HAMILTON WESLEYAN SUNDAY SCHOOL.

Waikato Times, Volume XV, Issue 1294, 14 October 1880, Page 2

HAMILTON WESLEYAN SUNDAY SCHOOL.

THE-first annfVersary "of the Bamilton Wesleyan Sunday School was celebrated by a soiree and concert in the Oddfellows' Hall, Hamilton Eaat, on Tuesday qvenyig. The catering wasjn, fch« hands o! Messrs. Trewheellar and Black.and very satisfactorily was their portion of th-j entertainment carried out. There was an abuni daqty <di i everything in the ' shape bf wiaysaissaJalUss^c., suffici.ej}&,jnde,eji,. for double the number of those who par*took#f' them* .Te» was laid at 6.30 ow -three* 1 likrge tkbleV tKe following* la\lie<r ably presiding : — Mesdamea Horne, ' 'GriKble, Lov'eir and French," Misses' Gleesou, Lovell, 'Trewheellar, Culpan, Stanton and Gribble. The tea lasted till about 7.30, nearly a hundred and fifty sitting down. Immediately afterwards the hall was cleared and the seats anSaiigfdf'. for tli6( feecond? $jkt '• of thoi evening's entertainment. At k little past 8 o'clock, The Rev. H. Bull superintendent of the circuit, called on the audience to sing the well-known hymn "Come let us join" Miss Cujpan; accompanying on the harmonium. r Thfe Rev." Mr Fulton, PresbyteHan minister at Ngaruaw?hia,then engaged in prayer. The Kev.'"^f Bull 'said he had much pleasure in asking Captain Steele to take the chair that evening, and referred to the benefits wWch that gentleman had conferred upon the district in his efforts to bring out the' Lincolnshire . farmers. Capt. Steele on taking the chair thanked tHem very much for conferring such an honour upon him, and after a few preliminary remarks called upon Mrs Ellis, and "Miss 1 Culpan to play the overture, from "Pinafore". The selections were well rendered and met with the warm approved of the audience. Mr W. J. Gribble then read the following:—

RI'PORT, 1880. Mr Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, —We have great pleasure in presenting you with the first annual report of the" Hamilton Wcsleyan Sunday-School, which will show that during our fin.t year we have made great progress. The school was opened on July 13th, 1879, when there were 16 scholars and three teachers present. The number on the roll at present is .15 girls and 2S boys— total, 60; average attendance— girls, 2^; b'ojs, 15; tot.il average attendance, 40. There .ire fi\e female and two male teachers ; average attendance of teachers, Thq. officebearers for the past year were :— Superintendent, Mr George French ; treasurer, Mr Gtorge Manners; .secretary and librarian, Mr \V. J. Gribble. We have added a valuable collection of books to our library, and are thankful to find that they are Will appreciated by the children. We hope in the coming year to be able to Mipoly tracts, periodicals, and other useful articles in connection with the efficient working of the school. During the past year we ha\e been sadly in want of male teachers, and we earnestly hope that we will get more in the coming year. We arc most thankful for the success we have had in the past, and we hope at our ne\t annual meeting to present to you an even more satisfactory report. The following are the officc-bcarcis elected for the ensuing year :— Superintendent, Mr French ; treasurer, Mr Manners ; secretary and librarian, Mr W. J. Gribble. In conclusion, we earnestly ask you to help us with 'your prayers, and we trust God will bless us in our woik of faith and labor of love, and we fervently hope th.it we may see many walking in the way that leads to lite eternal, and th.it qur Sunday-school may pro\e a blessing to children, teachers, and parents.— W. J. Gkiiuili:, Secretarj. Subjoined is the treasurer's report:— lncome. — Collections on Sunday, September 21st, £2 7s 7d; ditto at public meeting 2jrd Septembei, £2 Cn> 6d; donations, £X iqs ivd : rash taken at tea- ! meeting, /,'•? 17s 8d;- sundries, . 16s nd — total income, ,£2B 8s 2d. Kvpensos.-^-Sunday-.school Union, for school necessaries, £13 qs in; books for library, £•> ; chairs and cupbo.ud, £\ ; Hiblcs, catechisms, and printing, £2 12s 6d; sundiies, 7s qd— total expenses, £30 us lod; debit balance due to treasurer, £2 3s Bd. The Chairman . remarked on the very satisfactory nnturo of tho report, and echoed the wish of the managers that they would go on improving. J The glee, "Onward to Battle," was then very effectively sung by the choir, consisting of Mis Culpan, Messrs Culpan, Wright, Meacham. and Vincent ; piano, Mi>s Culpan. Then followed a soup; by Mr Wright, and song and chorus by Miss Gleeson and Messrs Culpan, Wright, Meacham, and Vincent, "Footsteps at the Door." The solo was very nicely taken, and the chorus added much effect to the performance. The Rev. Mr Fulton addressed the audience on the subject of Sundayschools. He said he was much interested in Sunday-school work. Ministers as a rule are too busily employed on Sunday in this country to nave any time to attend to school work, and as he was shut out from participation in the work in that way, it gave him all tho more pleasure to assist on an occasion like the present. He had been connected with Sundays- schools, pupil and teacher, from the time he was live years of ago until he loft the old country recently to come to tho colony. It was in tho Sumliiy-achool that ho had imbibed the idea of becoming a minister of liod's word. Ha had at fii-.>t intended going as a missionary among tho heathen, but of tha*-, he h:id now come amongst the people of Now Zealan'l. He had received the kindest welcome from everybody with whom he had come in contact. It did him good to see before him so many happy and cheerful faces. He was much interested in the report which had just been read, to find that they had made such progress in one year. He had no doubt that they would have a still move encouraging report to present next year. He did not intend to make a long speech to them, but he had just one or two things to say to then! before he sat down. Firstly he hoped that the want of teacher* referred to in the report was one which would not bo .suffered to exist lon£. The work of tho Sunday-school w.is one of the noblest and greatest in which any of them could engage. It was a work which their Lord and Master made a nnttcr of special command to the apostle Peter when he enjoined htm to "Feedmy lambs. "If the Sunday school were neglected, the Church and the world would suffer. But he would re- • mind parents that the Sunnay- school teacher iv no way took any of their work out of their hands. They could do work which no Sunday-school teacher could do, and therefore let them not neglect their children. What was done in the schools ought to be considered rather in the light of an addition to, than as a substitute for home teaching. In the cases of many whom he had known, the good efforts of Sunday-schools were counterbalanced by b&l influences at home, so that it would be apparent that the two should go hand in. hand. No doubt the work of the school was hard, but they should not be discouraged. By-and-bye it would become easier and pleasanter. They should remember that the good seed sown by them would not be lost but would spring up an hundred fold. Men's characters were formed in their youth, and in implanting the principles of trath and right in the minds of the children they should reflect that they are making of them good husbauds, good fathers, good citizens, and good. Christians. He earnestly enjoined the young men to come forward to assist to make the school a flourishing one. They would by so doing greatly help the minister, who, when he knew that the lambs were being cared for would feel greater encouragement to attend to the sheep. He assured them of his hearty sympathy in the work in which they were engaged, and hoped they weuld pass a pleasant evening. Messrs Wright and Meacham sang "The Larboard Watch" with great care, and received the well-earned plaudits of the audience. Mrs Culpan eang very sweetly "Where is Heaven"— to this followed the glee " Friendship," by the choir. Mr Meachara sang with great taste the sweet balad « < Madeline, ' '

T^fie Key. J|. Bali then made an address. Be prof aced^ljis remarks by *ayinjr that they wouldhave one merit at least, that of brevity. He referred to the efforts' now being made by the ladies of the Cambridge congregation towards a bazaar and hoped their Hamilton friendo would assist. Sp&akiu,£ trf the vtlue of Sunday-schools ani of the Work d®ne by them he Maid that at a conference Leld at York out of 250 ministers present it was found that the average age at which they had been brought to a know- • ledge x>f the trnth was 15. The youngest had arrived at that point at the age of leveniiiul the oldest at 20. \ He refantidfed. all who took an interest in Sunday-schools that a greater responsibility rested upon them now than fprmerly, because the system of week-day education was now secular. If the Bible was turned out of the day-schools, they must take care to instil its teachings into the young on the Sa,bbatJ}. He ™ a, believer in secular educ-ition, but if it were to remain an institution they , must ,pay particular regard at home and on Sunday to religious education. He.exhprted the teachers to persevere in the' work ; let 'them all be animated by a desire to excel. They that took seeds out with them should return laden with sheaves. Suriilay^scnool work was a duty which they owed to posterity, because they must remember that many of the liberties and the privileges which they now enjoyed had been procured for them by the piety and holiness of their forefathers, and they could not do less for their children. The rev. gentleman then announced thnt the amount taken at the door had fallen short of their expectations, and he had been requested to announce that there would be a collection. A collection was then taken up, the amount netted being £1 11s 3d. Mrs Ellis then sang in a way that fairly delighted the audience, "Don't be sorrowful darling," and in response to a unanimous encore, "Who's that tapping at the garden gate." Mr Culpan was the next on the programme, and the re-appearance of this gentleman, so popular in musical circles, after his recent absence, was the signal for a round of applause. He sang with much power and expression the tender aria " Olivia," which was rapturously encored. Mr Culpan gracefully responded with the old favorite, " The Village Blacksmith." The Rev. Mr Griffin recited Tennyson's " Northern Farmer ; New Style," simulating the rough dialect with great success. This was also encored, and the Rev. gentleman created much merriment by his rendering of poor Tom Hood's " Ben Battle." Mrs Culpan and Messrs Culpan nnd M enchain sang the trio "Yo Shepherds," and Miss Culpan sang ' * Turnam Toll ' '—a pretty song, very nicely rendered. In response to an encore, Miss Culpan and Mr Culpan sang the duet, " When the wind blows in from the sea," which was in the opinion of many the gem of the evening. Then followed another trio, "Hark the Merry Elves," and Mr Wright sang with verve the charming ballad, "Still so Gently," which was loudly and deservedly applauded. The last item on tin programme was the glee, '"Come to the Fair," which the Rev. Mr Griffin, in proposing a vote of thanks to the chair, interpreted to mean "Come to the Cambridge Bazair " The compliment to the chair having been paid and suitably acknowledged, the proceedings were brought to a close with the singing of the National Anthem.