THANKSGIVING SERVICE FOR COUNCIL AND ROWING CLUB

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29763, 5 March 1962, Page 15

THANKSGIVING SERVICE FOR COUNCIL AND ROWING CLUB

A thanksgiving service in the Christchurch Cathedral yesterday morning was shared by two local organisations which are celebrating the first hundred years of their existence. They are the Canterbury Rowing Club and the Christchurch City Council. The service was conducted by the Bishop of Christchurch (the Rt Rev. A. K Warren). Giving a brief description of the history of each body, the Bishop spoke of the roles both played in the life of the community. When comparing the progress Christchurch has made in comparison with other cities in the world, there could be no cause for satisfaction, he said. “When Christchurch was founded, the site of the city of Chicago was a wild onion field. Now vast areas of skyscrapers stand there and the streets are thronged with millions of people, who travel by subways and underground railways, and come into the city on one of the main highways in seven out of eight lanes.

"The lanes are separated by concrete kerbs hydraulically manipulated. As the

traffic density varies in and out during the day, the partition between each lane disappears into the ground, so that by evening, when most of the traffic is leaving the city, there are seven lanes going out of the city and only one is coming in,” he said. Chicago, too, had become one of the busiest ports in the world, even though it was right in the centre of the United States of America. The Bishop warned that progress would not be made unless people compared what was planned here with what had been achieved in other parts of the world. “Sometimes we have taken too parochial and isolated a view when people have suggested improvements of one kind or another. Without the support of the people, those who are charged with local government cannot bring into effect what they themselves are aware ought to be done.” said Bishop Warren.

’’There are many lessons that the ordinary person can learn from the discipline of rowing,” said the Bishop. ‘First, the body must be put into training and every

man must subject himself to rigorous rules. He must use the right diet, have the right amount of exercise and sleep and the right amount of practice. “Second, he must learn to get on with others who may be of quite different dispositions. ft teachers him toleration of others and the ability to see the best in others. “Third, rowing teaches us to go on doing the hard thing when we want, to give up, for the sake of not letting down the rest of the crew. “Rowing teaches the lesson of what might be called ‘stickability.’ A rower is under judgment the whole time. If he is slacking the discerning watcher sees the evidence. “It is the same with those who are in public service. They come under the judgment of the general public and their fellow council members. All issues should be decided in the light of what is truly right rather than what is just popular,” said Bishop Warren. The prayer was said by the preceptor (Canon W. A. Orange), and the lesson was read by Canon A. Lee,