A NEW SUNDAY SCHOOL !

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 211, 7 September 1925, Page 9

A NEW SUNDAY SCHOOL !

9' | ( TWO FOUNDATION STONES LAID. j ——— I DOMINION ROAD METHODIST CHURCH. STXTY YEARS PROGRESS. | •The unfavourable weather ruling on j Saturday afternoon did not deter a large ' number of people attending the cere- \ mony of laying two foundation stones of the new Centenary Hall of the Do- : minion Road Methodist Church. Mr. ! and Mrs. J. Watkinson and the Rev. W.S. Potter, placed the stones'in position on behalf of the parishioners aud of the j church trustees respectively. ■ In recalling the early days of Method- ■ ism, Mr. Watkinson mentioned the' great strides it had made in sixty years. j He said that he had, with Mr.'Potter. I attended Sunday school at the Edward j Street Church sixty years ago and had ! afterward* moved into the Dominion ' Road parish. As one of the earliest members of the church he fully realised, the honour conferred upon Mrs. Watkin-' son and himself in having their names' inscribed on the foundation stone. j The building of the new Sunday school i hall was a great ventuie. in that it was providing tor future generations, was the opinion of Mr. Potter. He stated j that the occasion was a unique one as j both Mr. Watkinson and himself were laying the foundation stones after | watching it* work grow for so many years. " j Mr. S. A. ilennett outlined the firian-j eial position of the hall fund, "and said' that in 1f1'22 the accommodation at the olrl school hull wiis taxed to the utmost, i and tho teachers were forced to take steps to cope with the situation. In the following August a scheme was delinitely decided upon. A strong committee, representative of every organisation connected with the church and school, was set up and promises of financial assistance totalling £">OO were made, while there was already about £300 in hand. The original fund in existence held and partly invested by the trustees was £(V) 7 10/. Money in hand at the present time totalled £262$ 17/11, and another t.">:?l had been promised. The estimated cost of the hall, excluding cost of furniture. wa« £1100. so that. anotV - : ,- ---£l-'i(I() was still required to open the building free of debt. The school was doing excellent work and its roll no>v numbered almost ">OO. The Key. Dr. I". 11. Laws said he. \va« deeply in I fir'•tod in the Dominion l!i>vl Methodist I lunch. lie n'b.MHt-1 early spiritual trtiiniitc for every ilii'ri. A child at birth \\n< i> spiritual "wing. It had not to lv niiide ono. It llhV. - efoi( J rested with tin' Pnndnv school tench<M' to draw out Riid make dominant in tho child's life thnt spiritual nature essential to it. lie was afraid this doctrine hail not always been prominent in Methodism. The Rex. 1.. 11, Bnsfipld. general secretary of the Auckland Sunday School Union, on bchnlf of that body, extended congratulations to the church for its work anion:.' the children. They were materially aiding the work among the union's 427 Sunday schools, which were ■ attended by 47.000 children. An old church was hardly the place for the spiritual education of young people, and he was pleased to see that parents were realising the need for the best equip- i nient for boys and girls. j A collection taken up for the building' I fund realised £S7 1.",/-- '< I The hall, when completed, will be a i handsome structure and will amply pro- ■ [ vide for all purposes. The main hall will be entered from a vestibule, and is 20ft wider than the church. Adjoining it will be smaller rooms, while classrooms and supper rooms arc provided ■ for in tlic basement. I ;