SOCIAL SERVICE.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20088, 18 November 1930, Page 2

SOCIAL SERVICE.

WORK OF PRESBYTERIAN ASSOCIATION. ANNUAL MEETING. The twenty-first annual meeting of (he Christchurch Presbyterian Social Service Association was held in St. Paul's Hall last night and was well attended. The Rev. \V. Bower Black presided, and on the platform with him wore tlv Rov. Frank Rule, the Rev. 11. M. Uyburn, and Mr E. D. Mosley, i.-.-M. Th - chairman, in moving the adoption oi the report, a summary of which has appeared, said that from time to time they thought that there might be room, in their social service work for new developments and new types of work, but when they came they would c.onie naturally. ~ They had i»een just maintaining the work done by the Association for many years. -they hatl j reached their twenty-first birthday, , which marked a very real milestone. When they thought of the'small beginnings of the work they all felt very thankful that they had been able to develop 'it so far, and to establish it on such a firm basis. The work done by Mr Rule had been of a very varied nature, and a great deal of it was not of a public character; but in all sorts of unostentatious ways the work had been going on. The speaker made reference to tuo removal by death of former members of the committee —Messrs R. Malcolm, R. F. Sutherland, and David Bates. He spoke of the possibility of the Timaru branch shortly becoming a separate association, and said that when that took place it would still have the use to some extent of their superintendent. Mr J. G. Herdman, in the unavoidable absence of the treasurer, Mr A. O. Wilkinson, seconded' the motion, and dealt with some of the outstanding features of the balance-sheet. He emphasised the absolute necessity for increasing the list of annual contributors if expenditure and income were to balance. The motion was agreed to. Address by Mr Mosley. Mr Mosley, in tho course of au ad dress, said that it might be advisable, if funds permitted, for the Association to extend its activities to older people, who found the paths of life not too easy to tread. The present and past Governments, by their social legislation, endeavoured to alleviate many of the crying ills that had overtaken the'community, but no community should depend entirely upon the Government; most of the social work should emanate from the community itself. The youth of the country sfioulll have a reasonably good start in life, for on its youth the future of tho Dominion depended. youth would help to make the Dominion prosper not only in a worldly, or material sense, but also in a spiritual sense. Only when a community was on a sound spiritual basis could it ever pro-per in a material sense. Punishment and After Care. There was much discussion amongst certain societies regarding the progress, or want of progress according to some, with reference to the punishment and after care of those who were unfortunate enough to merit punishment. One could almost wish that those inclined to express opinions on the subject had a little better understanding and —he did not wish to bo unkind—knew a little more of what they wrote and talked about so glibly. There were some genuine, kind-hearted folk whose enthusiasm carried them away sometimes; and while he admitted that all great reforms were brought about by enthusiasm and enthusiasts, it wa.s advisable, in a British community to put on the brake, and he was nuite willing to act as a brake on soma of the enthusiastic ideas that were promulgated. He was as enthusiastic as any in respect of legitimate re-

forms, but they must hare a aure foundation. Nomination of Committee. On the motion of Mr Rule, it was decided to nominate the following as members of the committee and to forward their . names to the Presbytery for its approval:—Messrs W HL Rose, A. 0. Wilkinson, J. I. Royds, and .7 G. Herdfnan (retiring members) and Messrs F. W. Anderson, E. W. White, and J. MaeGibbon to replace vacancies occasioned by deaths. Several items were given by the children from the homes, and sapper was sc-rved.