METHODIST BIBLE CLASS UNION

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 176, 21 April 1919, Page 6

METHODIST BIBLE CLASS UNION

CAMP AT SEATOUN EXCITING HAPPENINGS There'are between 150 and 160 young men belonging- to tho New Zealand Young Men's Methodist Bible Class Union in camp at Seatoun Park at the present time. On account of the war these annual camps have been suspended for four years, but with tho war clouds dispersed tho annual camps have been resumed. Their popularity is made plain "by the. number under canvas from all parts of New' Zealand-froin Auckland to Invercargill. • The boys are impressed with the idea that things do happen in Wellington, As soon as a body of northerners arrived m Wellington they were 1 diverted by a horse-bolting episode in the city, 'then on Good Friday afternoon, when coming in for the evening service at the laranaki Street Church, per motor lorry, the brakes of the vehicle failed to act when coming down the Constable Street slope with between 30 and « boys as passengers. Some of them, realising the dan-ger-as the big lorry zig-zagged down the hill at an alarming pace, jumped oftwitn disastrous consequences. One boy named Arnold Ackroyd, of Petone, sustained a fractured left a.rm and two others wore pretty severely knocked about.- The lad was taken to the General Hospital, where he is doing as well as can be expected. During the service in the Taranaki Street Church a report of a rifle or revolver was heard, and a bullet whizzed across the Indy of the church, fortunately doing no injury to anyone present, but causing considerable consternation. At night the boys were awakened from sleep by the deep-toned syren of the steamer Bessa, as she steamed up the entrance with a hole in her forward plates, rhe persistency of the whistle convinced thorn ; that something untoward had happened, but what it was they could not ascertain. During the night the wind blew "big guns," and some of the tents were blown down. ~ , l Those in camp are. working to a sot programme. On Friday a conference of leaders was followed by a general conference in the morning. In the afternoon there was a prepared speech contest on the subject: "The Call of the Age to Christian Manhood,' and Scriptural and hymn-reading contests. At 5 IS p.m. tho visitors vers entertained at tea by the Wellington District Young Women's Bible Class Union, and in the evening a combined rally was held m Uie Taranaki Street Church, at which the Eev. E Drake presided. Of the speakers, tho Rev. J. G. Chapman was prevented from attending by an attack ot lumbago. On Saturday morning there was:. Bible study for an hour, heats ot raoes at 9.45 a.m., and at 2 p.m. a sports gathering was held, following which a hockey match, Wellington v. the World, was played. A pleasant sunny day concluded with a camp concert and presentation of trophies won at the sports (including the union's banner). Yesterday morniug at 9.30 o clock there was a further conference, followed by servico at tho AVorsor Bay Church. ■ In the afternoon there was an exposition ot the model Bible class, Mr 1. Lathan as chairman., The boys attended tho evening service at the .trinity Church,. Newtown. To-day there will be a Bible study session at 7 a.m., to be followed at 9.15 a.m. by tho official session of the New Zealand Young Men's Methodist Biblo Claw Union, election of Oihcers, etc., and this afternoon the camp will conclude with a combined picnic, to be hold in Newtown Park.