EAST TAIERI PRESBYTERIANS

Evening Star, Issue 22143, 25 September 1935, Page 2

EAST TAIERI PRESBYTERIANS

ANNUAL SOCIAL MEETING There was a good attendance at the annual social and meeting of the East Taieri congregation in Kinmont Hall. The Rev. S.'C.'Francis presided. The programme opened with praise and prayer, followed by introductory remarks by the chairman. The reports of the various congregational activities were read and adopted. The minister, in his foreword to the eighty-first annual report, recorded steady progress in the church’s organisations, and the congregational notes stated that 18 new members were added to the roll, bringing the total to 290. The following new office-bearers were ordained and inducted:—East Taieri: Deacons—Messrs W. Craigie, James Grant, George Hunter, and D B. Watt. Allanton: Elder, Mr William Nichol; deacon, Mr P. Titchenor. The congregation had again exceeded its assessment for missions. Mr William Allan read and explained in detail the session report. This stated that during the past year the Deacon’s Court suffered a sad loss by the death of Mr Hugh Orr,. one of its number. Its senior elder (Mr William C. Todd) had completed 50 years of service as an office-bearer in this congregation. He was ordained and inducted a deacon in 1884, and an elder in 1904. In June last the Allanton people celebrated the seventieth anniversary of the opening of the church at Allanton. The membership roll showed a small increase for the year. Eighteen new members were received into the church —10 by profession of faith, and eight by certificates from other congregations; but 10 names were removed from the. roll —■ five by death and five by disjunction certificates. This left a. net gain of seven, and brought the membership up to 290, of whom 234 were in East Taieri and 56 in Allanton. The minister and his wife (Mr ami Mrs Francis) had both taken a keen and active part in all the affairs of the congregation. In addition to his pulpit and pastoral work —which had been well done—Mr Francis had been the leader of two Bible classes, and had taken an interest in the children attending the public school, and also in many worthy objects both inside and outside the congregation. Mrs Francis had also taken a part in Bible class work, and she was the president of the Allanton branch of the P.W.M.11. The P.W.M.11. (East Taieri branch) had a membership of 53, and the Allanton branch a membership of about 13. The Girls’ Auxiliary, with a membership of 20, continued its good work under the direction of Miss Burn. The four Bible classes (young women’s class, young men’s class, and junior class at East Taieri, and a mixed class at Allanton) had an aggregate number of 57 members. In the four Sunday schools within the bounds of the parish 140 children were being taught by 16 devoted and self-sacrificing teachers. Two Busy Bee Hives had been formed during the year —one at East Taieri with a family of 30 Busy Bees, and the other at Allanten. Mr J. M'Bryde as organist and choirmaster, and the choir, continued to do their part by leading the praise in all services. The fortnightly services at Saddle Hill were still being conducted by the llev. Professor Collie, and were highly appreciated by the people in that locality. The past year, as in recent years, despite the economic depression and all the difficult problems .thatTTad.followed’.in its.-train, the East Taieri and Allanton people had been enabled to provide sufficient funds, not only to nieet the - current expenses within the parish, but also to cover, or more than cover, the amount for which they had been assessed under the budget scheme for the missionary enterprise and general work of tho Presbyterian Church of New Zealand. Mr J. A. Borrie gave a full report of tho work of the Court. He mentioned that the following sub-com-mittees had acted during the year:— Finance—Messrs Burn, W. Allan, and W. K. Kirk; Works—Messrs G. Ford, Roberts, and M'Lean; Car—Messrs R. Kirk, Nichol, and Muirhead; Seat-let-ting, Mr 6. M'Lean. Various small repairs had been carried out to the manse during the year, but_ the court was faced with the necessity of extensive repairs in the near future. Kinmont Hall was in good order. Congratulations were offered to_ the Allanton congregation on attaining its seventieth anniversary, and to Mr W. C. Todd on completing 50‘ years as an officebearer. The financial position was satisfactory. Special thanks were duo to the Works Committee for the diligent care of the property, and to the treasurer for his systematic and careful management of tho funds. In the absence of Mr W. K. Kirk (treasurer), Mr Allan read and explained the financial statement. The reports of the various church organisations also revealed satisfactory progress and a wide field of activity. Mrs M'Bryde, in the absence of Mrs Collie, presented the report of the P.W.M.11.; Miss A. Wallace reported for the Girls’ Auxiliary; the Busy Bees’ report was read by Miss Doris Grigg; and tho various Bible classes were reported on by Miss Margaret Sellwood (young women), Mr Francis (young men), and Mr Allan (juniors). At the conclusion of the reading of the reports, the Chairman referred to the progress made during the year, and expressed his gratification at the interest shown by tho congregation in mission work. He explained the method by which each congregation’s allocation was fixed. Tho assembly fixed the amount for each presbytery, and that presbytery in turn fixed the amount for each congregation, according to the estimated ability of each to contribute. Owing to the world conditions with regard to financial affairs, the amount would ho increased 10 per cent, nexr year. He thanked all helpers, Sunday school teachers, Bible t class leaders, office-bearers, and especially the ladies of tho P.W.M.11. and Girls’ Auxiliary, and those Indies who attended to the decorating of the church each week.