ST. MARY'S GUILD, KARORI.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1114, 29 April 1911, Page 10

ST. MARY'S GUILD, KARORI.

THE ANNUAL MEETING. . The annual meeting of St. Mary's Guild was held in the Diocesan Offices, in Mulgravc Street, yesterday afternoon, tlio chair being occupied by tho Rev. Mr. Sprott, In his opening remarks, Mr. Sprotb said that they had-all met that afternoon with tho same thought in their minds—the absence of two persons with whom the guild would over bo associated—Bishop Wallis and Mrs. Wallis. Tho good wishes of the guild would go with its foiiiidors in their liew sphoro of life. Miss Coates, president of tho guild, was then called upon to read tho annual report and balance-sheet. Tho llcv Mr. Hansell, in proposing the adoption of the report, said that ho thoroughly indorsed all that had been said of Bisho;) Wallis and Mrs. Wallis,'and dwelt at length upon nil they had done. In regard to tho work of the guild, twelve years of experience had proved that there was every need for these homes, and statistics would show whothcr this need was being met in the right way. The girls who hud passed through the homos had been roughly classed into two divisions— "satisfactory" and "unsatisfactory." ■ Altogether seventy, girls bad. passed through tho course during the twelve years of the homes' existence (acourso averaging two years or more). Out of these, five had died and seven were not . responsible, leaving fifty-eight to be ac- • counted for, Of these, twelve had been classed "unsatiifacto.'y," and forty-six as "satisfactory," so that eighty per cent, of tho girls stamped as unsatisfactory by their parents or guardians (people who would naturally have made the greatest allowance for them) became useful, helpful citizens. Tho homes were well worth keeping up, even if tho • results we 'o far different from what they actually were. All was brought about by doing, or trying to' do, tho good meant to have been done by other' people, and teaching them later in life what should have been given them earlier. It took a very motherly per-, son indeed to' do it, and that person was found in the matron, Miss Parlane, to whom a great deal of the success of tho homes was due. In some curious way it \va-, recognised that there was nothing like laundry work, backed up by gardening, for helping the girls.

In seconding the adoption of the import and balance-sheet,' tho Rev. Mr. Hobday remarked on the value of (ha statistics that had been supplied by Mr. Hansoll. Ho thought that tho operations of the guild ought to bo enlarged. Instead of having Holy Communion twice a year at the homes, it might bo held quarterly, and if nil tho clergymen in the diocese, were informed of the dato on which they were held special into -cession services might bo held at the same time. It was not ft city work only, but diocesan, and ought to be supported by'people throughout the diocese. _In answer to Mr. Hobday's suggestion to hold a monster bazaar at the end of the year for the purpose of wiping out a debt. Miss Coatos- informed everyone present that Mr. John Duncan had donated £10(1 to be used for any. fund that tho guild thought proper. ■