SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1864, 13 February 1880, Page 3

SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION.

The thirteenth annual general meeting of the above was held in the Durham street Wesleyan schoolroom yesterday evening, preceded by a tea meeting, at which there were 350 present. Tho public meeting commenced at 7.30, Mr B. Connal presiding. After prayers, the annual report was read as follows :

In presenting this tho thirteenth annual report of the C.S.S. Union, your committee do so with feelings of gratitude to Almighty God for the success attending their efforts daring the past year, and while thankful for what has been accomplished during the past, they fully realise the importance of tho work in which they are engaged, and enter upon another year’s labors full of hope and with renewed confidence in God.

The report, as presented last year, represented the total number of schools connected with the Union to be fifty-six (56). Your committee have much pleasure in reporting that during the year seven schools have associated themselves with the Union, making a total of sixty-three i 63) connected schools, as follows : Wesleyan, 17 ; Presbyterian, 16 ; U.M.F. Church, 10 ; Congregational, 6 ; Baptist, 5 ; Primitive Methodist, 5 ; Christian Brethren, 3; Episcopalian,!. The number of officers and teachers being as follows : —Male, 496 ; female, 403. Total, 898. Scholars—Male. 4076 ; female, 4221. Total, 8297. The libraries of the various schools represent 10,642 volumes. Sunday School Visitors—Messrs. Dexter and Roy have been appointed that special work during the year, and have satisfactorily carried out their duties in connection with that office. Model Lesson —Your committee beg to report that during tho year one model lesson has been given, which lesson was delivered by the Rev. A. Reid on Thursday, May 15tb, in the U. M. P. Church Schoolroom. The lesson was a very able one. and proved highly interesting, as evidenced by tho large attendance and the lively criticisms which followed the lesson.

Teachers’ Conference —A teachers’ conference was held on the 19th June in the Durham street Wesleyan Schoolroom. A social tea meeting was held in connection with the same, and, despite the inclement state of the weather, fully 300 persons sat down to tea, and ample justice had been done to the good things provided. The conference was held at 7.45 p.m.,the Rev. A. Reid presiding. The Rev. E. Walker then opened the proceedings by reading a very ably written and instructive paper (subject, “Some possible means of promoting the Sunday school enterprise ”). The paper as a whole proved highly interesting and instructive. A very lengthy and exhaustive discussion on Sunday school work generally then followed, in which a goodly number of those present took part. Several of those who spoke referred to the rapid progress secular education is making in our midst, thereby showing the necessity for raising the teaching staff of our Sunday schools to a greater slate of efficiency. The following resolutions were then referred to your committee for consideration—lst, Children’s special service mission ; 2nd, The centenary celebration ; 3rd, Examination of teachers ; 4th, Formation Sunday School Teachers’ Institute, which subjects have received the full consideration of your committee. A children’s special service mission has been formed, consisting of the following gentlemen Messrs G. Booth. H. J. Ross, E. Connal, H. Patten, H. W. Waters, T. Pillow, Lambert, Vollor, and Turner. A Sabbath School Teachers’ Institute has likewise been inaugurated, and we sincerely hope that all Sabbath school teachers will avail themselves of the advantages which such a noble institution affords them for their better equipment to carry on the all-important work in which they are engaged. The centenary question is still under the consideration of your committee, and at present nothing definite has been decided upon, pending further inquiries from the other New Zealand agencies as to what steps they intend taking in the matter.

Annual Gathering of Schools —The usual annual gathering of the various Sunday schools of this city took place on Sunday, December 28th, in the following churches : Wesleyan— Durham street, Colombo road, and St. Alban’s ; and St. Paul’s, Presbyterian; the services being conducted as follows: St. Paul’s. Rev. W. Baumber, assisted by Mr H. J. Ross ; Wesleyan—Durham street, Rev. .T. Elmslie; St. Alban’s, Rev. E. Peters, assisted by Mr Cook ; Colombo road, Rev. J. White, assisted by Mr E. Connal. The weather being all that could be desired, the thirteenth annual gathering passed off most successfully. Re Annual Subscriptions of Schools —After due consideration, your committee have resolved that for the future the minimum subscriptions shall be as follows :—For all schools having ten teachers or more, ten shillings per annum ; and schools having less than that number, five shillings per annum Alterations have also been made in the fees for the hire of dissolving view apparatus, the scale of the charges for the future being ss follows —For all schools having 100 scholars in attendance, 15s, and 10s for every additional 100 ; and your committee trust that the above moderate charges will be the means of stirring the schools up to the more frequent use of the dissolving view apparatus for providing interesting and instructive entertainments for the scholars. Univer-al prayer, in accordance with circulars received from the parent society, Sunday, 19th October, was observed as a day of universal prayer on behalf of Sunday schools. The usual quarterly prayer meetings have also been held during the year, and the paucity of attendance at these meetings is much to be regretted, and wo hope that during the year Sunday school teachers will be more alive to the importance of these means of grace. The sales from the depot show a considerable increase over the previous year ; the sales for 1879 being ,£?92 12s 4d, as compared with .£235 5s 8d for JS;B. being a net increase for the year of .£57 6s Bd. The circulation of magazines also shows a considerable increase over the previous year, the issues for 1879 reaching a total of 38,500, the issues for 1878 being 33,400, showing an increase for the year of 5100 issues; the cash received for the sale of magazines during the year amounted to .£lsl 8s 3d, as compared with £126 for the previous year. Tour committee beg also to report that a subcommittee has been appointed to consider the question of the thorough reorganisation of the trade department of the Union; also, the removal of the depot to more commodious premises, which are urgently needed for the successful and proper management of the affairs of the depot. And, in concluding their report, your committee sincerely trust that the dawn of the centenary of Sunday schools will lead to the review of the past, and while attempting to review the great and glorious work this noble institution has accomplished, it leads us as Sabbath school workers to more fully realise the importance of a full and complete consecration of ourselves to the great and important work in which we are engaged. And wo hope that tl e centenary year will prove one of rich spiritual blessing to all Sabbath school teachers, and tl at it may lead to the consecration of multitudes of youthful hearts to chri-t, this being the great object and aim of our teaching. , Your committee desire also most heartily to thank those who have assisted them in any way during the past year ; and in entering upon the duties of another year they do so confident of the support and sympathy of all those who have Sabbath school work at heart, also remembering that our labor shall not be in vain in the Ford, The balance-sheet showed that the Union had a credit balance of £350 in hand, and I that the financial position of the society was * greatly improved since last year.

The report and balance-sheet wore adopted. Following on the above business, the election of officers for the ensuing year took place with the following result:—President, Mr H. J. Robs ; Vice-Presidents, Messrs E. Connal, W. S. Taylor, G. Booth, S. Staples, and J. Woodham ; minute sec., Mr H. Peake ; corresponding sec., Mr J. Higgins ; treasurer, Mr J. S. Cooke.

Addresses were delivered by several clergymen and others, and the choir rendered two anthems and some hymns very successfully, Mr T. Rutland conducting, and Mr Searrell presiding at the organ. The proceedings terminated with prayer.