DEBT TO THE PAST

Hawera Star, Volume LII, 20 February 1933, Page 6

DEBT TO THE PAST

NORMANBY JUBILEE REMINDER TRIBUTE TO THE PIONEERS CELEBRATIONS COMMENCE COMBINED OPEN-AIR SERVICE Tlie oTgPt'ty Victoria Park, Normanby, named in-honour of the late. Queen Victoria, wha the scene yesterday afternoon of ah' inspiring open air service that marked the opening of the jnbilee celebrations at Normanby. Fully 3oU people were -present and the gathering included a large number of pioneers whose connection with Normanby dated back in some oases to well over 50 years Mr C. E-. Gibson held pride of place with his date of arrival at 1870, and Mrs Lloyd followed closely with 1874. Other pioneers present were Mrs Young: (formerly Nurse Towers), 1877, Messrs'E. J. and J. Linn 1882, Mr and Mrs A. J. Smith (formerly Miss E_. Larcom) and Miss A. Larcom, Mr and Mrs VC. Coxhead, Mrs C. A. Bates and Misses Bates and Miss Gane.

A,striking address was given by the -rpv J A B. Watson, o± Normanbj, who took iof lii* theme .-Our D.bt to itho Past-’ ’ and 'took his Fearers i imagination back to the days o _ pioneers, stressing many lessons that could be learnt from the work done by. those great men and women. ■He said in opening that a jubilee was a celebration when people s minds ■naturally were drawn back to the past ‘ ‘ This park, ’ ’ he said, was originally a place of refuge and the whole district reminds us of the hardships endured -by the early settlers and it is good for us to look back to realise that ,we enjoy the fruits of their labours. We, therefore, shou d be humble in our realisation of .debt we owe to them.”

It was fitting, he said, that this service should be held to thank God for all His mercies and blessings. Be- , fore we can enter into the spirit of the: service we must be grateful for all j that has been done for us, realising that we are organically linked to the past, as the tree is to the Toot from which it springs, and that the present is ■ only possible because of the past, he ■ continued. He recalled the work of the pioneers in carving out the farms from the forest, making roads and framing laws and leaving behind them a tradition of honesty, justice and faith and love of country. It was hittoo, and no accident, that the first colonists -were accompanied jby their ministers for the great custodian of the eternal qualities of the human spirit was the church of Jesus Christ.. Therefore, with the pionee'rs came men like Marsden. in the North and Burns in the south. These early settlers needed to be men of faith for, like the Israelites of old under Moses, they ventured into the unknown to find a land in which to dwell, a land of freedom and of opportunity.

The pioneers who -were assembled, must have their memories stirred, he added, by revisiting the scenes of their voting days and Dy realising the progress .made in these lands. He urged the people to thank God for the high qualities of character possessed by the ■early Settlers of the district, thought and .care made the country better fitted for those who were to come..-after, and w r ho handed down priceless benefits to their successors. But it was easy to forget the past and everyone must strive to have a proper appreciation of the work done in the early days. God’s presence with His people stressed the lieed of obedience to His laws as the only foundation for happiness and progress in the land into which Ho led them and which they settled for the people of to-day.

“When we consider all that those pioneers did,” continued the speaker, “we must realise that they were made of sterner stuff and, without all the facilities and advantages of the present, did a great and noble work. We must thank .God for the faith, courage ancj the vision of those who went before us and made traditions for us. We have entered into the fruits of their labours and, therefore, we must be grateful for all that they did and thank God for their strength and sanity of outlook in all that they undertook and accomplished. We must thank -Him for this -beautiful country where there is room for all and opportunity for everyone and where we can all live in peace and plenty. It is good for us to remember that our I ills to-dav are as nothing compared with the hardship, loneliness and danger of those who went before us. This land has been made rich by God’s sunshine and our contribution .it must be to keep it rich and fertile.”

•The monument to the dead soldiers was a reminder of those who laid down their lives for the people of the land. They died, but the memory of their courage and faithfulness to duty must be' kept alive by following their example. The Cross upon the church spire pointed to the source of life’s Tiehest treasure. We could not but deplore -the. lavish expenditure of the present day and its wasteful habits, and we should realise what we owe to the past through the goodness of God and should be loyal to all that was good and true, remembering our everlasting debt to the past. We must have gratitude'to the pioneers,, faith and trust in God, realising that He was their light and life, their inspiration and strength in all, their early •struggles. “He will be our -strengtn, if ive will, in the difficult days that lie ahead. This i 3 the greatest debt we owe to .the past,” said Mr Watson in conclusion.

The Rev. 11. Whitby James, who presided and led the prayers, added congratulations on the public and stresse'd the undaunted courage and faith of the pioneers whose work made New Zealand what it was to-day. .He expressed the hope that blessing would continue in the future as in the past. The Rev. 11. Curran, a pioneer missionary .and preacher, Tead the lesson, Hebrews XI. 32 and XII. 2. Mr Curran preached in Norinanbv on one occasion 40 years ago and has held many services in Presbyterian and Methodist Churches since that time. There was a very good choir from the Normanby churches to lead the singing and Mrs L. Franklyn presided at the organ. The hymns wore “Old Hundredth,” “O God of Bethel” and “O God Our Help in Ages Past.” The ‘ service concluded with the Benediction, pronounced by the Rev. James.