A POPULAR VICAR

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXX, Issue LXXX, 14 February 1920, Page 5

A POPULAR VICAR

REV. GRANT CO WEN FAREWELLED. Some idea of the value that has been placed on the work done' by the Rev. Grant Cowen as Anglican vicar of Hawera and in the wider sphere of civic life could be gathered from the large crowd which met at St. Mary's Hall last evening to wish him farewell on the eve of his departure for Auckland, ivhere he has accepted the charge of -St. Matthews. Socially and in every way the function was most successful. In the whole of the arrangements nothing was wanting which could assist tne people in giving expression to the esteem in which the vicar was' held and theiv hearty appreciation of his five years' work in Hawera. The stage was profusely decorated. The first part of the evening was occupied with. an excellent concert by local talent. M ter the concert • a aumber of addresses were given. Mr Burgess, people's warden, presided, and on the platform there were, in addition to the Rev. Grant Cowen, Mrs Cowen and Miss Cowen, his Warship the Mayor '(Mr E. Dixon), and a number of prominent churchmen. Mr Burgess said he wished first to thank those who had given them such an excellent entertainment. (Applause.) They had met to do honor to their vicar. They were all aware that a short time ago the Rev. Grant Cowen had received an invitation to accept the cure of St. Matthews, Auckland. Mr Cowen was very doubtful about the course he should adopt at first, but he had finally decided to accept, and would, he regretted to say, be, leaving early next week. He (Mr Burgess) was very pleased to seel such a good audience, which showed j their feeling towards the vicar. It was a little over five years since he came to Hawera, and since then he had been very active in his attentions to them, and it was due to his organising powers, application, and perseverance that the church was in such a prosperous position. He was a grafter, and when there was work to be done he never spared himself, or his committees either for that matter. Another phase of his character was thjat he was an optimist. He had heard an optimist described as a man who went into an oyster shop and expested to pay for his meal with the pearls he would find in the shells. Mr Cowen was not that kind of man, and his optimism arose from his belief that everything in nature was for the best. This had guided him in all his work, and accounted for his success.' To this phase of his character he thought they were indebted for the splendid building they were meeting in that night. (Applause.) When Mr Cowen came to Hawera he saw the need for such a building. The cost had rather scared them, but the building now stood absolutely free from debt. That, of course, was due to fche generosity of the parishioners, but at the same time the credit was due to Mr Cowen. To the organising powers of Mr Cowen they owed St. Mary's School, which from small beginnings had grown till now there were 132 pumls, and he was sure it was going to%e an important institution. To this had to be added the provision made for country scholars by the acquisition of a very valuable property from Mr Nolan at a reasonable price. Mr Cowen was going to have a good deal of hard work where he was going to, but he was sure he would face it with a great heart, and T)e as successful there as he had been liere, and also gain the same goodwill from the people. (Applause.) It was liis (Mr Burgess') duty to perform a ceremony which was pleasing in one sense and regretful in another. It j was pleasing in that he was about to make a small presentation, and regretful because of the cause. Mr ( Cowen had gained the goodwill of the '■ parishioners and of people outside the Church of England. He wished to present Mr Cowen with a wallet, which by the generosity of the parishioners contained a cheque for a moderate amount. This he trusted j would be accepted not as further pay- ! ment for work done. That could not be valued in pounds, shillings and i ! pence, and they desired him to accept the gift in the spirit of love, with best wishes for himself, Mrs Cowen, and his daughter. Mr Cowen was going to take up important duties, and they were going to watch his career very iclosely. They felt as yet that he belonged to them. He wished the guests Godspeed and every happiness in their new home. (Applause.) Mr W. A. Parkinson said he need do no more than support what had been tsaid. As one of the oldest members ef .the church, he could say that the Rev Grant Cowen was one of the most courageous and energetic men they had ever had in the district- The pessimism of others seemed to have brought out the optimism of -Mr Cowen. He had always taken a hopeful view, and that he had been successful in converting others to his view was shown in the work that had been done in this district. He had taught them the duty of giving, and during the past nv-e years larger sums had been raised than ever before in connection with his church, and he (Mr Parkinson) did not think any member of the congregation was the poorer because of what he had given. There had been very great material advances during the past five years, but this was only the shell, and what they valued most highly was Mr Cowen's ministrations throughout this j large district. He hoped Sir Cowen ! would have great success in the city of j Auckland. (Applause.) (Mr John Finlay spoke a few words |in appreciation of Mr Cowen's work on behalf of the people of Tokaora and wished him success. The Rev A. Liversedge said that, in reading the papers during the past few days, and in listening to the speeches at the gathering, he had thought of the words of the Master: ' 'Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you." What the Master meant when he said those words, was that it was very hard to win general applause and popularity without sacrificing principles, but he was quite ««».© that Mr Cowen had won esteem by the application of Christian principles. Mr Liversedge went on to say that he was there not only as a minister, but as a personal friend of Mr Cowen. He had been warmly welcomed to the town on his arrival by Mr and Mrs Cowen. His heart had Tjeen won on the spot, and they had been real friends ever since. Often since then, when he had to go out into the country, he had found Mr Cowen and his redoubtable Ford at Ms gate, relieving him of the necessity for travelling on his rather bone-shaky bicycle. (Laughter.) He had come to regard Mr Cowen as a kind of colleague—-a kind of superintendent Methodist minister. (Laughter.) He wotMld make an ideal Methodist. He had taught the people to give. Mr Cowen would admit his debt to the Nonconformists, from whom he had derived the spring' of his life. The best part of. him belonged to them. It was a great joy to know that i while they differed in ecclesiastical matI iers, on Christian fundamentals they were absolutely at one, and they felt that they could werk hand in hand in the interests of Christ's Kingdom.

lhey had uever been rivals, and lie noped tiiat when Air Co wen went to a larger p.ace he would lower the barrier uiai> divides the denominations, and extend the borders or' the Kingdom of (Jrod in every way. Mr Cowen was endowed with a rich and attractive personality, and when he (Mr Liversedge) jooKed at him he sometmies wished that he were made in a like mould- but Mr (joweifs success, was not due to material endowments'^ but to moral and spiritual qualifications, which were the outcome or h.s reugious convictions. Wmle others present Knew best of his organising a Unity, iie (tne speaker; was Lead- u^uamted with" his spiritual wovk. it was a comparatively easy mattL-r xv get an organiser. * They might get a good pieaeher and a good pas.o;- out it -,vi.s a very different | thing to get a man who coitd do all ! these things, t.nd uo the.n well. The dra.n was aien so great, that none but a Uir:st:an man could fulfil the duties. bister ;>eil.e had asked him to say how I niiu:;i Air Cowen's work at the hospital had been appreciated. This was a very great and difficult work. Continuing iSlr Liversedge said that Hawera had been supplying different electorates with Parliamentary candidates, but it was going to do something better; it was I going to supply the Queen City with a I vjoer. They were proud to hand him on, and were sure that he would feel the orerwhe.raingr greatness of the responsibility. It would be good for him to remember the people here, who would think of him in love, and would : pray for him. If the people up in Auckland did not know how to appre- [ ciate him at his true worth, he could come back to Hawera—(loud applause)— and they would welcome him with open ! arms. Mr B. Dixon (Mayor) said that Hawera was noted for its resources in in- ' dustries, but he was beginning to thiuK i that it was also very productive of ! public men. When he thought of the good work that had been done in thes i town by Mr Cowen, he fe.t it a great ' 1 privilege to speak. During the past 25 years ne had been associated in a friendly, way with vicars in Hawera, j but there was nene whose work he valued so much as Mr Cowen's. This was because of the civic spirit shown. They would understand how arduous ' the duties of Mayor were during the past five years, and how he appreciated the way Mr Cowen had stood by him as Chief Magistrate. He had never refused to say a few words to the boys at the station, though often appealed to at the last moment. He thought the men appreciated the sacrifices Mr Cowen had made, bfft very few of them had any conception of the amount of work done. Mr Dixon referred to Mr Cowen's work on patriotic bodies, and in connection with the Soldiers' Club, which was a credit to the boys and the town. He had been present in a public way to assist in every effort for the benefit of the town, and one of the reasons for his success was that he had not kept to himself. The time had . come when there was a great need for | clergymen to get in touch with, the people so that they might learn treatise of the differences between Capital and Labor, and assist in saving the Labor problems. Mr Dixon expressed the thanks of the whole community for the good work Mr and Mrs Cowen had done, and wished them success where th^v were going. (Applause.) The chairman read an aprfogy from the Rev. H. B. Gray, who was away on holiday. Mr Gray said he was v->iy sorry not to be present. He Tiad greatlyappreciated during the past three -e?>s the constant friendliness of the vieirj and joined with his many friends in wishing him and his all prospe.-ity in the important sphere to " which they were going. (Applause). The Very Rev. Dean Power, who is suffering fi-om a cold, wrote expressing regret that he was not able to be at the gathering to do honor to their zealous : and devoted pastor. While the Anglican clergymen, of Hawera during his residence of of 22 years had teen men of piety and zeal, he thought Mr Grant Cowen'surpassed them all. His wish for true education in a land where sectarianism was in the ascend'aney would keep his memory alive among thos© who were fortunate in being his parishioners. (App&oss.) - There was also an apology from Mr ■W. D. Powdrell, who is on the school ' committee. The Rev. Grant Cowen was received with applause, and with the singing of ''He's a Jolly Good Fellow," when ne rose to reply. Mr Cowen said it was Voltaire who said that words were given us that we might conceal our thoughts. He certainly felt that no words of his could express the deep feelings of his heart. He would always remember that evening with kindly thoughts. Many things had been said which he did not deserve. While he had done his best, there was much more that he would liked to have done. The kind way he was being honored made him feel that after all they had appreciated what he wished to do. - The Rev. Mr Liversedge had referred to the happy feeling between the religious bodies. During the past five years he had not known of the slightest disagreement or unpleasantness. Some were trying to exaggerate the difference between them, but he had found Hawera a very happy centre ■of Christian work, and there was evidence here more than in any other pl.ee that men may held different views and yet work together in Christian brotherhood. He trusted the time w^s not far distant when sectarianism would not interfere with Christian brotherhood. He looked for' greater co-operation in fighting in all interests of Christianity. In the great city to which he was going he hoped to help in bringing about a union of Christians so that they might go forward serving the one true Master. During the past five years he had made friendships which woiV-d last throughout his life, and though he was going away, he knew that neither time nor distance would sever him from those friends. He would always be able to look back on those who had been so much to himself, his wife, and childjgjle had always taken a great pride in-'his work, but whatever he had done could not have been done without the magnificent band of unselfish helpers. No man had ever been blessed with such a zealous vestry, school committee, wardens, or choir. As he looked back, he realised how little he could have done without them. After referring to his regret at leaving the beautifu] hall in which they had met, Mr Cowen spoke of the importance of the cafe and education of the young, both in the day and Sunday school. As a memorial to the soldiers, the children would learn in the hall to follow the footsteps of those who suffered on the field of battle. He had found the town happier to live in than other places. The line of demarcation was not so strong socially. Rich and poor, high and low, worked happily together for Christ and His church..He was glad that this kindly spirit was in existence, and trusted it would always he so. He had noticed how kind and courteous the people of the town were to one another. It was a unique experience to receive anything but kindness. He appreciated the kind thoughts which prompted them to meet and make the presentation. He valued what had been done because he knew it came j from their hearts. Mr Cowen concluded by saying that he would be pleased

to meet any parisnioners, should t^t/ visa tut (^ueen.oity, at at. ivtaUhew's, or at his iiome. ic was only a strong sense of duty that had ma*le him accept charge of the new parish". He vuuld hiive liKed a imv luore years in. Hawera, and when he accepted he n^u little dreamt how hard it would be to say farewell to his friends. He was not going to say "Good-bye." tie thanked them all for their kind worus and tor the good work they had done. (Applause.) Supper was served, after which Mr and Mrs Cowen shook hands with those present, as they were ..eavmg the hall A very good and interesting programme was given in the first part of me evening. This comprised songs, recitations, and instrumental iteim and was heartily appreciated by all! .Songs were given in capital style by Mrs Cate, Miss Hooker, Miss HorneV {?), Messrs \al Jones and Douglass all enthusiastically encored, an amusing recitation by airs de la Mare v.im-h pleased so much that she had'to add another and a good performance of Handels Largo by Messrs Cate and liostick (violinists).