ST. STEPHENS, MARTON.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1748, 13 May 1913, Page 6

ST. STEPHENS, MARTON.

MEETING OP PARISHIONERS. The annual meeting of parishioners of St. Stephen's Anglican Cnurch was held last Tnursday. Tlio vicar, in his annual statement, referred to tlio various organisations of the parish. 'I'ne vestry had met regularly on tho first Priday iu each month, and its meetings had been well attended. The Parochial Missionary Association, which included the Selv.yn Guild (secretary, Miss T. Marshall, Crofiou) for the Maori Mission, and tho St. Barnabas Guild (secretary, .Mrs. T. Awdry) for the Melanesian Mission, had continued its work. Prom ail sources for tho year tho parish had sent =£15 2s. 2d. to the Maori Mission, and £19 2s. Id. to the Melanesian Mission. The Junior Guild of St. Barnabas (secretary, Miss It. Awdray) had contributed i:10 11s. Tho Altar' Guild-(secretary, Miss Bennett) had continued its care lor the church linen, and was providing by degrees lor tlio wants of tlie church as regards kncelers, book-markers, etc. Its. income had been ss. Gd., derived from tho offerings at week-day celebrations. The vicar referred also to the great care that had been taken by tho ladies of the parish • ill carrying out the decorations at great festivals, and in also providing for tho weekly supply of flowers for tlio altar. Tho Sunday School numbered about 71 children. There were sis teachers, but more wore wanted. Tho Mothers' Union (Mrs. E. M. M. Scott, branch secretary) numbered 95 members, and had met the first I'riday in each month. The choir fund had a balance in hand of £7 4s. Gd. Tho Sewing Guild had done good work, and the last bulb show) had given tlio vestry a sum of .£7O. Turning to other questions, tho vicar mentioned the gift of the lectern by Mr. and Mrs. PullertouSmith and family, of "Thryberg," Marton ; a silver credence patten by tho A:cnerable Archdeacon Towgood, as a thankoffering for recovery from sickness; and two handsomo brass rods for tho-.chancel by the Mothers' Union. The Memorial Chapel, at Clilf Line, built to commemorate the long work of the Venerable Arc-hdeacon Towgood in the parish, had now been almost completed and furnished. The altar had been given by the Archdeacon, and the chairs and kncelers had been imported from London. Mrs. Birch had kindly provided an organ for use, as soon as the building was ready to receivo it, A Sunday school for . the neighbourhood was being conducted mo.>t faithfully by Mies Smith, of Patikipupa, while Ali.-s liirch luid a class at Thereby for more advanced work. The vicar acknowledged gratefully Hie help always so. readily given by the Rev. \V. 13. Drmlcwater, M.A., chaplain, of J-luntly School. Tho vicar spoke of the services at St. John's Church, Tutu To tarn, carried on bv Mr. John Marshall with occasional help from others; of the work at Hawkstone Road, Crol'tou. where the Sunday school had Vt children; and also of. occasional visits to Makirikiri for Divine service. He thanked all ollicers of the church for their help. The churchwardens sumnittcd the bal-ance-sheet &'• tlio year. «'likli allowed the general offertories to bo .SIBB 12s. Id. and the special ollerloi-ies .(MS I.ls. lOd., the former being an increase of ,C,l (is. 10d„ and the latter an increase of. .£:! (Is. lid. upon last year. They pointed out, however* that owing to expenditure to meet liabilities mentioned in the la-jt annual report, the debit balance of the vestry had become largely increased, and now stood at. .£295 lis. 9(1. Seat rents and subscriptions had come to .1;2.i2 IGs., which enabled the wardens to transter lb-, to the vestry account after paying the vicar's stipend. . Mr. Birch moved, at the request of tho vicar:—-"That, in accordance will) tlio decisions of the General and Diocesan Svnods, this annual meeting of parishioners pled"es to support the objective of'the Biblc-in-State Schools League, and requests that a referendum ot Iho whole phonic of the Dominion be taken to decide the question." The resolution was seconded, and passed unanimously. The following ollicers were ■elected lor the new vear:—Vicar's churchwarden. Mr. A f '\ttowav; parishioners churchwarden Mr. F.. J. AVildo: vestry. Messrs. ()\ Harnett. 1!. K. Beckett, AV. J. Birch, a \V FuUoi'ton-Smith. 1- 1 unston, A\. C. Kensington, E. Lloyd. P. J. Madt.en, |j Young, and Dr. (.rawlord; audiloi, Air. Arthur Sieely.

f-VnU'we of four months' im|iri-!>nniO!it recently pa-.-r-.-l oa 11 warder at Portland J'riroli, ivlio was charged with bavin,, iiun-soal<e<! tobacrn to convicts for cliowiitK purposes, rcsr-ivjnn money iu , oayinettt from their relative* i