ST. MARY'S GUILD.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 447, 4 March 1909, Page 3

ST. MARY'S GUILD.

ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of St. Mary's Guild was held yesterday afternon at the Anglican Diocesan Library. Bishop Wallis, who 'presided, spoke of the success of the work done by the guild during tho past year and of its prospects for the future. The rescue work to be undertaken in the city by Miss Parlane, tho matron of the home, was exceedingly difficult. He did not think it would bo easy to find anyono better qualified than Miss Parlane was by her tact, her real goodness, her experience, sympathy and enthusiasm. St. Mary's Homes wero a symbol of the mission work tho Church should do, for it must bo remembered that the Church had a duty not only to its own adherents, but also to those outside. It had been proved 1 again and again that tho Church which went in for mission effort prospered proportionately within its own walls. What Bishop Neligan had said concerning the lack of interest in tho ritual controversy, in England was quite true.- At all the meetings ho (Bishop Wallis) had attended he had never heard ono word about High Church or Low Church, but the greatest enthusiasm had been' manifested at all the meetings which dealt with the mission work or reform work afc Home. ' Mrs. Wallis, president of tho guild, read the tenth annual report of the guild, which showed that tho year had again been marked by steady though quiet growth, and that both homes are now quito full. In fact, tho main homo has girls waiting for admission even though the home is taxed to its utmost capacity to accommodate those who aro already there. Tho health of tho inmates has been good in both homes. Tho conduct has been quite satisfactory, and it is a source of groat gratification to all connected with the homes to notice tho improvement, of the girls during their residence and to receive excellent reports of those who have been placed in service. During the president's absence in England she made many inquiries for a suitable outsido rescue worker for Wellington, Miss Bostock, who had arranged to come, having been unable to leave England. It is probable, however, that for the present this part of tho work of tho guild will be undertaken by Miss Parlane, who will still remain Superintendent of St. Mary's Home and who will bo given extra help with the inside work. Miss Parlane has proved herself thoroughly efficient in this side of tho work, and it is owing to her that tho home is now full. Some other changes havo been made in the officials of the guild during the year. The guild received Mrs. Coleridge's resignation of tho treasurership, and Mrs. Campbell's of the secretaryship witli very real regret, as the quiet and onerous work they havo dono for the guild cannot be measured by words. Their places havo been filled by the appointment of Mrs. Harcourt as treasurer and Mrs. Burton as secretary. The debt on the cottage has been reduced by £100. During tho year tho main homo was papered, and considerable additions wero made to tho laundry. Tlio guild were much gratified to learn that one of the children at tho Cottage Home Ims this year (as well as last) gained the lirr.t prize 'for children's gardens at the Karori Horticultural Show. Tho children have also dono well at school. The thanks of-tho guild aro duo to various kind friends for gifts and other help throughout tho year as well as at Christmas time. They'would specially wish to mention Dr. Izard /or medical attention, and Messrs. Hursthouso and Didsbury for kind attention to tho teeth of the girls, also to the donor of a now copper boiler for the washhouse who desires to remain anonymous, and another anonymous donor for a post and wire fenco for tho garden. Those who have kindly sent gifts to tho homo during the year are as follow Messrs. liannatyno and Co., Mesdames Duncan, Beauchamp, Baleombe Brown, Joseph Joseph, Webb Powles, W. Hudson, Millar, Harcourt, Maurico Richmond, Jameson, Kirkcaldie, Campbell, Ilainerton, Marshall, Humphries, Capper, Hayes, Medlqy, Mason Coo-

per, Kcbbcll, G. Hudson, Wilkins, Dryden, Hitchcock, liobieson, Burns, Newton, Jiovcs; tlio Misses Coates, Wilson, Millar, Macfarlane, Cook, Godfrey; Messrs. Caughly, Ncweombe, Caldwell, Lockhart; also to the Two Garment Society, and to the parishes, and districts of Hutt, I'araparauinu, AVaikanae, Karori, Makara, Northland, Kilbirnio, Island May, Petone, Carterton, Foxton. Speaking to the report Mrs. Wallis said that the guild had long regretted their inability to find an outside rescuo worker, but they felt that it was an oxtremely difficult position to fill, and until tlio right worker could bo obtained it was better to have nono at all. Before leaving England she had almost completed arrangements ivith an English lady who was willing to come out, but finding on arrival here that Miss Parian* had dono extremely useful and effective work during tin year in this direction, the guild had decided to ir.ake such arrangements as would set her free to devote more time to work in the city. The guild meant to mako a special effort this year to clear off the debt of £350, and would do this by means of a bazaar. It would also bo necessary to enlargo the main home, because it was already full, and with Miss I'arlane's work there would bo a still greater demand on the accommodation. i

Tlio Rev. T. H. Sprott, in. moving the adoption of the report, gave a little discourse on pessimism. One.had, he said, 110 right to be pessimistic, if this meant- a belief that the the sins and miseries of the world were mediable, and that nothing could possibly bo done to improve the sad conditions. We could not say that nothing could be done to improve the unhappy conditions, because at present we had not done all in our power. A mere fragment of tlio Christian people, oven of the communicants, were represented by the guild. Had every member of the Church helped during tlio ten years' existence of tho guild, what an enormous amount of good might havo been done; what an enormous amount of evil prevented. The work of tho gyild showed what could be done. Tha real excuse for pessimism was in the fact that so many members of the Christian Church, devout in their own lives and faithful in tho discharge of their personal duties, felt no call to go forth to remedy tho evils around them. - There was 110 earthly reason to be given why all the members of the Church should not havo done what the guild had done. Tho troublo was that they felt 110 obligation to go forth to remedy the evils effected by the negligence and sin of others. There was a tendency t-o. livo isolated lives, and think that when a personal duty was done, no more- was required. Duty was a joint enterprise entrusted to all as to the ono faithful army of the living God. First of all no doubt each soldier must discharge his own function, but each soldier knew that if another soldier proved cowardly or neglectful or fell in the ranks he would have to supply tho place, for tlio work assigned to the army was assigned to it as a whole. Wo were all responsible for tho carrying out of tho joint task. ;

In tho chief work' of taking care of the children .in the Cottage Home,-there was no room for pessimism. The girls in tho Main Homo had not grown old in evil. They were the victims of untoward circumstances, and tho neglect of others, and by bringing them into the wholesomo surroundings they might just as easily as other children grow °up useful men and women. There was also reason for hope in the work to bo taken up now in the city—the rescue work, ' ■ The Rev. 'E. W. M'Connell emphasised the valuo of the home and the kindly discipline it afforded, and regretted there woro not more institutions of tho kind. He thought an indirect benefit of such homes was the opportunity they afforded for'effort on tho part of the parishioners supporting them. Tho officers of tho guil'i are as follow:— Warden, the Bishop of Wellington (Dr Wallis); chaplain, tho Rev. A. L. Hausell • president, Mrs. Wallis; vice-presidents, Mrs! Tanner, Mrs. Duncan, Mrs. Eansell, and Miss Coates; hon. secretary, Mrs. Burton • hon. treasurer, Mrs. Harcourt. .