MOTHERS’ UNION OF DUNEDIN

Evening Star, Issue 21784, 28 July 1934, Page 9

MOTHERS’ UNION OF DUNEDIN

ANNUAL MEETING | The Mothers’ Union of the Diocese of Dunedin held its annual meeting in the St. Paul’s Schoolroom yesterday afternoon. Dean Cruikshank was in the chair, and associated with him on the platform was a representative gathering of the clergy and officebearers, who included Mesdames Fitchett (patroness), A, R. Falconer (president), Holloway (treasurer), and 3. G. Butler (secretary). ANNUAL REPORT. The annual report stated:— There are now twenty-two branches, ■with a membership of 760 (Engasu tribute £3 3s v 4d). New branches are being formed at Kurow and Milton. Seven council meetings have been V held in the crypt of the Cathedral. In February Mrs Butler resumed her duties as diocesan secretary, and Mrs Holloway was appointed acting diocesan treasurer. Mrs Worthington represents the M.U. on the Council of the League of Mothers, and Mrs Price, of the League of Mothers, occupying-a similar position on the Diocesan Council. Mesdames Hardy, Johnson, Hamblett, Parata, M‘George, Groves, 1 Dobson, Jenkins, and Holloway represent the branches of Oamaru, Gore, Queenstown, Balclutha, Palmerston, Lumsdcn, and Invercargill. _ The 1933 annual meeting of the Dominion Council of the Mothers" 1 Union was held in Wellington on Wednesday, August 23. Her Excellency Lady Bledisloc, patroness, attended, arid welcomed the delegates, who represented the dioceses of Auckland, Waikato, Waiapu, Wellington, _ Christchurch, and Dunedin. The sixth report of the Dominion Council showed that the membership of the union in New Zealand has materially increased. There are 208 branches and a membership ot 7.249—an increase of thirtyone branches and 1,430 members in two years and a-half. At -. the _ Dominion _ Council, meeting the following resolution was'passed:— “ That the branches of the Mathers’ Union be encouraged to help in definite Mothers’ Union missionary work, either in Melanesia or among the Maori people.” The intention is to make grants to the general funds of the missionary societies, in so far as the teaching of Mothers’ Union principles is inclut'ed in their general work. After cor>-' Irring this resolution, the following motions were carried by the Dun euui ■ Mocesan Council at its June meeting:—“ (a) That contributions for Mothers’ Union extension work in Melanesia should not be_ raised by means of a levy, but be entirely a free-will . offering, and should be forwarded through the dominion treasurer of the Mothers’ Union to the Central Overseas Fund, as this is the procedure recom mended in the pamphlet, ‘ Difficulties , in Connection With Regulation 16,’ as issued by the Mary Sumner House, (b) That contributions for Mothers' Union extension work among tho Maori people should also be a free-will offering, and be forwarded to and administered by a special .'committee appointed by the Dominion Council for.the purpose, tbS members of which might best be domiciled in Auckland.” The world wide call to renewal of the spiritual life within the union was ■ounued in Liverpool in June, 1933, by the Archbishop of York. This call was

supported by the Archbishop of New Zealand. The dates, October 2,8, and 4, had been set apart as special days of intercession for blessings on the work throughout the world, and -this diocese toot its share on October 4, the hours chosen being 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Dean of Dunedin conducted the devotion. There has been an earnest response to the call throughout the diocese. Quiet days were held in many of the parish branches, and we thank the clergy of this diocese for their assistance. June 19 was observed as a day of thanksgiving to God for the opportunity of spiritual revival. Holy communion was celebrated in the parish chuarches in the morning, and in the evening a combined thanksgiving service was held in the Cathedral. The Bishop of Dunedin preached from the text Peter i., 1-13, “ Gird up the loins of your mind.” The festival day commenced with a corporate communion at 10.30 a.m. in the Cathedral. A combined Mothers’ Union choir added to the beauty of tho service. After lunch, which owing to the wet weather was served in the Town Hall Concert Chamber, an opportunity was taken to say good-bye to Bishop and Mrs Richards. They were presented with a revolving bookcase as a token of the love the Mothers’, Union members have for them. Anzac Day was again commemorated by the Mothers’ Union by the placing of a laurel wreath on the Soldiers’ Memorial. This year St. Mary’s, Mornington, had the honour of making and placing tho wreath. Feast ot the Annunciation transferred to April 10, corporate communion was celebrated in all the churches. Mothering Sunday (fourth Sunday in Lent): Mothering Sunday was celebrated by special family ser vices, sprigs of rosemary being given to the mothers by the children. Invalid prayer circle was started in this diocese in 1930 with a membership of five. There are now twenty-two members, three members having entered into the wider life. The members express their gratitude for the intercessory quarterly leaflet supplied to them by the diocesan correspondent (Mrs R. V. Fulton), and are grateful that they are able to help the Mothers’ Union with their prayers. The call to renewal has been an inspiration to all. Mrs Mosse, central correspondent in England, keeps m touch with all dioceses who have branches of the I.F.C. The members of the Mothers’ Union in this diocese have appreciated and valued the counsel of Bishop Fitchett while occupying the position of Archdeacon of Dunedin, and now ■ welcome him as patron of the union. Referring to the statement of receipts and expenditure for tho year it might be further explained that wo began tho year with a credit balance of £5 12s 7d. The sum of £37 12s lid was received by sale of calendars, badges, and magazines, making a total of £43 5s 6d. The .sum of £35 15s 4d was expended in the purchase ot literature,.and we have in hand a credit bal-. ance of £7 10s 2d. During the year tho following magazines were distributed:—Thirty ‘Workers’ Papers ’ (monthly), 170 Mothers’ Union journals, twenty-eight ‘ Mothers in Australia,' and ten ‘ Mothers in Council Quarterly,’ also 550 calendars. A memorial to Mrs Boustead (late centml president) is to be placed in the chapel of the Mary Sumner House. Individual members of the Diocesan .Council have also contributed to this fund. PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS. Moving the adoption of the annual report and balance-sheet, the President referred partjcularly to the Mothers’ Union extension work. She said, she wished to explain to members why the resolutions were passed , at the last council meeting. The meeting was held so recently that some of, the enrolling members had not yet had time to explain them to their members. They would remember that the Dominion Council at its last meeting passed a resolution “ that M.U. branches be encouraged to help in definite M.U. mis sionary extension work, either in Melanesia or among the Maori people.” \Vhen Bishop Badcleley was in New Zealand recently, he met the members of the Christchurch Diocesan Council and the executive of the Dominion Council, and asked if it would he’pos sible for the members of the M.U. in Now Zealand to combine and provide a woman worker for Melanesia. The sum required would be £l5O a year, and with 7,000 members this could easily be done il each member gave a small sum. The matter ramp before the last council meeting for consideration. While they were anxious to‘help Melanesia, and realised the need for more women workers, me manner, however. in which the assistance is to be given required careful consideration, and they bad to keep before them reg 16 of the royal charter, which governed tho action of the M.U. at home in dealing with this question. At present Melanesia received help for M.U. extension work from the diocesan fund of the M.U. They had the organisation for ft, and they should work in with them. The funds given by them would strengthen the work as a whole, and also strengthen the bonds of unity between them if they had a common object. This method would not prevent them from keeping in touch with the individual worker appointed, and would also facilitate their getting reports of the M U. extension work as a whole. Tho second part of the resolution, of

course, was a 'New Zealand report. As most of the Maori population lived in the north, it had been suggested that Auckland could deal with the extension work itself, but the resolution permits of its being a national effort, with headquarters in Auckland. The report was adopted. Proceedings were brought to a close with afternoon tea.