of St. Mary's, Halswell, took place on Thursday, the vicar presiding over a good assemblage. Tho baianoe-sheet was considered satisfactory, as accounts just balanced. The collections were about the average, while subscriptions rather increased. The vicar spoke of the year's work, regret- : ting the departure of some useful members, I but stated there were gains in membership as well as losses. Electric light had W« placed in the church by contributions of parishioners and others. The choir arid Sunday school were doing good work. The Sunday school had increased, and another teacher had joined the school. The years collections were the largest they liavc hud in the Sunday school. The vicar reioned to the resignation of Mr Blowers, as sexton. ; and verger after about 44 years' faithful work. Mr Huntiboll, organist, had also left, Mr Cole talcing his place. The following vestry was appointed:—Mr Hodgen (vicar's warden), Mr Brandon (people a warden), Messrs J. Templeton, C. Gardiner, T. L. Wright, B. Templeton, and Blowers vestrymen). A Ladies' -Council, to moot with the vestry, was appointed:— Mesdames Hodgen, Templeton, Waites, Wright, A. Ell, F. Sparks, Rogers, and Hann; Misses Campion, Fitzgerald Waites and G. o>x. Mr Hodgen presented Mrs Oldham with a little present from the parishioners and a short social concluded the evening. ST. MARY'S MERIVALE. The annual meeting of parishioners in connexion with St. Mary's, Merivale, was heW: in the Sunday schoolroom last night, tno Ven. Archdeacon Haggitt presiding over » large attendance. '_ The annual report, presented by Messrs J. G. L. Vernon and E. Hamilton, churchwardens stated that, as forecasted in the last annual report, the expenditure for the past year again showed an increase. The year commenced with a debit balance of £lO3 9a 9d,' and closed with a deficit of £lB5 19s 3d. The greater part of the increase was accounted for by the expenditure of £3O 18s on painting the schoolroom roof, and of £BS 16a on ths formation and asphalting of a turnway at tho top of Church lane, and the asphalting of the vicarage paths. • The vestry had decided to alter the nemo of. the parochial fund to'the Stipend and Church Maintenance Fund,: it being considered that tha change would show more clearly the objeots of the fund, and also to publish the names* of all subscribers to the fund. This fundi amounted to £54M4a 6d, showing an increase of £l3O 16s for the year. General offertories* showed a doorcase of £23 18s Id, and the vestry once more appealed for .liberal support to the church funds during this year. Special offertories amounted to £525 llsJßd, the increase as compared ■ with the previous year being chiefly due to an offering of £lB9 16s Id for the Fight the Famine Fund. The: Special Mission, Fund showed an increase of £7 2s. 'During the year the debt on tho vicarage was reduced by £3lB 29 3d, and now stood at £1027 lis. The best thanks of the vestry were due to the Ladies' Sewing Guild, which, as a result of a sale of wc«if, provided £l7B of the total reduction of the debt. The parish suffered » heavy lose by the departure of tlie Rev. Harold Purchas to take up the position "of vicar of Geraldine. It was fortuna to in obtaining the services of the Rev. J. R. fiervey as assistant priest in place of Mr Purchas. Another severe loss to,- tho parish was the transfer of Mr E. B. Sealy l to Wellington. Mr Sealy;was for many years ,ohurchwarden'v,:and at the time of his resignation held the position of vicar's watrden. The amount in hand for the.Nen* Church Building Fund was £4865,6s 7d, including interest earned. The view and vestry desired to express their appreciation of the 'services rendered by 'the Sunday "school teachers, the choir, and other church workers during the year. In moving the adoption of the report, Mr Hamilton stated that the sum of .£IBOO ai year was required to keep the parish free of debt, and if the deficit or £lB5 16s Id was to be extinguished the sum of £ISOO would be required. In speaking to the motion, Mr E. B. Sealy suggested that, with a view to ■ wiping off) tho deficit, the ladies should form themselves into au entertainment association. Iri ' this connexion the choir might also assistj He also suggested that the younger membora j of the church should get permission from the vestry to form themselves into a beautifying! aeeocifition to beautify the church grounds. The chairman congratulated the wa.-djms on) ' the report presented, and expressed the belief, that the deficit would sooil be wiped out. I , Tho report was adopted. ,^ The chairman said he Telt that lie had to I thank parishioners for their very generous Easter offering, which was easily the largest ha had yet received The number of communicants at the Easter services was 413, On Good Friday the attendance was a record,and tho sum of £3l was collected for St. Saviour's Orphanage. During, the year 87> '. ohildreri Wi been baptised, 29 young people had been confirmed, nnd 39 couples married. I Et paid a tribute to the efforts of the churchwardens, the vestry, and other workers. The Sunday school teachers did laudable work, aa also did the teachers'of the kindergarten. He appealed for young men to come forward to aesist in Sunday school teaching. There was also a,shortage of singers in the choir. He felt that the new church must be a beautiful thing. The pariah should aim at the/ erection of a ohurch with a seating capacity of about 450 worshippers, leaving room for* _an additional 60 or 70 if needed. Plans had j'been submitted of a beuatiful ohurch, to c°»t, I without a tower, about £IB,OOO, and, with) | n- tower, about £23,000, but beforo the build- ! iivg was completed the cost would probablyl 1 amount to close on £26,000. However, the i plans were rejected, as they were of a. church) I that would be far too pretentious for tho ! parish. A number of meetings had been held . in connexion with the projxwol, and sums of ' zhoney promised' in addition to what ,'had already been subscribed. However, in view 1 of the present financial etringensg, it would no doubt be wise to hold the maiver over ia the meantime. . Mr Hamilton made an appeal to the parishioners to adopt the envelope system, so as to augment the annual income of the church. I'l doing so, he stated that in a neighbouring parish—Fendalton—the institution of such a system had resulted in an increase, in the offertories of well over 50 per cent. He moved that it be ■ a recommendation to the vestry to adopt the system. The motion was seconded by' Mr E. H. Harris. . ■ ■ Mr Page suggested that a special meeting should be heldj to consider the question at a later date, and moved en amendment to that effect. The motion was altered to read that it bs a recommendation to the vestry to consider the advisability of introducing the envelope system; and in this form it was carried by a large majority. The election of officers resulted as follows: —Vicar'e warden, Mr J. G. L. Vernon; people's warden, Mr E. H. S. Hamilton; veetry, Messrs G. A. TJ. Tapper, JP. G. Greenwood, T. C. Fielet, L. H. Mirams, G. H. N. j Helnwre. W. F. Tait, 8. E. R. Pinckney, A. K. Firth, and Waloot Wood.