CALL BY CHURCH

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20184, 29 February 1940, Page 12

CALL BY CHURCH

WELFARE OF TROOPS HUTS AT N.Z. CAMPS FACILITIES OVERSEAS APPEAL FOR FUNDS (Por Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. By permission of the Government the Church of England in New Zealand is undertaking the raising of funds for the spiritual and general welfare of its members who join the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. The church has already launched its appeal, which is separate from the appeals initiated by other religious or semi-religious- organisations. To make the position clear, the military affairs committee of the church has.issued a statement under the authority of the bench of . bishops. “The Church of England has undertaken to raise money to provide for its own members without any help from the national patriotic fund,’' says the statement. “This is, jn effect, a parallel appeal to that of the Y.M.C.A. and the Salvation Army and it in no way competes. The church’s intention is to look after its men who, according to the official statistics of enlistments to date, comprise 5G per cent of the recruits. They will be in the church’s care from joining up to demobilisation. Available to All “Its ministrations and facilities will, however, be available to every man, irrespective of creed, who enlists. This means- that funds must be raised by the church and spent by it. “A general appeal issued by the military affairs committee last November resulted in £1,632. This has now increased to £5,023 and includes a collection taken up in the Wellington diocese on February 12, amounting to £1,500. “The aim of the committee is to build a permanent hut at each training camp. A hut at Papakura is already built, and another at Trcntham will be completed shortly. At Burnham, Narrow Neck, Hobsonville and elsewhere the church lias established marquees which it is hoped will duly be replaced with huts.” The church estimates that the provision of three huts at the main training centres and their full equipment will involve a total of £7.300. At least £5,000 yearly is required to maintain the church’s work with tfie forces and possibly more as the work overseas develops, this including salaries for chaplains here ana those who are sent overseas.