WORK FOR YOUTH

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 520, 24 November 1928, Page 5

WORK FOR YOUTH

REPORT TO ASSEMBLY PRESBYTERIAN GOVERNMENT Distinct progress in the work among the youth of the church was reported by the Youth Committee to the Presbyterian General Assembly yesterday. The committee’s report, presented by the Rev. A. B. Kilroy, stated that 20 new schools had received help for six months free from the youth office. Steady progress had been maintained in the home schools by correspondence. The year opened with a credit balance of £BB and closed with a balance of £417. The number of teachers had increased from 4.374 to 4,393, and the number of scholars decreased from 40,417 to 40,022. Junior Bible class members had increased by 206, but seniors had decreased by 82, the total now being 13,216. The Bible classes had supplied 773 Sunday school teachers. Gold and silver medals won in assembly examinations were presented by the moderator to the winners or their representatives. Mr. A. C. Whitelaw, travelling secretary of the Young Mens Bible Classes said that that movement in their own and sister churches was the expression of some of the highest aspirations of Dominion youth. Possibly no movement had done more to counteract the strong, harmful influences that threatened the youth of our land to-day, yet there was a vast field untouched. A deliverance, expressing the assembly’s deep gratitude to Sunday teachers and Bible class leaders for their service, and to many other workers for the youth of the church, was moved by Mr. Kilroy and seconded by the Rev, T. W. Armour, of Christchurch. The Revs. J. A. Allan, W. BowerBlack, J. Miller and R. M. Ryburn, and Messrs. W. H. Rose and T. W. R. llitt were appointed to represent assembly on the Religious Education Council. The report of the Sustentation Fund Committee, presented by tho Rev. John Pringle, of Dunedin, stated the equal dividend had been maintained at £295. The number of congregations which had received aid Avas 73, and the amount disbursed Avas £2,098. Mr. Pringle stated they hoped at an early date to make the equal dividend up to £ 300. Mr. John Mann Avas ordained as a minister of the church. He will become a Maori missioner. A minute, appreciative of the Avo.rk of the Rev. J. A. Aslier as convener of the Maori Mission Committee for the past eight years, was adopted. A number of gifts, including a carved Maori walking-stick, were presented to Mr. Asher by the Maori missionary, the Rev. «J. D. Ward, on behalf of the staff.