ANNUAL PARISH MEETINGS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 8148, 20 April 1887, Page 5

ANNUAL PARISH MEETINGS.

ST SAVIOUR’S, WEST LYTTELTON. After the meeting had been opened by prayer, toe Chairman (Rev E. E. Chambers) in making his annual report, stated that the parishonera had very much to be thankful for, as in every way the district had, with God’s blessing, progressed. The Sunday school bad nearly doubled itself, and bad a staff of no less than 16 teachers. The choir was still in a high state of efficiency, and at the late festival of the Diocesan Choral Society was highly complimented, and although frequent removals of the senior boys had taken place, yet toe curate, who acted as choirmaster, trusted that by keeping several of the younger boys ready to fill the vacancies, toe choir itself would not suffer. During the year there had been one marriage, five burials, twenty baptisms, and twelve candidates presented for :confirmation ; while there had been twentysix celebrations of toe Holy Communion, toe average number present being eighteen. The average offertory for toe past eleven months was £2 ss, the sum total for that period being £llO 2s 3d. When the number of residents in the district, 500, is taken into consideration, of whom only 50 are registered members of the Church, the before-mentioned statements will not be found discouraging. The Parish churchwarden, Mr Derbridge, then read his statement of accounts and balance- sheet, which was duly received and adopted. Mr Derbridge, in alluding to the parish accounts, stated that, owing to the success the late bazaar had proved, toe total debt on the district had been reduced from .£250 to .£3O, and it was confidently hoped that this latter amount, by a sale of work, would be cleared off. Votes of thanks were then carried to those who had helped at the late bazaar, to Mrs Bridge, to the Sunday School teachers, to the choir and choir-master, to Mr and Mrs Coote for acting as vergers, and to the out-going officers of the Chnroh. The following gentlemen were then elected for recommendation to the Bishop to their several appointments :—Messrs Turpin and Gifford, churchwardens ; Messrs Derbridge, Browning, and Steel, and Captains Ticehurst and Whitby, members of the Vestry. A vote of thanks to the chair terminated the meeting. ST BARTHOLOMEW'S, KAIAPOI. The annual meeting of parishioners was held in the schoolroom on Monday evening, at 8 p.m. The chair was occupied by the Rev J. W. Stack, the Incumbent. After opening the meeting with prayer, the Chairman called on the parishioners’ churchwarden, Mr C. M, Brooke, to read toe report and financial statement for the past year. The Chairman then briefly addressed toe meeting. Referring to the report presented by the Vestry, he thought it, on the whole, encouraging, and expressed the hope that the example of zeal for the welfare of the church set by many in the parish would be more largely followed in the future. The balance-sheet having been adopted by the meeting, the following gentlemen were elected members of the Vestry :—Mr C. Whitefoord, clergy man's churchwarden; Mr C. M. Brooke, parishioner’s churchwarden ; Messrs F. Robins, L. Cox, J. Wood, F. Fowler, J. Whitehead, J. Winterbourne, vestrymen. Votes of thanks were then passed ■unanimously to the superintendent and teachers of the Sunday School; to the choir; to the ladies of the sewing party and helpers in the decoration of the church, &c.; to Mr Budd tfor his services as lay reader at Clarkville; to Mrs Oldban for her weekly singing class; to Mr Webster for auditing toq.. accounts.., After a, vote of thanks to the Chairman, to© meeting closed with the benediction.