PARISH MEETINGS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CI, Issue 11870, 20 April 1899, Page 7

PARISH MEETINGS.

ST MARY’S, MERIT ALE. The annual meeting of the parishioners of St Mary’s, Merivale, was on Monday in the schoolroom. The Vicar, the Rev H. A. Watson, presided, and there was a good attendance. The report, of the churchwardens and cestry stated that the receipts from all sources had amounted'to £504 15s 3d, including special contributions to the extent of £6O 17s, .towards the reduction of the churdr debt. Deducting these special sums, the receipts on general account had been £443 18s 3d, as against £5lB 19s 7d last year. The expenditure had amounted to £454 15s, or £2l 19s less than last year. . The total indebtedness of the parish was £235 9s Id,' while last year it had been £2BO 9s 4d. But for the special efforts made, towards the reduction of the debt, . the parish would have been in a worse posi- ■ tipn than twelve months previously, and it was much to be, regretted that while these special sums -should have reduced the debt pri the one hand, the insufficiency of the income to cover the current expenses for the year should have increased it on the other. It Was hoped that the special effort which it was proposed to make in June would be successful. The thanks of the parishioners were due to the members of the Ladies’ Sewing Guild, who had carried out a, successful fete at the Art Gallery, and frora the proceeds had given £SO to the Church Debt Fund, £ls to the day school and t £ls to the Sunday school. The officers also wished to thank the lay readers, ‘ the choir, Sunday school teachers and other ' church workers. • -The report’ and- balance-sheet were adopted. ’. The Vicar nominated Mr 'H. TV Hill as his churchwarden,-and Mr -I. Gibbs was appointed parishioners’ • churchwarden. 'The, following-were elected •'•vestrymenMessrs M. Garufur. G. ” Kett Jewell, 11. G. Satchell, C. Treweek, R. 11. Rhodes,' H. G. Deal, (A. Y. Cox; J. Winstone, A. 11. Allan, and A. E. Baker. Mr VV..H. Chessman was elected auditor; The Vicar read his annual pastoral letter. ' He stated .that good progress had been made in several directions. The day-school was doing excellent, work, but was in urgent need of pecuniary help. A strong missionary guild, had hern formed, which promised to do good work. At t-. eight o’clock, communion on Easter Day the num.‘‘ber of communicants had been 50 per cent, in excess of last year’s number, while at the after ipatins communion’ the number had shown an increase of 20 per cent. The usual votes of thanks were passed, and the meeting , was closed with the Benediction. ST SAVIOUR’S. The annual meeting of parishioners of St Saviour's Church was held in the schoolroom on Monday. Thera was a good attendance, and the Rev E. A. Scott, the vicar, occupied, the chair. The Vicar submitted his annual statement, which showed the -offertories for the year to have- been £256 5s Id, or £72 .0s 10d more than last year. , This total included the offertories for missions, which amounted to £44 0s Id, as against £22 7s 5d last year. The general I expenditure had hot been mot by the general -income, and Periodical sales of work had .been held to make up the deficit. The report of the churchwardens showed that the general receipts had been £ii4 below the general expenditure, although offertories for chinch e_Tpen.ses lixd been over £SO more than last year, A stone-pulpit, the permanent memorial of the late Rev H. B. Docks, Lad been placed in the - church. .The parish had now the services of an assistant clergyman the Rev H. M. Smythe. The balancesheet showed the, receipts to have amounted to £545 14s 9d and the expenditure to £442 4s lid, leaving a debit balance of £4B 10s 2d. The Sunday School building account showed a credit of one penny. The ..report and . balance-sheet were adopted. Mr T. M. Gee was nominated as the Vicar’s churchwarden, and Mr A. Hirtzell was elected as parishioners’ churchwarden. Air AT. Hughes was elected synodsman, and the , following were - elected vestrymen:—Messrs Griffiths, Packer, Hughes, Wraight, Spare, Brady, Watts, Jacobsen, Scott, and Ditford. On the motion of Mr Hughes, ' seconded by Mr. Spare, it was resolved—- “ That the meeting warmly acknowledges the value of Miss Maude’s work in the parish as district nurse, and trusts that the parishioners will assist the Vicar in contributing the sum of £lO to the Central Mission Fund.” On the motion of Air J. Scott, seconded by Air Anthony, it was resolved—“ That the meeting views with satisfaction the arrange‘xnents made by the Vicar, whereb- the ser- . vices of a second clergyman have been se- , cured .to;the parish, and extends a hearty 1 welcome to the Rev H. M. Smythe.” Air J. Jacobs moved, and Mr Hirtzell seconded—- “ That this meeting deplores the prevalence of Sunday funerals as harmful to the spiritual 'Work of the Church, and as withdrawing from many persons the privilege of rest from labour on the day of rest. Further, that while not venturing to ask the Vicar .to refuse absolutely all requests for such funerals, the meeting suggests for his guidance the following principle:—That in ■this parish at any rate the time of the clergy on Sunday afternoons belongs of right to the children of the Church, and that consequently nothing should be allowed to interfere with their presence in the Sunday schools.” The motion provoked some discussion, but it was finally carried, with only one dissentient. The meeting closed wiui the Benediction’. • ' ST PAUL’S, PAPANUI. The parishioners’ meeting of St Paul’s, Papanui, was held in the schoolroom on Alonday. The Vicar, the Rev H. T. Pnrebas, was in the chair ; there was a go.pd attendance of parishioners.. The report congratulated the parishioners on the improved , finance of the parish, and on the satisfactory state of the church building and cemetery grounds- The showed the general receipts to have been £324 0s 5d and the expenditure £317 16s 7d, leaving a balance of £6 3s lOd. The assets were £lB 8s lOd, and the liabilities £258, leaving a debit balance of £239 11s. 2d. The Church Roof Pitnd receipts, were £248 2s 3d, and the expenditure £231 11s 10d,° leaving a balance ■ of £l6 ,10s sd, whilst £SO was still owing bn the loan from the Church Property trustees. ..The expenditure on the Sunday School building- was £3l 2s Bd, leaving a debit balance of £3 15s 6d. The receipts from the cemetery bad been £l3B 12s, leaving a credit balance of £32 9s 6d, and the Sunday Scuool had received £2l 6s 4d, with , a credit balance still in hand of £8 12s sd. At St James’s Church, Harewood Road, the general account showed receipts £22 5s 8d and expenditure'£27 5s 6d; repairs account £33 17s 7d, expenditure £33 10s, leaving a credit balance of 7s 7d. The cemeteiy receipts were £7 0s 2d and the expenditure £3 14s 9d, with a credit balance of £4 5s 6d. The Vicar gave a short resume of the work done during the past year. On the motion of Mr G. Dunnage, seconded by Mr J. F. Hart-land, the balance-sheet and report were „ adopted. , The statement of St Alark’s, Marshlands, showed a slight improvement on last,year, as the receipts were £29 16s, and the debit balance had been reduced to £5 11s lid. Towards the Sunday School fund £l3 3s 6d-.had been collected, and the expenditure was £l2 ss. The following officers were elected : ■—Vicar’s churchwarden, Air J, F. Hartland; parishioners’ churchwarden, Mr C- EdkinSi; vestrymen: Papanui— Messrs C. G. Alatson, Pendall, Alills, Hodgson, Embling and Haydon ; Harewood Road —Messrs Burrows and Stanley; Belfast — Mr Nidi oils ; Marshlands—Mr Aloreton ; auditor, Mr C. Scott.