ST. MARY'S CHURCH.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 April 1916, Page 3

ST. MARY'S CHURCH.

ANNUAL MEETING OF PARISHIONERS. There was a good attendance at St. Mary's Hall last night, when the annual meeting of parishioners of St. Mary's Church was held. Rev. A. H. Colvile presided. i ANNUAL REPORT.

The Vestry's report was as follows:

The past year lias been an eventful one in the history of St. Mary's Church, the two principal events being the completion and opening of the Govett memorial transept and Lady Chapel and the creation of Te Henui parochial district. The flovott memorial transept was (Inly dedicated by liis Lordship Bishop Averill on Sunday, November 28, 1915. The morning service was largely attended, the veterans and a number of old settlers being present. In the evening tlie ehureh was crowded to overflowing. Special offertories were taken np at both services, the proceeds (which were in aid of enlarging tlie vestry and of seating and furnishing tlie new'additions to the church), amounting to .•£173 Os lid. Parishioners were also given tlie opportunity of contributing towards the cost of a memorial altar to the Rev. William Bolland, the first vicar of the parish, the amount realised for the purpose, with subsequent donations, amounting to £65, and a contract for the erection of a suitable altar in Mt. Somers stone lias since been let to Messrs Walpole and Paterson. The altar, when finished, will be placed in the chancel and the present altar will 1).: re-erected in the lady chapel. Enlargement of the vestry.—For many years past tlie members of tlie elioir have suffered great inconvenience owing to the cranipedi accommodation provided in the old vestry, and at a meeting of parishioners hold on August 23 last it was decided to let a contract to Messrs. Walpole and Paterson-to enlarge the vestry at a cost of £2f!!). Tlie work lias been duly completed and now affords ample room, and greatly adds to the comfort of both the clergy"and the choir. Repairs to roof of the church.—For some time past the older portion of the roof of the south aisle has been in a very unsatisfactory state, owing to most of the nails holding the slates having corroded. The vestry therefore deemed it wise to have the whole of the defective portion of the roof re-slated while the contracture were on the ground with their scaffolding ind other plant. Unfortunately, wlipi .the slates were removed it was fount 1 !iat considerable portions of the wooclci virking and pnrlines were badly affW i. with the borer, some portions h" : "' ' .nite rotten. The whole of the liv i timber had to be removed, and was replaced with heart of rimii. The tntii' -nst of these repairs amounted to &-, »id it is satisfactory to know that Hi/ -imf of the church is now in thorm; ■■" .vpair and should not require any at v.iim for several years to come.

Oth" 'cessary expenditure was incurrei' \ v re-covering the aisles with cork en. Tel and the removal and reeleanin? if the font, both of which have greatly added to the comfort and appearance of the church. Realising the necessity of increased ventilation in the church, the Vestry procured and have had fixed in the roof two large ventilators, which it is hoped will prove an effectual remedy. The creation of Te Henui parochial district having been formally sanctioned by the Diocesan Synod, the Rev. H. A. Fa veil was duly inducted as first vicar on Thursday, December 2. We heartily congratulate the vicar and members ofthis old and historic church, and churchmen throughout the district, on the completion of so important an event, and we trust that, under the blessing of G«d, they may enjoy a full measure of prosperity in the days to come.

Finance.—Taking into consideration the prevailing war, the revenue of our church lias kept up remarkably well, both general and special offertories showing an increase over last year. The amount of special jffertories, amounting to £54(5 fls (id (due to patriotic calls and also to the appeal for funds to defray the cost of enlarging the vestry)', probably constitutes a record in the history of the parish; and although the statement of accounts shows a debit of £317 17s Id, this" is entirely due to the expenditure incurred by the enlargement of the vestry and the repairs to the roof of the church. With careful administration during the coming year, and relying upon the same generous support which has always been forthcoming for the needs of the church, we anticipate with confidence the speedy extinction of the debt.

lii conclusion, we deem it our duty to bring before parishioners the urgent need for the erection of a building for the kindergarten branch of our Sunday School. This important department of Sunday School work has for some time past been carried on by Miss Harrison and a devoted band of teachers in the Brougham Street Hall, under particularly trying conditions. The hall, however, has lately been sold and is no longer available for our purpose. No other building being available, we have been obliged to temporarily arrange for the kindergarten scholars to use the main room of our own school building. This has only been possible by assembling the senior scholars in the church for the opening and closing services, and is the best arrangement under the circumstances. To erect and furnish a suitable building in concrete will cost about £IOOO, and towards this sum the Sunday School teachers have about £350 in sight, leaving £OSO still required. Towards the latter the Ladies' Guild, under the leadership of Mrs. Crooke, are busy preparing for a sale of work, the results from which will prove a very acceptable addition to the amount already in hand. We confidently ask for the practical sympathy of the parishioners in this necessary work. Mr. S. Shaw, in seconding the adoption of the report, emphasised the real need of a building for the kindergarten Sunday School. K ,£fls.Q was still re-

quired, of which Mrs. Crooke (Ladies' Guild), had already raised £75. By means of the bulb show, etc., the amount (hould be considerably augmented. If any parishioner could afford to advance £SOO, free of interest, for a time it was an exceptional opportunity of assisting the Sunday School. JSt. Mary's parishioners hud in the past been generous in assisting' the church, as the magnificent building that they now had bore out. The Ladies' Guild was also enrolling honorary .members at 5s per annum towards the building fund. ' Referring to the balance-sheet, he drew attention to the satisfatcory increase in the offertories, both general and special. Last year they were £721 and ,£540 respectively, as against £540 and £192 in 1909. . The rsport was adopted.

VICAR'S RJiPORT. The vicar, in the course of a lengthy report, stated that durin? the year there Viad been 139 baptisms, 41 marriages, (14 deaths, and these last included some old and loya' supporters of the church—viz., Henry Bedford, Chas. Tunbridgc, H. Eyre Kenny, and Frances Agnes Leatham and Elizabeth Tunnccliffe. There hifd been 4125 recipients of Holy Communion and 95 celebrations. After referring to the numerous voluntary helpers in whom the strength of the church lay, he said that ' he considered that "our weakness is in the 'arge number of nominal church people which our parish contains. It is a source of disappointment to me. in my work that these people who label themselves. "Church of England," have not been brought to take any interest in the church or any part in church life. The fact that other parishes are no better off In this respect is no consolation. It is easier for a vicar to meet open hostility than this bland and polite unconsciousness. Inertia has no magnetism about it; it is not an aggressive influence for evil; but it is a dead weight that lias nower to oppress the spirits of others and drag them down. I put my finger on this inertia as the chief danger and the chief source of weakness in the parish of St. Mary's." SUNDAY SCHOOLS, Tn submitting the report of the Sunday Schools, Rev. Cook stated that the average attendance had not been as good as during the previous year, and he pointed out that parents could greatly assist the work by insisting on regular arid punctual attendance. The staff of the afternoon school comprised 15, the roll number being 129, and the average for the year was 85. The Sunday School's etfort to raise money for tjie Melanesian Mission had up to the present met with success. An endeavour is being made to increase the parish's contribution to £IOO, which would pay the stipend of a priest in the Islands. In the morning school there had been several changes in the teaching staff. The primary school showed a roll number of 60. CHOIR REPORTr Mr. R. N. Renaud, choirmaster, submitted a report, which showed that eighteen members had enlisted or had left for the front. Several new men had joined the choir, but there was room for several more, basses being in great neeij C.E.M.S. j Mr. .T. ft. List read Hie report ot tne C.K.M.S.. which showed that of the total membership of 43, eleven were in other districts, and six had enlisted. He outlined the objects of the Society, and also submitted the bell-ringing report. SCOUTS. The Scoutmaster (Mr. C. S. List), reported that the roll number was now thirty, and more boys were being enrolled. Reference was made to the various encampments, and the loss the scouts had sustained bv the departure of the Rev. W. A. Butler, but Rev. E. C. Cook, an experienced hand in scout work, had proved a valuable acquisition. The Lav Readers' report was submitted by 'Mr. H. ft. Fookes. All the reports were adopted. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. Wardens: Mr. S. Shaw was appointed Vicar's warden, and Mr. IX Hutton was re-elected people's warden; Vestry: It was decided that the number of the vestry should be ten, and the following were'elected: Messrs. -T. Patori, T. ft. Hirst, W. ftroombridge, V. E. Baker, H. ft. Fookes, J. IVaeh, R B. Kyngdon, A. Crooke, J. ft. List; Iron auditor, Mr. P. Morton. The vestry was empowered to till any vacancies occurring during the year. VOTES OF THANKS. Votes of thanks were accorded the members of the Ladies' Guild; Miss Dcvenish, for gifts of Mosaic panels; Messrs ,T. Paton (lion, treas.), E. Lash (hen sec), and P. C. Morton (lion auditor).