CHRISTIAN ORDER

Evening Star, Issue 24918, 16 July 1943, Page 4

CHRISTIAN ORDER

CAMPAIGN IK OTAGO j The Otago .Regional Committee of the ■National Council of Churches met on Tuesday. In; addition to' official representatives ' til all-' the. "participating 'churches, there iirerfi.'delegate!' from ;Oaftiani, WajkouaHi, /Port Chalmers, and the Women's Commit- • tee. The Rev. R. S. ! Watson presided and ■Welcomed the Rev. W. G. Slade as a now Methodist representative. ELECTION MANIFESTO. ■'■■ The Secretary (Principal A. L. Haddou) reported that at the largest and most re.preaeriUtive meeting of the National Committee yet held the final text of the rriani.fello to be issued prior to' the General Was agreed upon. 'lt had been decjded that the statement Would not be allied with 4ny party interests, nor be an appeal for a specific response in voting. Bather, this considered an. opportunetime for stating in concrete terms Christian .issues- "which candidates and voters *bUW ,be challenged to consider. Too smsny of the jiee-ple were becoming afraid "of freedom atjd wanting a fool-proof security, with the result that personal initia'tive and responsibility were disappearing. The manifesto pointed out the dangerous tendencies, insisted that there could be no 'solvation by legislation, related present policies tp first principles, and called for individual thought and personal commitment to disinterested service and a better order. ■'■■ Two Christian Older Weeks were being held this month —at Ranffiora, whore Dr J. D. Salmond was one of the speaker*, aud at Oaniaru, where Dean Cruickshank and !>r Salmond would be among those taking part. . , The Rev. J. Gilman Dunn, for the Group Study Committee, said that a considerable number of discussion groups were meeting ;rejrular]y in Duneidiri and suburbs and that plans for extension of this work were in hind. / -• . ■ '' PUBLIC AFFAIRS. , Canon W. Hamblett reported that satisfactory arrangements: had bean, made to i«o-operate with the • Patriotic .'Committee ■in its present ■ appeal. In anawer-to the committee's representations the' Minister of Transport had replied that night driving by women taxi drivers Would be discontinued and that regulations had been made accordingly. Messi'3 J. McCrae, G. Pollard, C. Opic, and G. S. Gapper had been appointed lay representatives on the Public Affairs Committee. The -convener of the Women's Committee, Mrs H. Parata, outlined its varied activities and said that an afternoon and evening retreat had been arranged for July 26. ■" . . . The Youth Committee reported a gratifying response to its Jeideislvip training course, which 80 prospective leaders of Christian youth work were attending.