C.E.M.S.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1175, 10 July 1911, Page 3

C.E.M.S.

THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE,

The annual Wellington diocesan conferonce of the Cliurch of England Men's Society was held on Saturday, in the Sydney Street Schoolroom. The Bishop of AVellington (Dr. Hprotl) presided, and nearly sixty delegates attended. The day was liegun with corporate communion in St. Peter's Church. An informal mooting between clergy nnd laity was h<l.l during the foroiiiion. (lie Bishop presiding, and the c'.Wibnnilive fvssioiis of the coiijevencc occupied the :ill_«t--noon i'uil evening, the Inking lea at Godbcr's. I.:n»ib!o:i tjuay, at I! oVlor-k. The Bishop, in liis opening nddre.-*. s-ml it gave him great and real pleasure tu ni inside over such a gathering ot' men, who had pledged themselves, and wou.d keep their pledges, to strengthen the foeiety in its work for God in this diocese. Iliere was no limit to the opportunities of nidi a society to btii'd up Hie future of the Church and tho country. ■Resolutions on finance, and the consideration of a proposed constitution occupied most of the time at the afternoon and evening sittings. ADDRESS TO MEN". I Yesterday afternoon a. meeting i< r m?n was held in the Concert Chamber of tho Town Hall, the Bishop of Wellington (Dr. Sprolt; presiding. There was a large gathering. Hymns were sung, and alter a few words by the Bishop the Rev.G. 11. G. Kosher. Vicar of All Saints, Talmerston North, gave an address, .hie speaker's remarks were based on llie subject, "Men and 'Meii.'" Mr. Eoslier said that in this buMling ago it was- necessary that, we f.hould pause to investigate, what we really believed, to have an . intelligent, grip ot one's religion, and what it stood for. One of the difficulties in the way of progress was the prevailing materialism. lhere were numbers of men who were respectable, but who had no greater conception of things than that which they could see and feel. Tho way to meet this was to be spiritual. Religion meant a constant dependence on, and duty to, the invisible God. It meant putting into practice that which wo believed. He d'd not want to say anything against New Zealand, but he felt one of her dangers at present was her materialistic spirit. It .-c<w:l that the men in the church did well to set before their fellow-men this truth— that a man's life did not consist 111 the abundance of the things he possessed, but in doing tho will of God. Secularism was also rampant; and-it was possibly due to the fact that the Church had not given intelligent interest in the social problems. .Uβ would not stop , to speak about the drunkenness, the immorality, tho distorted idea of what recreation meant, or what was the eauso of half the drunkenness. Ho would dwell upon the way to overcome these things. Manliness meant courage—courage to stand up for what was right, and against what was wrong. It was necessary to have in a concrete form a manliness that could exhibit the best in bad company— that would extend a strong warm hand to those who were on the downward path. This was the special work cf the C.E.M.S. (Applause.) Mr. Kosher mentioned also tho "average" man, and said the members of the C.E.M.S. should endeavour to persuade such men to "fix" their hearts. It was not only important, he said, to note the number of members of a branch of tho society, but to sec the effect of tho society on its surroundings..