TRINITY CHURCH, LAWRENCE.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 427, 20 January 1875, Page 2

TRINITY CHURCH, LAWRENCE.

The annual meeting of the members of the Church of England in the parish of Tuapeka and Waitahuna was held on Friday evening last in the Sehoolhouse Lawrence. The Rev. G. P. Beaumont occupied the chair, and ■opened the meeting with prayer. There was a good attendance, and the parish was fairly represented. The Chairman stated that the meeting, as they might be aware, was called by regulations of the Synod, for the purpose of electing a vestry. He would first ask Mr. Thomp- " son to read the minutes of last annual meeting. The .minutes were then read an 4 confirmed, after which the Treasurer, Mr. „. Fraer, read the following report and statement of accounts — "In presenting our report for the year ' 187*, we feel great pleasure in congratulating i the parishioners on the very satisfactory position of Church matters jn this parish, an 1 in addition to the balance-sheet, would lay before them a brief resume of affairs in connection with our doings during the year. We started on the Ist January with a liability of £4SO, and as shown by the' staremen: , "this has been reduced to £18L 11s 4i, £330 having been paid off in the course of fue twelve months. limd lifcion to- this' we are in possession of a ve~y suitable organ purchased at a cost oF £85, which was duly paid for, thanks to the kind efforts of Mrs. Wootton, fcho collected tbe large amount of £77 17s in cash, besides about £20 worth of goods (disposed of at our bazaar) for the organ fund. Two handsome Q-lastonbury chairs have been presented to the Church by C. W. Adams, Esq., wlio also gave several valuable trees for ornamentation of Church groun 1, and also rendered great assistance in superintending the drainage of Church property. £50 has also been spent in improveing the Church, fencing, and draining church property. Our present liability, as stated before, is £181 11s 4d, and our assets consisting of sections 2, 13, 14, block IV.; see-* tions, 2, 4, 8, 9, 15, 16. 17. 18, block VI. ; sections 4 and 5, block XL VII.; sections 3, 4. block VI., Church site ; section 7, parsonage site, Lawrence. Sections 8 and 9, block XVIII. Havelock ; besides organ and church property, it may be fairly taken to represent quite £2000 ; a very satisfactory position to be in. Before concluding our report we might state that we consider our position is in a great measure due to those ladies who kindly assisted at our bazaar, (at which the sum of £319 Is Id was raised), and to Messrs. Margetts, Evans, A. Thompson, and J.Thompson, for their valuable assilrcance re stipend fund.

Trusting that the Treasurer at our next annual meeting will be able to show still greater prosperity in oar affairs. We have the honour to be, jours obediently, M. Feabb, Treasuree.

The flnanoial statement showed receipts to the large extent o; £911, which was male up as follows .— Cash in hand at the beginning of 1874, £58 5s 3d ; organ fund, £77 17s ; offertories, £131 5s 3 1 ; pro eedsjof bazaar, £319 Is Id; sale of harmonium, £10 10s; donations, £8 15s ; portio iof pad look fence, £2 143 ; Clarke do- £1 17s ; aarmga feca, £2 5s ; seat rents, £99 12s 61 -, contributions to stipend fund, £iO3 17,s QL The exjienJifcure was as follows : — Five quarters stipend, Hey. Or. P. Beaumont, £375 ; ' MrsHansen, organist, £32 10a ; J. Tucker; salary 18 moaths, £22 10s ; offertory to Cromwell church, £'22 r J os Id ; clergy maintenance fund, £41*03 2d ; Bishop's hou.«e rent, £10 j assessm *nt fees, £7 ; R- Glenii dug's acceptance, l"2}8 ; bank, £150 ; interest aj omit, £10 2s lid ; or^an account,; £80 ; sundry accounts, £141 2s 9J ; making a total of £1037 10s lid, leaving a present liability owing to th© bank of £iBl 11s 4d. The treasurer while reading the statement said that the snor of £77 17s had been collected by Mrs Wotton towards the organ fund, besides goods, which when converted into money, amounted, to JB2O. He also remarked I hat although the statement showed a liability of £181, it must be remembered that there was a chuivh property, amounting he ohonld say to at least £2000. The chairman said before asking any.member to move tUat the report' be adopted, .the meeting would uiderstand that the report merely treated of the temporal affairs of the chur:h. It did not speak of the church spiritually, although he had great hopes of the paris!) in that respect. H.o did not say so Hy any m^ans that they should rest satisfied with th© present state of things. But when, after a residem-e among them of five year 3, ami re^ membering how things were when he caow^ to Tuapeka, lie thought it was very satisfactory. With one item in the Financial statement he was very well pleased, namely th© offertory, which exceeded last yeare notwith- \ standing a sum of £20 having been specially % given last year, and notwithstanding a smaM>T er atten lance of peopla from within. a radius or a m.le or a mile -. aid a halt or the rburch ca'iSiid by tje draining awdy oi peopie rroin tae district. Tbe offertory also suffered through the epileraic which existed for about three months. Bufc notwithstanding all these ca ises the oifertorv of this year was greater than that of last. He looked upon the offertory aa the great test of the church, and hoped the time would soon come when it would supersede all other means of giving, a'ld when all expenses could be paid from it. He had been told that some people don't go to church because the bag was sent round ; but he thought that a very poor excuse as ii need not be known what anyone gave, nor was anyone expected to give, who was unable to do so. The offertory was the means by which the primitive church was sustained, and they could not do better than copy it in that way. There was an increase over last year in the item seat routs, of £11. He should not like . to see tbe seat rents doubled as they had not the sittings to let ; besides he did not much Bdmire the plan. They must always keep several seats for strangers and others. The sundry account in the statement was a large one, but it included several improvements to the church property. He was pleased to say that they possessed the most valuable property of any church in Otago, not excepting Duaedin.

Mr. Adams expressed surprise that theChairman should speak so favourably of tho offertory. lie (ifr. Adams) thought it would have been better than it was. The Chairman sail he was comparitively I well satisfied with it. As he had already re1 marked, ha wouli like to see all expenses met by it. Mr. J. Russell moved that the Report and Balance sheet be adopted. Mr. Wenman seconded the motion. Mr. Squires, on behalf of the auditors, said he wished to bear testimony to the able way in which the Treasurer brought tho accounts before them — so regular and efficient that they gave the auditors oaly a nitnnnum of trouble. He considered they were greatlyindebted to Mr. Fraei* for this. The motion on being put to the meeting, was carried, unanimously; The Chairman s.iid the next business was the election of two Churchwardens, ,of whom he had the privilege of electing one, and theme nbers the other. The vestry, according to regulations, must consist of not leas than 3, and not more than 10. Last year he thought very wisely they bad 10, two of whom were outsiders — oae for the Blue Spur and one for Waitahuna. These couli not be expected to attend regularly, but they acted as representatives, anJ having them on the vestry was one means of uniting the district. For this year he would^nomiuate as Churchwarden Mr. John Thompson, giving at the same time all the thanks he could to Mr. Andrew Thompson, for the "manner in which he had discharged his duties for tbe past year. Mr. A. Thompson- nominated Mr. Fraer as the other Churchwarden. He did not think they could get a better. Mr. Adams seaon led the nomination and complimented Mr. Fraer on the accounts. There being no other member nominated, Mr. Fraer was declared elected. On the motion of Mr. Abei, it was agreed that there should be ten vestrymen. Mr. Margetts was appointed for the Bias Spur, and Mr. J. Ferris for Waitahuna. Ballot was taken for the remaining eight, which resulted in the following members being elected, viz.: Messrs. A. Thompson, Abel, Sly, Harraway, Adams, Johnston, Titchener, and Williams. Mr. Squires moved a vote of thanks to the outgoing vestry for their labours during the past year. As the lazy man of tbe Church he had looked on philosophically, and could testify to the large amount of work the vestry had performed. It was a matter of congratulation that fche.e had beeu the greatest harmony amongst them — no disagreements whatever. Mr. J. Russell seconded the vote, which was carried unanimously. The Chairman said he had very great pleasure in putting the motion to the meeting. He quite endorsed Mr. Squires' remarks. There had been the greatest cordiality amongst the members of the vestry. The only anxiety he (the Chairman) had was that the cause of Christshouldbe promoted their in all wo king the same way. He wished iiidividually to thank them for the work they had done in the church, and for the assistance they had been to him. The motion was carried by acclamation. Messrs. Squires and Christophers were then elected auditors for the ensuing year. Mr. Fraer said he observed that it was customary to publish the annual statement of account"" in connection witli other churches. He believed it would do good, and moved that 150 copies be printed, containing report, balance-sheet, and subscription list. Mr. Adams seconded. Mr. Squires supported the motion by saying that no one outside the vestry seemed to know anything about the position of the church exceptiug by having a vague idea that it wa& in debt. He would object, however, to tbe subscribers names being printed. .^»* Mr Abel said he saw two- or three objections to the names being published, and would mov^ as an amendment that the report and balance* sheet, but not the names of contributors to fchft stipend fond, be printed. , ,»,«.» Mr. Harraway seconded the amendment," which oq being put to the vote was oarrie^ Mr. A. Thompson moved a cordial vote of thanks to t the choir, with which' he wooli couple the name oi Mr. Titehener. — Camei Mr. Titcliener thought there were inanj n» the church who could lend ftswiaf^^ £& Q^ choir if they would. * , ' Mr, Johnston moved a rote; of t&snfofe

the Sunday School teachers and Superintendent. Mr. Fraer, m seconding tbe motion, re-, greyed that, there were not mor? teaehera. The Chairman said he thought it was now time they pulled up. They had been congratulating themselves all the evening, but now they had come to a question upon hich they really could not congratulate themselves. The Sunday School he considered thoir weakness. 'It was not creditable to the Church of England here to find it such a desperate •train to keep up the Sunday School. He (the Chairman) was so occupied on Sunday that be could not himself do anything to it. Owing to the dearth of teachers he ha \ to be Tery cautious of inducing parents to send their children to the School. The work is a most important one, as the Sunday School is the feeder to the Church. He really hoped more teachers would come forward to engage in this important work, an 1 he could easily double the number of scholars. Mr. Thompson, Superintendent of the School, said the teachers at present engaged were two males and fire females, and the nunber of scholars 50 male* and 35 females. Mr. Squire* aeke.l the Chn r rilm if be knew what was the state of feeling of Church of England members in Duueilin regarding the action taken by thp parish of All Saints Church in discontinuing to contribute to the Clergy Maintenance Fund. Tbe Chairman said, that bo far as he could learn, there was the strongest disapprobation of the course adopted by the All Saints parish. He had been informed , that the dcci ion had been come to at a .mall meeting of the parish, and that the minute was likely to be rescinded. A vote cf thanks waa then passed to the Bey. Chairman, after which the meeting was closed with the benediction. At a vestry meeting 'held afterwards, Messrs. J. Thompson, M. Fraer, F. S. Margefcts, and J. Ferris were elected Parochial Nominators.