ST. HILDA’S CHURCH

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 166, 9 April 1921, Page 12

ST. HILDA’S CHURCH

ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of St. Hilda’s Church, Island Bay, took place on Thursday night in the parish hall. The vicar, the Rev. G. Calvert Blathwayt, presided. Unfortunately, through an inadvertence, the hall had been let for the same evening to Mr. R. A. Wright, M.P. Mr. Wright very generously offered to cancel his meeting, but as the mistake was not his it was thought unfair to require this of him. It was, therefore, mutually decided to make airangements for Mr. Wright’s meeting to begin half an hour later, and the parish meeting half an ‘hour earlier.

The vicar reported that some progress was to be recoixled for the year just ended. The attendances at the church services had improved,. and there had been an increase in tjie number attending Sunday-school. In this department a number of children had done creditably at the diocesan examinations; of the passes 12 were honours, and one boy gained 100 per cent, marks. A boys’ Bible class had been started under Mr. Bland, an expert in handling and instructing boys. Young men’s .and young women’s clubs had been established, with a good membership. The ladies’ guild had been reconstituted on a new basis, and its work resulted in a record sale of work.

The usual reports and balance-sheets of the churchwarden and of the various c'hurch institutions were then read. The financial report showed an increase m the total general offertories of only .£3 9s. Id., and the subscriptions .£36 4s. Bd. As these increases will not nearly balance the increased expenditure, the vestry urged that all parishioners should do their utmost during the coming year to place the church on a , sound financial basis. There were several things that urgently required being done. One pressing need was an electric light installation in the church hall and vicarage; but the vestry at present could not see its way clear to meet tho heavy expense of installing the electric light. After an interesting discussion on sev-eral-matters arising out of the various reports and balance-sheets the vicar reappointed Mr. W. T. Gibson his warden for the ensuing Mr. A. T. Barnes was elected parish warden. The meeting adjourned until Monday, April 18. .