SUDAN UNITED MISSION

Evening Star, Issue 20780, 30 April 1931, Page 2

SUDAN UNITED MISSION

ANNUAL MEETING The seventeenth annual meeting of the Sudan United Mission was held last night. There was a good attendance presided over by the Rev. J. -Kilpatrick. It was stated in the annual report that the receipts for the year totalled £644 3s 9d, and there is a balance m hand of £49 13s 2d. It is with rfluch sorrow that we record the death of Mr Walter Gow, who was vice-president of the Dunedin branch since its inception seventeen years ago. During these years Mr Gow was the mainstay of the organisation in Dunedin, and for some considerable time carried the whole of the local activities on his very capable shoulders. We also regret to report the death of Mr Robert Milligan, of Oamaru, who did so much to forward the interests of the mission in North Otago. Among a number of valued friends of the mission who have passed away during the year we desire specially to refer to Dr Karl Kum, through whose interest'and enthusiasm the mission was founded. Mr and Mrs D. N.■ M'Diannid have found it necessary for health reasons to leave the Sudan, and are both expected to be here at an early date. Mr and Mrs M'Diarmid were two of our pioneer missionaries in the An-glo-Egyptian Sudan, and their retirement is a very serious loss. Ouf sincere thanks are due to the members of the Women’s Auxiliary, to whose self-denying efforts the of this branch is very largely due. There are still those who say they do not believe in foreign missions. _ Their attitude may be due to prejudice or ignorance. To such the following extract from the ‘ Lightbearer ’ (the official organ of tho Sudan United Mission) _ should prove convincing:—“The British Government has issued a stirring challenge to our mission. In a decade they have seen a change in the _ suspicious and warlike Nubas of Heiban Korpofan Province. Some dozen years ago the Governor asked the mission to open work in this province. _ Four years ago he wrote: ‘ The original idea I had in mind in asking the mission to come to Heiban was to get in touch with the particularly wild Nubans in the vicinity, and make them friendly to the Government. We have to thank the mission that the attitude of those Nubans has now entirely changed.’ ” The ‘ Lightbearer ’ goes on to say that the Government has asked the Sudan United Mission to occupy the whole immense pagan Nuban area. It aims-at teach-, ing the rudiments of education to peoples of all these tribes. Such a request can only be given effect to by the hearty practical support of sympathisers of the mission, including those in Otago. In moving the adoption of the report and balan.ce-sheet, - the Chairman said that it was delightful in v Is time of economic stress to find that the balancesheet showed a cerdit. They had no financial anxieties, and their accounts had all been paid, leaving a good working credit balance. He expressed his desire that there should be added to the motion a vote of thanks to the secretary (Mr H. P. West) and the. treasurer (Mr M. Matbieson). The motion was seconded and carried.

The following office-bearers were elected for the ensuilig year:—President, the Revi J. Kilpatrick; vice-pre-sjdents—Messrs G, W. Gibson, J. 8.Waters, and Rev- E. S. Tuclnvell; treasurer, Mr M. Mathieson; secretary, Mi- H. . P. West; committee Messrs A. M. Cameron,

R. Duncan, C. A. llosevear, ’ W. Cooper, W. T. Wilson, A. A. Campbell N. Cameron, the Rev. R. Malcolm, and three ladies from the Ladies’ Auxiliary. At the'conclusion of the business Mr N. Cameron was introduced to the members by the chairman, and gave an interesting address, illustrated with lantern slides, on life and missionary work in Nuba mountain province of tha Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. At the conclusion of the address a voteof thanks to the speaker was passed. ,