TAURANCA AGAIN REMEMBERS

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 13436, 26 April 1944, Page 4

TAURANCA AGAIN REMEMBERS

ANZA^_DAY IMPRESSIVE SERVICE IN TOWN HALL Address by Rev. O. S. O. Gibson The Dangers of Forgetfulness "One of the greatest dangers we have to face is forgetfulness. We had our ideals in the Great War. We talked of a new world. We talked of a war to end war. We talked of a new spirit in the lives of men. Then when it was over, the people were war weary; they wanted to get hack to the old way of life. What is going to happen after this war?" These were some of the observations made by the Rev. O. S. 0. Gibson in the course of his address at the citizens' service held in the Town Hall yesterday at'teroon to commemorate Anzac Day. The service was to have been held, as usual, on the Domain, but the weather prevented this. In spite of the conditions, however, a large crowd turned out to take part in the service and the Town Hall was packed. There was a good muster of returned men from both this war and the last, as well as a number of South African veterans. Others who attended were members of the Women's War Service Auxiliary, Boy Scouts, Sea. Scouts, and school cadets, while there was also a sprinkling of United States servicemen in the hall. The music for the hymns was provided by 'the Tauranga Municipal Band, and the Tauranga Highland Pipe Band was in attendance.

The Mayor of Tauranga (Mr L. R. Wilkinson) 'presided and the service, which was of a most impressive nature, opened with the National Anthem. Prayer led by the Rev. P. J. Wainwright followed, and then came the hymn "O God Our Help in Ages Past," Scripture reading by the Rev. L. P. Bryan, the singing of the New Zealand anthem, "God Defend New Zealand" and the address by Mr Gibson.

"The men and women who took part in the Great War issued a challenge, said Mr Gibson, "Take up our quarrel with the foe, To you, from falling hands, we

throw The Torch —be.yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall riot sleep, though poppies

grow In Flanders' fields."

A new generation made response, "Fear not that ye died for naught. The Torch ye threw to us we caught; Ten million hands will hold it high And Freedom's light will never die. We've learnt the lesson that ye taught In Flanders' fields." And you know the well-known lines,

"They will not grow ■old, as we who are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them."

"The key-note of my address to you," he added, "is the word member.' One of the greatest dangers we have to face is forgetfulness. We had our ideals in the Great War. We talked of a new world. We talked of a war to end war. We talke dof a new spirit in the lives of men. Then when it was over the people were war-weary. They wanted to get back to the old way of life.

'.'What ingoing to happen after this war? lam sure that those who fought in the Great War and in earlier wars would like us to remember those who have served and laid down their lives in the present conflict. Now those who have lost clear ones would not feel the pain quite so much if they could see the fruit of the sacrifices made, in a better world here. What good will come out of it? That is the question I have heard asked again and again. What good will come out of it? That depends upon us. We know something of what led to the present struggle. We can see the mistakes of the past, the selfishness, greed and false ambition. We know something of the horrors of war, the waste of life, the tragic suffering, the destruction of so much that is beautiful and sacred. Are we going to remember?

"After the last war we forgot in spite of the words, 'We've learnt the lesson ye taught in Flanders' fields.' 'We will remember them,' we say. Surely our remembrance is empty

unless it means that We in order to build" that hann?*^ for which they died, *o r ] 4

"God calls us to remen* Our Lord Jesus C hris S^ Great Service of the ™«"«« Ifc munion He said. -Do this Corr " brance of Me.' fenng, remember the n fe ' you. remember it hv i ed for sincerity in yom - own \Z * N for rehabilitation bllt ' w «rk that life itself must be **»* not just a few thinga tha 7 " U,e *. Of life. The devil calls ; 0 0 7 Pa, If we folloV his ie ad ! velop a false peace aa * i!l fc thing. a lazy complacent S will break out in a fllthv * sore worse than the present "* alls ustorem ;;on, live and work, not to - 0 t & and forget, just hoping L 7 % » The devil calls us to into insensibility and dodlT? tacts of life. D 0 you> *» Ol take drugs? Some p eo p le "*> forget by taking morplli > * and the like, but the world all manner of drugs. Ther f ° f dnnk. gambling. sel f. concei{ * tion-seeking, money, i ust , ' P * Pleasure. craze for excit 2 ceaseless activity, supposed wh !' washing of one's own i ife b * speaking and scandalmonger* about other people. Yes, there even a supposed form 0 f reliei fatalism, 'Oh well, it is Go ™' and we have just got to put upwil , ic' All such drugs are lies dev ilish lies. They breed stagnation and with it, distrust, Suspicion greed and strife.

"Remember. We want dear minds and hearts to learn from <h e past, to remember that this is God's world, not ours. Therefore onlv by following His way of ij fe can n get a better world. We have a priceless British heritage. It j s a heritage which has been built upon the Christian Faith. Remember that. Only as we get back to Christ and His passion for service, for dying not getting, and accept the principles He laid down for the building of His Kingdom, here in this world'and not just in Heaven, have we any. right to expect to make pro* gress.

"If we forget what has happened in the past and what is happening to-day, we will again leave out God, as we have tried to do for many years past. We will lose our italsand we will fail all those whom we commemorate this Anzac Day. Yes, more than that, we will fail the children of to-day and the childrer, yet unborn. ,

"Human nature may cry: Let me forget! Let me forget! I am weary of remembrance,

And my face is ever wet With the tears of my remembrance, With the tears and bloody sweat. Let me forget! "God answers: If ye forget—if ye forget,. Then your children must remember; And their face be ever wet With the tears of their' remembrance, With the tears and bloody sweat, If YE forget!" 'Following the address the congregation sang Kipling's "Recessional" and this was followed by two minutes' silence. The congregation was led in 1 the Lord's Prayer by Captain MacDonald of the Salvation Army, the service concluding with the hymn "For All the Saints," the Benediction bf the Rev. A. A. Bensley and the Doxology. , Following the service the USP pilgrimage to the Memorial Gates was made for the laying °* . wreaths and the sounding of Last Post and the Reveille.