St. Matthews' Church.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 8 May 1912, Page 3

St. Matthews' Church.

The annual meeting of the above was held in the Foresters' Hall, on Friday, May 3rd, at 7.30 p.m. Present : The Vicar (in the Chair), Messrs White, Olive, Mills, Cubitt, Harvey, Hill, H. B. Becroft, Syers, and J, E. Page.

The meeting was openpcl with prayer. The minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed. The balance sheet was adopted as read.

Mr Cubitt, Superintendent of the Sunday School, addressing the meeting, expressed regret at the. small attendance. He combated the prevailing idea that the Sunday School was in a bad state; on the contrary it had been kept going very well, and was in a fairly flourishing condition. More teachers were needed, especially as he was going round to get parents to send their their children to the school, when it would be absolutely impossible for three teachers to conduct the school. He regretted the fact that at the Children's Services he had held, there had been no adults present. . The Vicar referred with great regret to the death of Mr Sewell, which took place in July of last year. Mr Seweli was a loyal member of the church, and did good service as secretary of the C.E.M.S. He also spoke with feeling of the death of the late Mr Monk, who, although not a member of the church, was so well known and respected in the district. He also regretted the departure of Mr Harvny, who, ns a member of the vestry and. of the choir, would be very much missed. As to the spiritual work of the Church (continued the Vicar), there has been during the year, 47 baptismals, 8 adults ; 18 confirmed, 7 over 20 ; 587 communions in the district, 450 in St. Matthews' Church, being an increase in the latter, but slightly less in the out districts1., the district being slightly smaller. There was great cause for thankfulness that work in the Sunday School had been carried on, and with Mr Cubitt as male superintendent, he hoped-that great progress would be made. Mrs Page had done good work, assisted by Mr S. White, and Misses Cbannon and Bennef t. occasionally. He was also pleased at the result of: the guild. The bazaar was a great succe?s, and would have more so if the weather had been better. The Sun day school accounts showed a small credit balance. Kef erring to the services, the Vicar stated the communion services had a greater attendance, but 'evening services less : of late lay readers' evening and morning services had proved a failure, but he hoped that Mr Cubitt would be able to start morning services again,and that the . parishioners would make an^ effort to attend them., Ke the financial state, it was not really his affair, but he realised that it was his duty to touch on the matter, work could not be carried on without money, and the offertories had been miserably insufficient. Liabilities were : Int. and P. £35; Stipend, £200; Pension Fund, £10; Church expenses, £30; £275 less £30 C.C.F., £245, He expressed thanks to the lay^readers, Mr Whit© (warden)

Mr Olive (Peoples' warden), vestry, choir, helpers at bazaar and social?, Sunday school teachers, and all church

workers

Mr "White was reappointed. Vicar's "Warden; Mr Olive, People's Warden : Mr Hill, secretary; Yeetry : Messrs Mills, Page, Cubitt, Syers, Oucksey, H. B. Becroi't, Woodhouse, Green, and Watts; Sidesman, Mr Mills.

The meeting concluded with the benediction,