ST. PAUL’S CHURCH.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4692, 30 April 1924, Page 2

ST. PAUL’S CHURCH.

MEETING OF PARISHIONERS. The annual meeting of tne parishioners of St. Paul’s Church, Paeroa, was held in the Parish Hall last evening. the Rev. F. B. Dobson, vicar, presiding over a good attendance. REPORT AND BALANCE SHEET. The vicar’,s annual report stated that the year had been a memorable one in the advance made by the division of the parish'. On Saturday, June 7, 1923. His Lordship the Bishop dedicated the new church at Turua under the name of the Holy Trinity. On Saturday. September 1, 1923, the Venerable Archdeacon Cowie inducted the Rev. J. M. Beaufort to the charge of the new parochial district of Hauraki Plains. The Sunday School | worked steadily through 1923, and opened in February, 1924, with a goodly number of scholars, but without the assistance that Mr C. Gwilliam had given for so many years, as he has reluctantly been compelled to give up Sunday School work. The lay readers, Dr. T. Gilbert Smith, Mr IV. H. Blakeway, and Mr C. Gwilliam at Paeroa ; Mr E. J. Smith at Wharepoa, and more recently Mr Jones at Karangahake, continue their splendid work. The choir has again given valuable help in leading the public wo-ship. Miss Hart has been assisted at the organ by Mr Tracey Moresby and Miss Dobson, and the choirmen from time to time by Mr H. Hill, of Auckland. Thanks to the Ladies’ Guild the current liabilities have all been paid. The new church fund, held by Dr. T. Gilbert Smith and Mr W, J. Ellis, now amounts to £lB6 7s. With the Moore legacy of £lOB 3s a total of £294 10s is available for the building of a new church. At the last annual meeting of parishioners the Vestry was recommended to go into the. question of plans and specifications for a new church, but all that Ims been done so far is to prepare a plan of. a chancel. The accounts for Turua, Ngatea. Pipiroa, and Waitakartiru are for the first flveynonths of the year only, and those for Karangahake are for the last three months of the year only. The report further stated that the Standing Committee had notified the Vestry that the grant from the central fund liad been increased to £25, and it was asked that the district contribute at least £250 so that the stipend might be at least £275 a year. The amount required for rates, insurance, telephone, lighting, cleaning. Synod expenses, pension fund, printing. etc., came to some £7O, and this brought the amount up to £260 each ye n’. Last year the general offerings amounted to £l6O, leaving a shortage of £lOO to be provided for. It was also reported that there had been 26 baptisms, 1 marriages, anl 10 burials during the year. The statement of income and ex-- - penditnre" showed that collections for the year amounted to £216 15s sd, the respective offertories being: Paeroa, £l5B 13s; Hikutaia, £22 9s 3d; Wbarepoa, £7 7s lOd : Netherton, £6 2s 9d ; Karangahake, £4 2s lid; Tij-o-hia. 19s ; Turua, Ngatea, Pipiroa, and Waitakaruru, £lB 0s Bd. Special offerings for missions amounted to £5 Jis 7d, rental from Parish Hall £5 13s 6d. funds raised by socials £lO, Ladies’ Guild £lOO, Harvest Festival £lO 4s 6d. Central Fund £lB 3s 2d, Sunday School £1 Is 3d, Healing Mission £5 10s, Painting Fund £l5 10s, subscriptions £so' 9s 6d, making a total >f £441 15s Bd, which showed a balance of £3 16s 6d over expenditure. The report and balance-sheet were adopted, the latter subject to audit. NEW BUILDING. A lengthy discussion took plac?, with regard to the advisability of erecting a new church completely, or as an alternative the erection bf a chancel and sanctuary on to the present nave. A plan was submitted of a chancel which it was thought might be suitable. Finally it was that tiie building committee, in conjun etion with the Vestry, should obtain further particulars as to the cost of building a new church in brick or concrete capable of seating 250 persons, and also the cost of erecting a chancel in permanent on a modified scale to the plan submitted. It was agreed to follow out the decision made sonic time ago that whichever building was decided on shoull be the church’s war memorial. ' KARANGAHAKE CHURCH. It was reported that tiie Karangaliako Church, which for some years had been ministered from the Waihi parish, had been added to St. Paui's ; parish, and services were being held regularly by Mr .1. W. T. Jones, who had been appointed an additional lay reader. SUNDAY SCHOOL. Mr Blakeway, on behalf of the parishioners, expressed thanks and appreciation to the teachers for the good work done in the Sunday School durthe year. He mentioned the progress made by the Bible classes, and asked for the help of more people who would be willing to assist in maintaining and furthering the splendid work that w.-is bring undertaken. Complimentary references were extended by Dr. T. G. Sm’th to the choirmaster (Mr R. W. Evans), choir, or-.anists (Miss Hart and Mr T- , Moresby) and the Ladies’ Guild. Tiie thanks of parishioners were tended to the vicar hy Mr Blakeway for the good work he had done during the year. He stated that the church for the first time for many years was free of debt, this position being due in no small measure to the efforts of the vicar. Mr Dobson briefly thank-d the parishioners, ami stated that be earnestly hoped even greated deeds would be accomplished during the ensuing year. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. The election of officers resulted as follows : Vicar’s Warden, Mr C. Moorhouse ; People’s Warden, Mr L. C. ■ . Cane ; Vestry, Messrs C. Gwilliam, A. . E. Say. J. Hubbard, R. Thorp, F- _ Thorp, W. H. Blakeway, A. Farrar, A!« Grant, W. J. Ellis, and E. Edwards; delegates to Waikato ’Aichdeacoriary. Board, Dr. T. G. Smith (Paeroa), Mr E. J. Smith (Eiiriri).