ST. JOHN'S CHURCH CHOIR.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 4088, 28 August 1884, Page 2

ST. JOHN'S CHURCH CHOIR.

["To the Editor of the Daily Telegraph.] Sir,—Are the boys or tho' committee of management to blame for tho present state of affairs? To enable us to judge I Avill enumerate a few things. When the choir was first formed, although the boys had four or fiA'e practices a week, they did their work cheerfully and willingly, were good boys

rather high-spirited, only wanting kindly firmness to make them all that could be wished. This was kept up for the first year or two, during which time little or no notice was taken of them by the committee of management. Then the reins of discipline were relaxed, and careless habits began, carelessness degenerated into mischief, and all control was" lost. One thing happened after another, until one night things came to a climax, when, after hide and seek, shouting, &c, through the pews, shingle was thrown into the church, the vestry abominally desecrated, and a window broken. One would think, after such a, crisis, the ringleaders would have been expelled as an example, and a new state of affairs instituted. Will you believe it, Sir, actually no notice was taken of this ! ! and not only so, but the very next week the clergyman presented all the boys Avith a handsome new prayer-book ! ! ! as a reward, I suppose, for their good behaviour. Then last Easter, during the absence of the choirmaster, a member of the choir tried to keep order, scolded and cuffed the boys, which, boy-like, they resented, and hooted him when he left the church. This went on until a policeman was fetched, who in the presence of the clergyman and ladies, lectured and threatened to lock them up. 0 tempora ! 0 mores ! After this one sturdy young Turk went to the clergyman and said the boys should have been spoken to quietly, and not have a policeman sent for to lecture them at the church before the ladies, and that he resigned. A sensible boy that. Is it a wonder a re-organisation is required ? The Avonder is that parents have permitted their sons to remain in a choir where such a state of things is allowed to exist.—l am, &c, DisciPLiNE. August 28, 1884.