METHODIST CENTENARY.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 March 1922, Page 4

METHODIST CENTENARY.

VISIT TO NORTH AUCKLAND. PICTURESQUE CEREMONIES. By Telegraph.—Presa Association. Kaeo, Last Night. The Methodist centenary party, comprising tfbout 230 ministers and visitors from Auckland, visited historic spots at Russell yesterday, and on arrival at Whangarei in the afternoon .were wel-. corned by the chairman and members of the Whangaroa County Council. An address was presented by the council and speeches in reply were given by the president of the Methodist Conference (Rev. C. H. Laws), Rev. Grainger Hargreaves (representing Britain), and Rev. A. McAllum (representing Australia). In the evening largely attended meetings were held simultaneously at Kaeo and Whangaroa, and commemorative addresses were given at both paces. This morning a welcome was given by Natives assembled from all parts of New Zealand, and it was a special welcome according to full Maori ceremonial Then flie full company marched to the cairn, where addresses of welcome were given by chiefs and Native ministers, and there were replies by the president and overseas delegates and other prominent ministers. Then the cairn was dedicated and the unveiling of memorial tablets followed with appropriate religious services and. addresses. A specially de* signed flag, to become the symbol of the Maori Church, was also dedicated and flown from the top of the cairn. Assisting in this ceremony was Parua Wotuone, a lineal descendant of the chief Patuone. who saved the lives of the misisonaries Hobbs and Turner in early times. He was also a descendant of Tamahi Waka Nene. A touching conclusion of the ceremony was the greeting of the Rev. T. G. Hammond, late general superinten- v dent of Maori Missions, to Native ministers, and the Rev. A. J. Seamer, his own successor. A feature of this impromptu incident was the thanks expressed to the Rev. Hammond by the Rev. R. T. P. Haddon, of Taranaki. By invitation of the Natives, the whole company was welcomed at dinner, which was served in proper Maori fashion. The ceremony of laying the foundation stone of tfie memorial church was conducted by the president.