PRIMITIVE METHODIST SUNDAY SCHOOL TEMUKA.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2124, 13 November 1890, Page 4

PRIMITIVE METHODIST SUNDAY SCHOOL TEMUKA.

ANNIYEESAET SEETXCES. The Sunday School - anniversary services were held on Sunday, Nov; oth, when Mr S. Buxton preached, in the morning from I. John iii., 2, and at night from Mark x,, 17. Both Sermons were very earnest and impressive. A children’s service took place in the afternoon, a varied programme being gone through, after which the prizes were distributed to the. children by Mr Buxton. The children, assisted by a few of the young friends, very nicely rendered several hymns, Mrs Epps presiding at the organ. Jhe congregations were very good, in the afternoon and evening the church being crowded.

THE ANNUAL PICNIC was held on Monday, when the children were conveyed in a number of spring carts to Mr Guild’s, Trevenna. A large number of children and their parents and friends went out, and races and other sports were taken part in by all. Through the kindness of Mr and Mrs Guild a most pleasant day was spent, sheltered by the nor’west wind by the trees, and when the wind changed the bouse and verandah was thrown open to all. The party left tor home about 6.30, and on arrival at the church thrhe cheers were given by all, led by the superintendent, for Mr and Mrs Guild for their kindness

THE TEA. on Tuesday night was presided over by Mesdames Bryant, Burton, Freddy, and Williams, and a goodly number sat down to a first-rate repast, THE PUBLIC MEETING The tea being over the church was prepared: for the public meeting, which commenced at 8 15, the chair being taken by Mr Metson. After prayer by the Rev. E. D. Cecil (Independent, Timaru), the chairman gave a short address. It was their eighth anniversary and they bad every reason to thank Q-od for His goodness to them during the past. The Sunday School workers bad every reason to believe that their labors had not beer in vain. All the teachers had done their best, and so long as they did their best in everything for the glory of Q-od He would bless their labors. There were between 60 and 70 , children on the school roll, and although they did not all attend regularly they were very shert of teachers, and sometimes three classes had to be joined under one teacher, which was most unsatisfactory. He made a strong appeal to the young men and women of the congregation t* come and assist them in church work by becoming teachers in the Sunday school. New teachers would, he believed, be very beneficial, and do the school an immense amount of good, as they might have more influence than the old ones.

Mr J. B. Epps, the Secretary, then read the annual report. It showed That during the year no deaths had occurred among either teachers or scholars, neither had there been much sickness. The average attendance at The school had been 47, T wenty five scholars bad joined and 19 left, the inumber on the roll being 79. They |had 8 teachers, of whom on the average 6 attended in the morning and sin the afternoon. Ihe report urged on parents the necessity of training the children in the fear of the Lord, and concluded with a warm expression pf thanks to Mr and Mrs Guild, of Trevenna, for their kindness in entertaining them on the previous day. The balance sheet showed the receipts to have been, including balance in band from last year of £5 3s 6d, £lO Is 9£d, and expenditure £6 6s 6d (including £4 3s 3d for prizes), leaving a credit balance of £3 6s 3£d, from which the cost of the tea that night had to be provided. They would, however, have the receipts from that night’s tea to the good. Mr Epps concluded with a strong appeal for more teachers.

Recitations Miss E. Smith and Miss E. Brogden (“ Potatoes.”) Mr S. Buxton having expressed his pleasure at being present, said the Sabbath School was of very great importance, especially in the present iage. Tfae had every right to give their children a strict religious training for on them depended the future of their land. Without religious training their children were apt when they grew older to slip away into the paths of vice and ruin, and they should be well grounded in the paths of truth and virtue. Parents should begin to train their children as soon as they were able to take notice of things, and instil into them the truths of the Bible. Children were very receptive, and parents should be very careful that they were only influenced by things that were good. When children were very young parents should force them to do what was right, but when they grew older they must depend on persuasion and not be harsh, or they might drive them into evil paths. “ Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.” They would find that would be the rule, though there might now and then be an exception. The speaker made a lengthy speech dealing with the great effect for good or evil the example of teachers and other adults had on children, and urged on them to be very careful in their behavior, and illustrated bis remarks with a number of telling personal experiences. Recitation, “ Searching for the Golden Street,” Miss 3. Williams;

dialogue, Mieses N. and E. Brogden ; solo, “It is well,” Ears Burton. The Rev. E. D, Cecil expressed the pleasure he felt at being present. He congratulated the school oh thq annual report, which was most satisfactory. He then spoke on the great influence each, even children; can exercise. Persdfaal influence' was the* meahs by which character was: developed. Though it might not ; be noticed so much* the influence one child had upon another was as great as 1 that exerfeised by their elders. Bach ; one shbold be careful of his behavior and try" and use the influence which God had,given them for the good purpose for which it • was given. [These - opinions he illustrated by two short stories]. The speaker concluded a very able and eloquent address by stating [.that though he was an ; Independent he was quite conscious of the good work the - Primitive Methodist Church; had ' done in the world. He by no means thought that all the good was with the Church to which he belonged;: He admired the “ go ” and energy which the Priuiitive Methodists generally had; and the way they carried out any vfofk they took in hand. i ii; Recitations, Miss Woodley “ Grandmother,” Miss Metson, “ Curfew must not ringj to-night,” "Miss 1 Whittaker, “The Miser’s . Mission” !Solo, , Mrs Woodlev. Recitation, Basil Metson. The Rev G. Clement gave a short address dealing witir"tip adaptability of their religion to cjaild life. Parents did not need to be told to look after the temporal welfare of their chiidKen, that they should receive a good education and be well developed physically, but he feared that parents were forgetting that- the ! little ones needed religidn. - i: ’• Mr Smith then proposed votes of thanks to the cbairrpan, the speakers, to the ladies who bad] prepared the tea, to Mr Duncan- who had kindly lent bis harmbniu'ra arid presided at it during their anniversary gatherings, to Mr and Mrs Guild, am} to all who had in any way contributed to the success of their anniversary. This was carried by acclamation and the benediction having ibeen pronounced the meeting terminated about II o’clock. ;

During the evening the choir sang several apprOpriate hytnns, Mr Duncan presiding at the- harmonium. The anniversary Celebration was a great success. 1