Thames Young Men's Christian Association.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3199, 21 May 1879, Page 2

Thames Young Men's Christian Association.

ANNUAL MEETING.

The first annual meeting of the Thames Young Men's Christian Association was held at the ' Congregational Church, Mary street, last evening. There was a good . attendance,: and :Mr T. Jame», President of the Association, occupied tfie Chair. The Fine Choir of the Grahamstown Wesleyan Church was in attendance, and rendered several selections of sacred music during the evening, After a few brief r introductory remark s from r. the Chairman, the hon. sec;, Mr. Whitehouse; read the annual report as follows: ',—" Ja ■ presenting you with the ire port of this our first year's labours, it wjll be necessary to briefly state how we came to be in existence at all. The ,Eev. Dr. Somerville when here called together special.meetings for young men, and at one of them enquired if we had any such institution upon; the Thames,:; and on being told we had not, gave a short account' of the good such institutions were doing in other places, in answering the question, 'How shall we best enlist bur young men for Jesus?' He also gave much practical advice as' to the formation ahdjcarrying on of such institutions. ; Fora! while ■ after ; the matter lay dormant, owing to pressure upon the' time of i those, who were most earnest in desiring a Young Men's Christian Association for the Thames, but presently a number, of meetings; Were held in the Congregational Church of those interested in this matter, ait which th 9 Eev. J. T. Hinton acted ai secretary. The result was the constitution and laws of the Auckland V.M.C. were duly considered, and such local alterations made a« were deemed necessary, and then adopted as the constitution of the Thames Young Men's Christian Association. Fourteen of those present on May 23rd signed the constitution. (Then followed the rules and constitution of the society, &c.) Since then we have gone on steadily increasing, and we now number 40 members and 10 subscribers standing on our books, and though several Irive been obliged to leave the district, nearly all are keeping up the connection i.with us. During the year we have had .five good public lectures before fair audiences. The first by the Eev. S. J. \Neill, in' the Presbyterian Church—rsub« ject: "The siege of Derry; " the second by the Eev: &. Laishley, in the Cdrigre; gational Church—subject: "The landing of the Pilgrim Fathers;" the thirdAby the Eev. Allen Webb, of Auckland, in the Presbyerian Church •— subject: "Personal recollections of India and its people;" the fourth by Gr. N. Phillips, i?sq., iii the Baptist Church, "Dr Samuel Johnson and his contemporaries;" and the last, but not the least, by theEev. D. Datton, in the Congregational Church, " Knowledge, its importance and how to attain it." To these gentlenien and the several churches, the Association here record its deep sense of indebtedness. The Treasurer's report showed a balance of £1' 17s 3d on hand. The Revs. E. Laishley, S. J. Neill,- andWatkin delivered short addresses, and several recitations were given by members of the Association. By a collection in aid of the funds of the Association, £3 7s 6d was raised.- „■ ■ . , ... .. „,.. .. „, -