Alexandra Presbyterian Church.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 695, 29 September 1909, Page 5

Alexandra Presbyterian Church.

It is a singular thing that the night chosen by our local Presbyterian congregation for its annual meeting nearly always turns out wet ami cold. It has become almost proverbial, and the meeting on Monday night last was favored according to the tradition. The office-bearers might take the hint and alter the night of meeting to December or January, The rain and the cold bracing air that usually attend their annual meeting would lie ver}- acceptable during the warm period. JJespite the unfavorable weather conditions there was a larger attendance than usual on Monday night, and everyone from the chairman in the pulpit to the small boys in the pews was in that good humor which is indispensable to the success of., a social function of any kind. The platform was occupied by the lfev. Mr Watson, minister of the charge, and by Rev. H. Catherwood, minister of Pa tea - roa. The meeting was opened in the usual orthodox fashion—by the singing of a hymn and by prayer. The programme, winch was of a very creditable order, was there introduced. In the course of the evening the choir, under the able leadership of Mr J. B. Arnott, rendered several anthems. Mrs Barty and Mr Arnott contributed solos and duets, the singing of the various performers being much appreciated. Mr Hannah, who had come in from beyond Galloway, gave a realistic and entertaining recitation, in which local names and matters had a part. The Rev. Watson, in his capacity of chairman, was true to his reputation and did things in his own way. He set aside altogether the usual chairman's remarks. In presenting the report and balance-sheet he drew the attention of those present to some of the points of chief interest. Beginning with his own report, he said he wished to make a correction. The report said that every family connected with the church had been visited at least once during the past year. He had thought that was correct when he wrote it, but on reflection he was not quite sure. It was more than possible that there were some who had not been visited once during the year. He had found it quite impossible to do all he wished to do in the way of visiting. The Presbytery had insisted on loading him with honors. He had been made Presbytery clerk and i had been given charge of two parishes besides his own, so that he was a man in authority, having ministers under him. Authority was very nice but it brought a deal of work with it. Then the church property and the manse grounds were in i a very neglected condition. Nothing had been done to them for many years. He could not endure living in a wilderness j of rubbish aud neglect. Since the work of bringing the manse and church grounds into something like respectable j order and neatness had been left almost entirely to himself it was impossible for' him to do much .visiting. If the grounds were once in order it would not be very difficult to keep them in order and they would be an ornament to the town. If the work of finishing the laying off of the grouuds were left to him there could be no more visiting this year than there was last year. He could not study and do laboring work and visit too, and'no fair-minded soul could expect him to do all three at the same time. Passing on to the manager's report, he pointed out that the secretary is a ver}' practical man of an original" turn. Usually reports are dry hard facts that no one reads for amusement. But the secretary had contrived to work some humor into his business statement. His report showed that he was possessed of tiie idea that most of those who did not attend church regularly are troubled in conscience because the collections suffered through their irregularity. As a remedy for this state of feeling he had pointed out that it was a just aud fair and a righteous thing for those who were absent a Sunday or two to put into the collection next time they came as much as they would have given nad they been present every Sunday. Presbyterians are always good at seeing an idea when it is a good one, and all present seemed to agree with the secretary that this idea was good aud just and fair. The cuairmau then pointed out that some of the departments of the church's work ware not represented in the report. That was the fault of the heads of those departments. They had been asked to send in their reports but they had not doue so. He then remarked that the balance-sheet was better reading than it had been for some years. They had begun the year with a debit balance of over £2O and had closed it with a credit balance of over £t). This was very creditable to all concerned and he congratulated office-bearers aud people on the satisfactory footing on which they now stood. He then moved the adoption of the reports aud balance-sheet. Mr J. Arnott in a short speech seconded the motion aud it was carried.

At this point the chairman vacated the chair, or at least he seemed to, for he appeared to take up the position of a contributor to the programme by narrating an adventure he hud had while an assistant minister. Unfortunately the rain fell heavily and the noise on tae extensive iron roof prevented some of those who sat iu the back seats from hearing the story. Judging from the changing expressions of those who sat nearer the front and in the transept, it was a combination of the humorous and the pathetic. About y.30 p.m. refreshments were served. In tlie second part of the programme the Rev. Catherwood gave a speech in his characteristic forciful style. lie said lie had been surprised to find so line a church and manse. The congregation should be proud of having such substantial buildings, for few places could boast of anything so good. But lie iiad felt a little disappointment because the last lever that makes perfection was lacking. It was just a last small finishing touch that was required to complete the enterprise of tlie parish. The trifle the Alexandra and Clyde parish needed to add in order to make perfect their good works was t<> secure a trap, horse and harness not for the minister but for the parish and for the use of the minister of the parish. Most parishes, though much smaller and weaker than Alexandra, did this. Mr Watson had a horse of his own though he had not

brought it here yet, so all they had to do now was to get a good trap and harness for the parish. It would be the property of the congregation quite as much as the church and manse were, and this would just, make everything complete. Besides all that he said you will all feel better for your liberality and you will be better too. Ho finished this part of his speech witli tiie question : " Now you will do this won't 3'ou! J " He then began to speak of the need of having an aim in life. § He struck off some striking thoughts, among- which was one more arresting than the rest. It was " Life is too deadly a missle to be discharged without an aim." His whole speech presented a virile and manly conception of Christianity. He held that every Cliristain should be free from cant and goody goodyism and should join in everything that makes for pure and strong and lofty manhood. lie believed in Cliristain men taking part in athletics. lie would like to see every man connected with the church able to box because there are so many low and contemptible creatures who cannot respect anything good or clean or noble till they have been soundly thrashed by some fellow who loves all that is admirable and honorable. A good thrashing he held to be the best thing in the world for the hoodlum and the larrikin who did not know his own place and who had never learned to treat men and women with respect. He thought it a Cliristain duty to be able to administer well-deserved chastisements. He was of opinion that when Christ had finished cleansing the temple some of the men he dealt with would have use for a good deal of sticking plaster and Red Cross Ointment. He thought the men who professed to follow Christ should not forget that Christ kuevv how to punish with a scourge. About 10.15 several votes of thanks were proposed by Mr W. Bringans. The Doxology was then sung and the meeting, which was throughout a most enjoyable one, was closed by the chairman pronouncing the Benediction.