NOTABLE CEREMONY

Evening Post, Volume CIII, Issue 57, 9 March 1922, Page 10

NOTABLE CEREMONY

, THE METHODIST CENTENARY I .: .■■■•„ /,, BIG GATHERING; AT-.RUSSELL.*

(II riI.ISIUPH.—PRMS JtSfOCIATIOIf.;

KAEO, Bth March.

The Methodist centenary celebration was attended by about 230 ministers and visitors from Aucklandj ■ who visited the historic spots at Russell yesterflay, and on arrival-at Whangaroa in the afternoon were welcomed by the chairman and members of the Whangaroa County Council. An address ' was presented 'by the council, and speeches in reply were given by the president of the Methodist Conference, the Eev. C. H. Laws. The Rev. : Grainger Hargreaves, represent kig Britain, and the Rev. A. M'AUum, representing Australia, also spoke. In the evening largely-attended meetings were held (simultaneously at Kaeo and Whangaroa, and at.both places commemorative addresses were given. This morning a, welcome was given by the Natives, who assembled from alf parts of New Zealand, also a special welcome, with full Maori ceremonial. Thevfull company then marched to'the cairn, where addresses of welcome were given by chiefs and Native ministers, and replies by the president, overseas delegates, and other prominent ministers. Then the cairn was dedicated by the unveiling of memorial tablets,. with appropriate religious services and; addresses. A specially-designed flag, to become, the symbol of the Maori Church, was also dedicated and flown from the top of, the cairn. Assisting in this ceremony was Parua Wotupne, a Hneai descendant of the chief Pafuone, who saved the lives of missionaries Hobbs and Turner in the early times. He was also a descendant of Tamahi Wakanene. A touching conclusion of the cere- .^^^_^^___ ■ i ■ , '

mony was the greeting of the Rev. T. G. Hamsaond, late general superintendent of Maori missions, to Native ministers, and the Rev. A. J. Soamer, hi» own successor. A featnrß of this imV promptu incident was the thanks expressed to the Rev. i T.G. Hammond by the Rev. R. T. P. Haddon, of"Tannaki. The whole company- was entertained by the Natives at dinner, which was served in proper Maori fashion. •■■' The ceremony ■of laying the founda-tion-stone of the memorial chnrch was conducted by the president.