PARISH MEETINGS.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2235, 27 April 1881, Page 3

PARISH MEETINGS.

OPAWA. The annual meeting of the parishioners was held on Friday evening. The meeting was well attended. The incumbent, tho Bev. Q-. J. Cholmondeley, after addressing tho meeting on some topics connected with the position and welfare of tho parish, and expressing his thanks to the various Church workers, requested Mr Tipping to road the churchwardens’ report, and submit tho statement of accounts to the meeting. The report was then rend and adopted, on tho motion of Mr Ford, seconded by Mr Pavitt. The incumbent appointed Mr Tipping as churchwarden, and tho parishioners elected Mr March. The following gentlemen were elected vestrymen : Messro Macbeth, Bell, Pavitt, Howell, Parsons, Harley, Ford, E, Jenkins, Havana and the Hon. E. Bichardaon, Mr McKellar was appointed auditor. It was announced that Mr Ford had been duly elected Synodsman of tho parish. Hearty votes of thanks were accorded to the various Church officers for the past year, tho Ladies’ Working Society, tho choir, and the Sunday School teachers. Tho proceedings then closed with prayer.

KAIAPOI, The annual parochial meeting was hold on Monday in the Sunday school ; tho Bev. D. O. Hampton presiding. The Bev. Chairman entered into a statement of the work done in the parish. He regretted having to discontinue part of tho daily services, owing to delicate health. Services on every third Sunday had been opened at Coutts Island, and a Sunday school started, A Sunday school at Olarkvillo was doing well, conducted by Mr Neeve. Tho main Sunday school had become a matter of great concern to him, owing to the difficulty in oh'aining teachers, A a this was the nursery of the church, and the old parishioners must die, he looked upon it as being of the utmost importance that the young should be properly instructed. He was gratified with the work of the year, in the extension of the school and the church, and no doubt the financial report would be a satisfactory one. He desired to thank the choir, past and present, the school teachers, and the officers for the help afforded during the year. Mr B. Kovell, minister’s churchwarden, read the accounts, which showed in the general account a total receipt of £646 3s 4d, inclusive of bazaar £222 18s 4d ; Synod grant and loan, £l5O ; offertories, £lB5 la 5d ; pew rente, £29 17s 6d; donations, £l6 15s; Mr Porter, for lectern, £6 j balance from last year, £27 17s 9d ; present debit balance, £7 13a 3£d. The principal payments were—Arrears of stipend, £IBB 15s ; do organist’s salary, £6 10s ; stipend, £146 5s ; organist, £l9 10a ; sexton, £2O; repairs, £l3 8a 61 ; special offertories, £2B 17s 7d ; buildings, £lB4 12s 6d ; and a number of unimportant sundries also enumerated. The cemetery account showed receipts £6, and £1 16 1 borrowed from the general account. The total of the building account was £l9B 18s 6d, showing a balance of £42 18s 6d due to general account. The liabilities of the pariah were stated to be about £25. The choir account, £ll 7a 9d, received, showed a credit of £3 17a 3d, carried to the Sunday School account. The Sunday School account, total £l3 12a 2d, showed Is lid due to curate. The sick and needy account —Receipts £3 19s Id, expenditure £1 2a 7d, showed a credit balance of £2 6a 6d.

Tho accounts had been audited by Mr B. H. Mathews,

In reply to a question, it was stated the buildings owned by the parish were insured for £2250, which was considered most excessive.

The retiring wardens thanked the congregation for the assistance afforded them during the year, but regretted that some of the promised subscriptions had not been paid. The offertories had been better than previously, viz., £174, as against £135 for the former year, which not only spoke well for the curate’s earnestness, but for the interest taken by the congregation in the affairs of the Church.

On motion of Mr O. E. Dudley (a vestryman), seconded by Mr A. T. Clark, the statement of accounts was adopted. Mr W. W. Slow was nominated, and consented to aot as minister’s warden.

In answer to a question, Mr O. Whitefoord stated that be now resided out of the parish, and was not eligible to act as people’s warden.

After a canvass of those present, Mr Whitefoord moved, Mr Bevell seconded, “That Mr Dudley be elected people’s churchwarden." Agreed to. Some delay took place in filling the places of vestrymen, as several nominated were not communicants. Finally the following list was submitted and adopted, namely, Messrs O. Whitefoord, H. Neeve, A. Brundell, T. Unwin, J. Harper, D. O’Callaghan, and Dr. Dudley, the rev. chairman stating that the Dean had ruled that a non-resident within the parish might act as vestryman, though ineligible through non-residence therein for the post of warden.

On the motion of Mr Unwin, seconded by Mr Venables, a vote of thanks was unanimously passed to the outgoing vestry, and to Mr Dudley, who had presented plans for the church and school improvements. In reply to a parishioner, the Churchwarden said that part of the cemetery not used had been let to be cultivated. This year it was cropped by the lessee with potatoes, and ho had agreed to put it into grass next season, so as to clean the ground. Messrs Venables and Clark complained that the act was one of desecration, the former adding that after a long residence in Mahommedan countries he had never seen a burial ground so used, snd especially places consecrated.

The Chairman said that the matter bad been submitted to the Bishop before the land was let, and his lordship had seen no objection to cleaning the weeds and gorse plants away by cropping. Ou the motion of Mr Bevell, seconded by Mr Whitefoord, votes of thanks were accorded to the ladies and gentlemen of the choir, to the Sunday school teachers, and the ladies and gentlemen who assisted at the bazaar.

It was resolved—“ That after June 30th the hymns, ‘ Ancient and Modern, now edition,’ bo used." Messrs Venables, Clark, and Dudley agreed to act as a committee to report upon the state of the cemetery and propose improvements. ’A vote of thanks and valedictory prayer concluded the proceedings, BANQIORA. At the annual meeting here last evening there was a large attendance. The Yen. Archdeacon Dudley presided. A most satisfactory statement of accounts was read, in which it was shown the clergyman had actually been overpaid £5 4s 6i on stipend account. The chairman and the vestrymen had a somewhat animated disagreement about tho old 4s 6d, the archdeacon stating he had never received it. Tho officers elected were —eynodsmen, Mr G. Gordon; churchwarden, minister’s, Mr O. J. Chapman 5 people’s, Mr Aherne; vestrymen, Messrs Thomson (2), Cunningham, Leech, Stephens, and Tribe. Thanks were voted to all churchworkers, whether in choir or Sunday-school. A sharp discussion took place in reference to tho question of Church music, one member who was hitherto opposed to a superfluity of chanting now was understood to move that every item in tho service should be sung. The question was, however, deferred for consideration, AMBERLET. Tho annual meeting of the parishioners was held in the school-room on Monday evening ; the Rev. H. G. Gould occupied the chair. The church officers’ report congratulated tho parishioners on tho progress made during the year. Additional sittings to accommodate fifty persons had been added to the church, as also a tower and vestry. Tho total expenditure, including stipend, amounted to £629, leaving a debit balance of £ll6 16s lOd. The attendances at the services had made satisfactory increase ; the communicants hod increased from thirty to sixty-seven, which was a real sign of tho progress of the church. The total amount of the offertories received was £125 10s 7d. Reference was made to the services recently instituted at the Springfield school-room, which,, though decreasing the attendance at the church, were a groat boon to many whom distance debarred from attending at tho regular place of worship. A Sunday school had also been established there under the superintendence

of Mr Purchas. Eegret was expressed at Mr O. T, Harper's leaving the district, and thanks were given to that gentleman and Mr T. Douglas for their services as lay readers, also to Mrs Holder for her kind services as organist. The report and balance sheet were adopted. Mr T. Douglas stated that 111 children were on the rolls of the throe district Sunday schools—-Ambcrley, Springfield, and North road. About eighty attended on an average. Votes of thanks to the outgoing vestry and churchwardens were carried. The chairman named Mr F. Holder as Bishop’s churchwarden. Mr W. H. Brcwno was elected parishioners’ churchwarden. The following were elected vestrymen :—Messrs Ooleman, Douglas, Courage, Parsons, Preston, Wither, Ferrar, Purchas, Foster, and Orampton. Votes of thanks to the ladies and gentlemen who taught in the Sunday schools and to the rev. chairmen terminated tho proceedings.

AKAEOA. Tho annual meeting of parishioners was held at St. Peter’s Church on Monday ; the Rev. H. Stocker in the chair. Mr A. Westenra road the annual report, which congratulated the parish upon its improved position. Tho general offertories for the past year amounted to £lO2 2s 7d, an increase of £2O 10s 9d. The special offertories amounted to £3l 16s 41, including contributions from the Bays. The contributions to the stipend fund collected after March 31st, 1880, for that year were :—Akaroa, £2l 10a 6d ; Bobinson’s Bay, £8 15s; Head of the Bay, £1 15s; French Farm and Barry’s Bay, £l7 17s 4d. For the year past ended tho amounts were : Akaroa, £lOl 8s 6d ; Robinson’s Bay, £l4; Head of the Bay, 10a; French Farm and Barry’s Bay, £l4 3s 9d; Peraki, £B. The existing liabilities amounted to £137 7s 83, a decrease of £34 Is 7d. The cemetery fund showed a balance in hand of £1 9s 7d. On the motion of Mr Harwood the report and balance sheet were adopted. The superintendent of the Sunday School, Mr Watkins, read a report, which showed that on March 31st there were ninety-four scholars on tho roll, with fourteen teachers. The average attendance of scholars was 68. Mr A, Westenra was re-elected as minister’s [churchwarden, and Mr Qr. H. Saxton as parishioners’ churchwarden. The following gentlemen were chosen as vestrymen :—Messrs H. Billens, W. Meech, S. Watkins, Q. Wright, P. Mullins, W. Perilington, A. Nioholls. Mr S. Watkins nominated Mr H. H. Fenton as synodsman for Akaroa. Tho meeting then closed.