C.E.M.S.

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2938, 25 November 1916, Page 6

C.E.M.S.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE AT PALMERSTON. The annual Diocesan Conference of the Church of England Men's Society opened at Palmerston North on Wednesday under the presidency of the Right Rev. the Bishop of Wellington. There wero thirty-three delegates pre- 4 sent. The annual report and balancesheet were read and'adapted. The secretary i (Mr. R. G. House) reported that the Rev. Mr. Fulford, tho newlyappointed organising secretary for the Dominion, would be unable to take up his duty until the end of the war, as he had enlisted for a further period of service. The following were elected members of the oouncil for the nest year :— Clergy: Rev, A. L. Hansell, H. 6. Blackburn?, and R, H. Hobday; laity: Messrs. G. (J, Bridges, B. S. Langridge, H. R. Irvine, W, J. Lees, G. H. Buckeridge, E. A. Palmer, and J. Spell. The effort to provide church schools was commended to the conference by Mr. Avery. The following motion was carried: "That the members of this conference of the O.E.M.S. commend the work of the Wellington Church Schools Board to' the favourable consideration of branches." A vote of condolenco with the relatives of those who have fallen in the war was passed. It was decided that the next conference should be hel dat Masterton during November of nert' year. Speaking on the question of church schools, the Bishop said that tho movement was in no way opposed to the Bible-in-schools movement. The fund proposed to bo raised would be used especially for assisting day schools which could not bo maintained by fees alone. It was hoped to establish schools in various centres throughout the diocese. The members of the conference' attended evensong at All Saints', when an address oil the ideals of the Christian faith was delivered by the Bishop. At tho evening session of the conference an improssive address on "God" was given by Dr. Sprott. • A paper on tho cognate subject "Man" .was read by Mr. H. E. Evans.