COMPLIMENTARY LUNCHEON.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXXVI, Issue 52, 10 December 1909, Page 5

COMPLIMENTARY LUNCHEON.

1 FAREWELL TO KEY. AND MRS ORE

<<ri lQ > la Pnsbytery had a Kind of held day"., on Wednesday. It'met at I : ltt pust ten o'clock—an hour earlier—- ! tor the transaction ol business, and I kept going till one, resuming again at halt past three. The interval, however, was the principal item in the days programme, it was filled up with a complimentary luncheon to :'v. Mr Orr, of Warepa and Kailiiku, who m the earlier part of the day hud resigned his charge with the view ol returning to Sctoland, and from the way tin; members of presbytery, their wives and their friends, railed up, it was evident that Mr and Mrs Orr were greatly respected and much beloved. From Warepa and Kaihiku there were present Messrs James Ayson and \V. B. Anderson, Mr and Mrs Marshall, and Mr and Mrs Wilson, while the invitations from Balclutha included, as very intimate friends of Mr and Mrs Orr, Ur ami Mrs S tollhouse, Mr and Mrs Ronton Grigor, and Mrs James Sheddan. Mr Sheddan and Mr D. T. Fleming were unable to be present ; the Press was represented by Mr D. G. Algie. Altogether upwards of 40 sat down to luncheon. The Itev. Mr Dalrymple, as senior minister of the t resuj tery, occupied the head' of the table, while on either side were the guests for the day, Mr and Mrs Orr. Luncheon over, the chairman opened the sec&nd half of this part of the prograii'ine by proposing the health oi the King, who, Mr Dalrymple said, had no more loyal subjects than the members of the Presbyterian Church. They honoured him because of his high office, and they were glad to say alM> because of his own many line personal characteristics. The lirst verse oi' thi* National Anthem was then sung very heartily by the members, standing. Mr Dalrymple next called on the E.ev. P. B. Eraser to speak to the topic ''The General Assembly." and with much humour and ability the speaker discharged his jtask. The Assembly, he pointed out, was a great popular institution. Many of the Pilgrim Fathers and of the early settlers of America were famous elders of the Presbyterian Church, and as a matter of tact the government of the church became in many .ways a model for Undemocratic torm oi government of the country. The Presbyterian system lits in with the modern- and prevalent ideas of democracy, but it, safeguards that idea by teaching the people that their power is from God. •'The Guests," Mr and Mrs Orr, and their daughter Mabel, were next honoured, and Mr Dalrymple in a few happy remarks referred to the .many fine qualities oi Mr and Mrs Orr. Mr Orr, he said, had been a most successful minister, and by his diligence and efficiency had well maintained aud that in' spile of many losses*- the position of the congregation, lie was an able man, a man of learning and of culture, kind and sympathetic. and ready to help, and would be greatly missed in the district and in the Presbytery. The Chairman then called on Mr Win. Marshall, the treasurer oi the Warepa and Kaihiku Church, to speak to the toast., and as one for live years eiosdv associated with each member of the manse family, Mr referred in very warm terms to tneir worth. Every one in the district was exceedingly sorry at the prospect of losing Mr Orr, and equally at parting with Mrs Orr, whom they had come to regard as a true friend. -Mabel, too, he said, would be greatly missed. In replying, Mr Orr spoke at considerable'length of the many kindnesses he had received from tin; members of his own congregation and from the members of Presbytery. In every respect he had been very fortunate, and he. could truly term the past live years of their time at Warepa as among the fiappiest years of \ eir life. They had seen many changes, but they had always met with loyal • friends. On behall of his wife are; daughter'he h--» had also to thank their many kind friends in Warepa and Balcluiiu, and in the Presbytery.'

The Revs. S. \V. Currie and J. I-. Spenoe replied for the Presbytery. The former spoke of the founders of the rrcsby tery—of men like Baunerman, and Wateiri, and. Todd, and Ailaii, aieli Chisholni, and others, who had done •D much for the whole dislrici in supplying, so faithfully and efficiently, both the older and the newer settlements with Gospel ordinances. : lint they had still outstanding men, as the .Assembly well knew. ,Mr Sperm l also emphasized the worth of the i-arlior ministers, and referred very definitely to the late Mr .John 'Johnston' of Kailviku. and his hearty interest in the work of the Church and of No-license.

Mr Dalrymple then called on Dr Sienhouse and Mr Ronton Grigor, as representatives of Medicine and 1 Law, and also as intimate friends of Mr and' Mrs Orr. In response, Dr Sienihouse spol'n of the close relation between medicine and the manse, as in early days all learning, and consequently the medical lore of the day, lay with the priests. But the medical practitioner owed, much to the clergy still, in- helping him to give the patient the mental and moral support he so much needed. 11l Mr Orr he, Dr Sten'nouse. was losing a good helper ami a true friend, while Mrs Orr had always madel the Warepa Manse a sort of hail-way house for him. Mr'Renton G rigor spoke humourously of ttie doubtful connection between the legal nnd _ the clerical profession. The mombersi of the former were often charged with making) black white, but in seeking to get a prisoner oil easy the "character, so often obtained from the clergy, was an! easy best. He had, from many Warepa pa associations, come to know Mr aral Mrs Orr, and was very sorry to think they were leaving. The Rev. Mr Mailer dealt with the College, and the way the Presbyterian Church in every age and every land had invariably emphasized the importance of a learned ministry. Tni NewZealand tliev had in Knox College an institution of which they might well bo proud. If they had fewer professors than the colleges in the Home Coantrv, those they had were men of many parts and of varied experience, and very nobly they did their work. Mr Algie responded for the press, an'd in doing so expressed his pleasure in being present at such a splendid gathering. The Rev. T. Riddle responded for missions ami in 'doing so gave several tappy iUwsteaUfflM ot the oatugo

work, iix the New Hebrides. Tho last aivcl in some ways most important toast was The Ladies, ami in token of its importance no less than three speakers—the Itovs. Ponder ami Allan anil Air •khiu "i.iarke were «»■ signed to the task. Mr Ponder, as tho only bachelor minister present, did his duty well ancl manfully, while Messrs Allan aim i Y,r e. Know ng Uieir subject, presumably, very intimately, rather fought shy of it, anil spoke of Mr Orr, and of his worth, and of the esteem in which lie was held' in their own districts, the extreme eiufei of the Presbytery.

Votes of thanks were passed to Mr Carrie, as having had most to do with organising the gathering by Mr Eraser, and by Mr Currie to- the Chairman, and thereafter tho meeting eaiue to. an end by singing the Uoxology. Altogether the function wasi happily conceived arid well learned out and' relleeted great honour on the guests to the day, and also on lhe Presbytery for their desire to acknowledge the worth of their friends, and co-workers.