OTAGO EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE.

Clutha Leader, Volume IV, Issue 184, 18 January 1878, Page 3

OTAGO EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE.

<s» The Balclutha branch of the Educational Institute of Otago met in the school on Saturday, sth inst. Members present • -Messrs Grigor (President), Porleous, M'Ewan, Steven, Carrington, and MclSTeur. The Milton branch was represented by Mr Youngaon. _ The minutes. of last meeting were read and confirmed. j The Revs. J. M'Ara and. W. Bannerman were proposed and duly elected members of the Institute. Mr M'Ara was present, and took part in the proceedings. :' . A letter from the General Secretary was read concerning, preparations for the annual meeting of the Institute. The Secretary was instructed to prepare the annual report. It, was agreed to defer tlie consideration, till next meeting, of any special business which members . desired to see dealt with at the general meeting. Mr Waddell was nominated to prepare a paper to be read at the meeting of, the Institute at Easter. ' : A conversation ensued on the subject of Bible reading in schools. Some members held that the book might, still be read, as the Act did not, and perhaps could not, ' forbid it. Others considered that it was practically excluded. All agreed tnkt the ■ meagre and unexplained i-eacling hitherto insisted: on was of very, little ; value, , while its discontinuance as a school-book would tend , to rouse parents, pastors, and all interested' in the young to a greater sense of duty with respect to the : religious' training of youth, and' 'w more direct' compliance with the injunction of the Good Shepherd, /' Feed my. lambs:* :>; : T