SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1210, 19 August 1911, Page 5

SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION.

PRIZES PRESENTED BY THE GOVERNOR. His Excellency (ho Governor Inst evening attended St. John's Church, Willis Street, nnd presented the prizes won by the successful scholars in the. Wellington Sunday SchiSl .Union. Mr. 11. 1. Grocott, president of the. iinio.ii, presided. His Excellency attended shortly after the opening hymn had been sung. Ho was received by the president, who also made a few subsequent remarks. Tho boys and girls who were I'o receive prizes, said Mr. Grocott, formed part of tho ten thousand odd scholars of the Sunday Schools associated with tho Wellington Union. Until last year some 700 scholars had presented themselves for examination. This year, however, the numbers had fallen awav a little, onn cause of which was an alteration in the grading system. Lord Islington said ho was pleased to bo ablo, as the King's representative, to associate himself with wort which excited in him the warmest sympathy and interest. (Applause.) Tho movement in connection with Sunday Schools was very far spread; it was extending throughout, tho world. No fewer than 57 countries had established in greater or lesser degree Sunday schools in thitfr midst. Hn was glad to see that New Zealand, as in so many other branches of human activity, was taking a prominent' placo in this important factor of life. (Applause.) It was impossible, to emphasise too much tho importance of training up (he children who were going to be tho generations of tho future. He would al<n ompliasiM the good work (hat the teachers in me Sunday schools were doing out of lovo for tho work. It was not within his province t'o say ono word as regards tlio form and manner in which different countries established their system of religious education in their schools He would confine himself to this fact: (hat whatever those conditions and practices may be, ho believed that nothing could come up to the Sunday school svstcm (Applause.) His Excellency (hen addressed a few words to tho children; mid to t IOEo who had not won prizes he said that tho advantages of the instruction they had undergone in the endeavour to win thorn would more than compensate them in niter life, for tho immediate rewards which they had missed. While recognising the importance of giving each child tlio advantages of a sound education it was becoming of even greater importance every day (hat every child should bo offeral the hill opportunity of a sound, careful training in the religious nrii.ciplci of tho Gospel and die Bible. (Applaud) Ho congratulated them on hiving Bfi8fi schools attached to the union. (Applause.) Ills Excellency (lion distributed Iho pnzes to the succo«fnl scholars n, O ]i" t of whom has already been published " JJrmng the evening items werr rendered by Ao schotars, nnd hymns were sung.