P.S.A. BROTHERHOOD.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 821, 21 May 1910, Page 7

P.S.A. BROTHERHOOD.

BRANCH FOE WELLINGTON,

In The Dominion of Wednesday last an interesting account was given of the history and objects of the P.S.A. (Pleasant Sunday Afternoon) Brotherhood movement in Great Britain. The article was given in extension of a cable message which stated that 250 British Socialists and members of trades unions were conducting a W'liitsuntido Christian crusade through France and Belgium, .unt>r. the . auspices of this organisation. It is interesting to know that a branch of the P.S.A. Brotherhood will be' established very soon in Wellington as part of tho activities of the new Central Methodist Mission.

At a meeting held in connection with the mission on Thursdaynight this decision was arrived at. Tho Roy. E. 0. Blamires, minister of the mission, was in tho chair, and there wero also present the liovs. T. Fee, S. J. Serpell, J. Ward, and about twenty laymen. Much satisfaction was expressed for tho success of the mission services.held in the King's Theatre to date, and a very hopeful tone prevailed as to tho prospects for tho future. The main business discussed, however, was the possibility of forming a brotherhood. Mr. Blamires explained that tho movement aimed at bringing, thn Christian Church into touch with tho men of the city through "pleasant Sunday afternoon" meetings, at which moral and social subjects could be discussed and Christian teaching brought to bear on them. Ho stated that the movement had grown very greatly in England.

The Rov. T. Fee pointed out that there was a danger of tho meetings degenerating into a form of discussion that would not particularly benefit the mission, but tho chairman considered that while this was a peril to be guarded againstj thero were great possibilities for good in tho movement. Other speakers pointed out that there is at tho present time a preponderance of men at the "mission services, and it was considered that this fact augured well for the successful initiation of tho movement.

It was decided to take stops to form tho brotherhood in two months' time It is not intended that the work of tho new institution shall be limited to tho holding of "pleasant Sunday afternoons." Members of the brotherhood will be expected to help one another in time of trouble, and another object will be tho encouragement of thrift.