TEA MEETING.

Globe, Volume II, Issue 106, 2 October 1874, Page 2

TEA MEETING.

A tea meeting to commemorate the twentyfirst anniversary of the foundation of the Christchurch Wesleyan Sunday Schools, and to celebrate the opening of the newly-erected Durham street Sunday school, was held last Thursday, in the schoolroom. The room—a description of which has already appeared in these columns —which was tastefully decorated with flags, was crowded to excess, at least from 500 to 600 persons being present. The tea was provided by the ladies of the congregation, one table being given by Mr B. O. Mouldy, and another by the bachelor members of the congregation. The ladies’ tables were presided otrer by Mesdames K. England, Thornton, Gould, Wincop, Ballantyne, J. Jones, Cresswell, Meadows, Harrington, and Gilmore. Miss Pemberthy presided over Mr Mouldy’s table, ani Miss H. Pemberthy over that of the bachelors. After tea had been partaken of an adjournment was made to the church, where a public meeting, largely attended, was held, Mr J Ballantyne in the chair. The proceedings were opened by the Sun day school children, who occupied the gallery, singing “ We are marching onward.” The Chairman said that had he known their old friend Mr Turner, and whom he noticed there that evening, would have been well enough to be present, he would not have consented to occupy that position. He regretted their good friend, Mr Gould, was unable, through illness, to be with them that night. They had great cause for thankfulness to God that they were not met that evening to discuss as to whether Sunday schools were a blessing or otherwise ; for it was now acknowledged by all the churches that they are of themselves unmixed good, and it remained a fact that thousands had been guided into the path of peace and Heaven through the instrumentality ot Sunday schools. He thought they acted wisely in holding celebrations of those schools. They had that night reached an event in the history of their Sabbath school, as it had attained its majority, and was twenty-one years old that day. Of the good energetic ladies who had done all this good work he could not apeak in sufficiently high terms of praise. They had given them a splendid building, followed by an excellent tea held in the room, and had then handed it over to the laborers in the field, and a more appropriate birthday gift they could not have presented to them. [Applause.] The building was only half paid for, bnt if the bazaar to be held next week was only half as successful as the previous one, they would be enabled to pay off the balance, £I6OO. [Applause.] The ladies deserved their most grateful thanks for what they had already done, and he knew that a great deal of excellent work had been gathered in, executed by them for the coming bazaar, done in many instances under the difficulties of sickness, and, in one or two cases, in deaths in families. To these ladies, the Scriptural quotation would deservedly apply, “ Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.” [Applause.] There were some people who had scruples about bazaars, he . respected the scruples of those persons, but if, when bazaars were conducted upon honest and religious principles, any better means could be taken to raise necessary funds for a good work, then he would be quite ready to adopt the mode pointed out. It was their intention to try and make their bazaar a pattern one, and the committee would take great care that their bazaar was carried on in a manner that would command the confidence of everyone. He trusted they would all heartily assist the ladies who were getting up the bazaar in their arduous work, and it had been determined that the receipts of that evening would be handed over to them as a donation towards this object. [Applause]. He would now call upon the secretary (Mr Baton) to read the report aad balance sheet.

Mr Paton read the documents referred to.

The Rev Mr Cannell, of Springston, next addressed the meeting, and dwelt on the excellence of Sabbath school work, the pleasure of teaching the young, and the danger of their growing up without this religious teaching. He stated the essential qualifications of teachers to be piety, kindness, and intelligence, diligence also being a necessity. Careful preparation of lessons was also indispensable to success, and quoted from the biography of Dr Chalmers to show that that learned doctor had prepared his lessons for Sunday school —even though his pupils were children of the poorest class—as carefully as he would have done his subjects for classes at the University, The Revs B. J. Westbrooke, W. J. Watkins, and A. R. Fitchett, also delivered addresses.

After some congratulatory remarks from the Rev J. Buller, the meeting was closed with singing and prayer.