ALL SAINTS CHURCH.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2425, 6 May 1922, Page 3

ALL SAINTS CHURCH.

i ■ PARISHIONERS MEETING.

The annual general meeting of parishoners was held in All Saints. Schoolroom'on Wednesday evening last', /there- being .fail’ number of peoplfe presents The Vi(-iLr,(Kev. W. H. Walton) ■in present itigvh is report referred to the activities of the church and was '.able to' announce progress in nearly every direction. There had been an increase in the . attendance at church worship, including the number of Communicants. The Boys Club and St. Monicas Guild (the girls guild) were going steadily ahead resulting in a keener interest by the young people in Church life. . The attendance of the choir had certainly been disappointing, no one! realising it so bitterly as the choirmaster-(Mr R. T. Betty). For years Mr Betty had put his whole heart and soul into that part of the worship of God expressed in music and to see such, a paucity of attendance after so many years devoted to this work was keenly felt by him. He (Mr Walton) hoped that members of the choir would express their appreciation of this devotion in the only wav acceptable to the heart of a choirmaster, namely, regular attendance/ One other disappointment was the Sunday School. The few workers in the field had laboured unr'emittingly but there were too •few of them and they were working under considerable difficulties. He could not speak.too highly of those who were trying to cany on the work. One other matter he just wished to mention was the fact that two years hence would bring the Jubilee of the Church. He knew it was a long time to look forward to but time passes very quickly and he wanted the pni’ishioners to think of it and talk of it nmou& themselves. ■ Something should be done worthy of 'the occasion and' one thing which should he considered was the possibility of completing, the very fine organ the Church possessed by the addition of a Grand Seven and other stops which had been provided for in the first place. He mentioned that he had received a letter from Mr England who was keenly interested in the matter and who expressed his willingness to help in the matter in every possible- way. , Mr Walton • referred briefly to the question of finance and his deep gratitude to all his workers. Mr Tyer in reading the BalanceSheet drew attention to the fact that the Revenue'had not been-quite sufficient to cover the year’s expenditure. There had Veen no unusual .expenses, but the hare items which must be faced year by year. The Ladies Guild had, as usual, contributed very largely to the Church’s revenue, their efforts Resulting in the-accumulation of just £l7O. The Weakness seemed to be in the voluntary giving. The offertories were practically the same as last year, ’ but in the last few veal’s the list of subscribers had shrank very considerably. 'those who were giving were giving generously, but their number was altogether oat. of. proportion to the list, of parishioners. .As Mr Walton had mentioned vestry had endeavoured to deal with the question but the difficulty lay in finding collectors.'

■ Proceeding to the election of officers Mr Walton announced that he had reappointed Mr Tyer as his warden. Mr A. S. Eqston was'unanimously re-elected peoples, warden. Mr Walton in seconding his nomination spoke feelingly of Mr' Easton’s long occupation of the office and his faithful and untiring services. The following gentlemen were elected to the vestry: Messrs Barber, Betty, Christie, Frankland, Nye, Poole, F. Robinson, Dr Rowley, C. H. Symons, C. Spiers. Special voes of thanks were passed to The Lady’s Guild , the Choir, Mr Betty, Mr Bock (for auditing accounts), Mr C. Spiers, Mr Thornbur, Mr and Mrs East' and Mrs Tt. A. Easton.

Special reference was made to the departure of Mr and Mrs Fnrrie and Mr and Mrs Moorhouse. Their interest in Chnreh affairs and their ready help at all times,was very greatly- appreciated and their loss to the parish was deplored. Others who were missed from the meeting were Mrs ,T. Barber and Mrs A. S. Easton, both of whom were unable to attend. Mr Walton spoke of the tremendous inspiration of received from the lives and zeal of those, two old Church workers whom he considered to-.be shining examples of ;a-ll that Christianity represented. He expressed the hope that they would .be spared to the eominnnity ’for a very’long time to come.

At the close of the meeting Mr 'Tyer spoke his appreciation of the work accomplished by Mr and Mrs Walton during the-year, especially referring, to the success of theiref"forts among the young people. Those present expressed their endorsement of the. speaker’s remarks bv acclamation.