MEETING OF PARISHIONERS AT ORMONDVILLE.

Bush Advocate, Volume VII, Issue 650, 16 July 1892, Page 2

MEETING OF PARISHIONERS AT ORMONDVILLE.

About eighty people were present at the Keclmbite Hall on Thursday night. Refresh tnet.ts were provided by the Ladies' Committee, and ample justice was done to the many good things set forth on the table. After tea the business of the evening commenced. The report of tho out-going Vestry was road as follows : — Ladies and Gentlemen,— We have to roport that during the past year a very large proportion of the debt contracted for the alteration of the Church has been paid off, and offertories amounting to over £23 have been devoted to that purpose, The completion of the Church made a very considerable differtnce in the size of the congregation during the second and third quarters of tha past year, but the attendance has been •verjr poor indeel of late. This we -attribute principally to tbeinclamency ,of the weather, aided perhaps by the fact that the evening services are held alternately instead of every Sunday evening at Ormondville, as has previously been the case. The Eev Canon Webb, who has

been connected with this parish so long, was called to Gisborna at the end of April iast, and the Bishop has been pleased to appoint the Rev Mr Wills to take charge of the parish temporarily. The removal of the Rev Canon Webb was very much regretted, as he was very much respected and esteemed, and mainly to his untiring efforts do we owe tbe beautifying of. our Church, of which wo are bo justly proud. The Rev Mr Wills has been with US but a little while, and -we shall therefore simply commend him to your care. During the past; year the Eev Canon St. Hill propounded a scheme for the payment of a regular sum to the stipend and Diocesan funds. Finally it was agreed that Orniondrille should try to raise £C 0 per annum or £15 per quarter. The receipts from general offertories md subscriptions to stipend amount to over £42, and the amount raised by special offertories £27, making a zrand total of .£69 raised, so it will be seen that the district has raised over the amount they tried to, but a portion of it has been paid to different purposes. We would suggest that the incoming Vestry take the matter in hand md try to formulate some scheme by which the payments to the Diocesan md stipend funds may be regular md reliable. The statement of receipts showed : General offertories, £36 14s 2d ; 3pecial offertories, £27 2s 6d ; subscription to stipend, £5 Is ; from outBide sources, £150 ; total receipts, £218 17s Bd. Expsnditure : stipend, £180 7s ; ordinary expenditure, £11 Bs 2d ; special offertories paid over, £27 2s 6d. Total expenditure, £218 17s Bd. The report and balance sheet were adopted on the motion of Messrs Smith and Webb. The election of Vestry then took place, and > resulted thus :— Mr E. Webb, Minister's warden : Mr J. Bovaird, people's warden ; Vestry, Messrs Groom, H. Smith, Garforth, Redward, and Westall. Messrs Wilson and Siddells were appointed auditors," Mr Smith proposed and Mr Groom seconded that a hearty vote of thanks be accorded to the Rev. Canon Webb for his energetic efforts in clearing off the debt from the church.— Carried by acclamation. This tribute to our late clergyman's generosity and singleness of purposa was very wall deserved. It was resolved that the Bishop bs written to and asked to permanently appoint the Rev. Wills to this parish. Mr Westall moved that a hearty vote of thanks be accorded to thn retiring Vestry and the members of the Ladies' Committee for the way they carried on the works of the church for the past year. A short but very attractive programme brought the meeting to a close.