WESLEYAN SUNDAY SCHOOL ANNIVERSARY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXV, Issue 130, 3 June 1891, Page 2

WESLEYAN SUNDAY SCHOOL ANNIVERSARY.

The ohildren'a servioe in oelebration of the anniversary of the Wesleyan Sunday Soheol was held iu St. Johns Ohuroh last night, when there were a large number of soholars and adults present, the former being arrauged ou either side of the rostrum. The ohair was taken by Mr James Harkness, and on the platform were the Reva F. W. Isitt and T. Bray, and Mr R. Snodgrass, junior. The servico commenced with a hymn, followed by prayer by tho Rev Mr Isitt, Another hymn was then sung. Mr R. Snodgrass, jun, the Seoretary, read the annual report, whioh showed that the work of inotruotion had been oarried on regularly, and the attendance been satisfactory. There were 21 teaohers on the roll, with an average attendance of 15. The aoholars numbered 206 exclusive of Mrlsitt'a Bible olass, in whioh there were 45. The •average attendance was 16 i. The library now contained 800 volumes, and was largely used by the ohildren, Regret was expressed at losing the services of Misa Miller and Mr Boxall as teachers, and it waa hoped that others would be forthcoming to take their Slaoea. The sohool bad been renovated and eoorated, and the work paid for by entertainments got up by the ohildren. Thanks were acoorded to Mr Boxall for his generosity in doing muoh of the decorative work free of oost. During the year the ohildren had contributed £10 3s lid towards , mission work, Tho officers for the year are:— Superintendents, Rev, F. W, Isitt and Mr Jameß Hnrkuesa j Treaaurer, Mr James Boon, re-elected ; Librarian, Mr W. Saodgrasa, ditto ; Organiat, Mr R. Snodgrass, junior, The Chairman Baid he waa very glad to preside ou suoh an ocoasion, for he attaohed great importance to Sunday aohools, the work in whioh he thought was as a part of Ohuroh work rather overlooked instead of brought prominently forward. In building their ohuroh first and resting satisfied with an inferior schoolroom he thought they had began to build from the top instead of the bottom. If the ohildren were first of all thoroughly taught they need never fear that they would not fill their ohuroh. . The ,ap« ! pearanoe of the schoolroom had been greatly improved, but the work could not be properly oarried out in suoh a building as they had at present, for there ought to be a separate room tot: eaqh glass, Until this were done the work muat be exoesaiv'ely hamperpd. He alluded to' the' necessity of the hearty 00. operation of the parents if the school waß to be a complete sucoess, They must contribute according to their means to improve the building and enlarge thelibrary. The parenta. must also oo- operate in a far deeper sense, and their sympathy was muoh needed for the teaohers, who were doiug their work for the love of Christ and the love of boulb. There was always a need of teaohers, especially of good onea. Some people seemed to think that any young person who had jußt entered the ohuroh waa good enough to teaoh, but what they wanted waa more elderly aud experienced teaohera. The younger the ohildren, the more waa age and exporionoe required inthpae yvho taught. It rested with the parents to a large extent to make the year on whioh they were entering a thoroughly auccessful one for the school, The Rev. T. Bray Bpoke of the deep interest he took iu Sunday sohool work, to whioh he himself owed muoh. Ro heartily endorsed tho Chairman's remarks with . regard to the real importance of the work, and felt that all would have to look into the matter more deeply and earnestly, It was a source of great anxiety to ministers to see the soholars dropping out of the soho'ols and wandering about the atreeta while service waa goiug on. He earnestly wished tbat they could devise some means to retain them ' in the ohurohea. T^e teaohera, he thought, 1 should be supplementary to the parenta, not the parenta to' the teaohers, aud the home be made, ao to apeak, a court of appeal to whioh the ohildren could tako what the teaohers had said and ask their opinion on it, The objeot of the Sunday sohool waa that 5 not only Bhould the ohildren be taught the letter but the Bpirit of the Word of Qqd{ opd that they had a personal invest in a personal i Sayiourj Ise wished the time would oome < when there were no lazy Christians ins tbe < ohuroh, for there waß plenty for aU to do saoh in his or her own Way. He spoke in I high tflrms of thp training the ohildren bad j reoeived in singing, and of the gratification i it had'affdrded. him td listen to theni, ■ •'•'• i The Rev F.' W. lsßb directed attrition' to < Ihe sale of work at the Baptist shool the i Eollpwing evening, and hoped there iwould t wmanyot tho^pceeent there. Refuting * ft'tta'&WWft 9* tfo Mhwl, ho said tort #$ J !

had been raised forit.^iiiagV'jih&y^^^'-'-'.'.^y £60 spent. . On .behalf s pi|thej4«jA|wiß^il ' > congregation be wished'toMy W\y «tillfdl * tljey all were to Mr ti^das'for tifa'ixo&ffli---' { amottnt o| trouble , M^fetofcorin^SSv ,' with the singing. He.a^othfflkedMfE»y ■"■■'■4 for being present. * H^odrd^y en^rtta^: ■'.]? what Mr Harkness had Jaid about th^olasa rootaß, and hoped thoy WjghtMfoti to make : v>i a oommencemeuUHis yea^^|With regard to- 1 h the importance of ?3un^yohobl work, he . 'A felt that all must b^iiiSpressed with the f desirability of getting hpldof theohildren!' nnd bringing them under Godly influence. :; ne sometimes felt. » little ashamed at the smartuesßof the ohiidren,and thought per- ' haps it might be partly tbe penalty they were paying for their growing Li^Usm. .. There was, he was sorry to say, a disposition to use . pertness towards their parents. „Oonld not this smartness be rightl^ direo^d ? The smarter the children were the more neoesaarv was it that they sheWd bs bWfighmdS'ihJ ' iosuenoe ; of God. It would ill betita the oountryif tbey did away with Godliness in the home. There was a great different between prieetiy influonoo and Ohuroh influence. He quoted from a attiole in the Spectator on this subjeot. rTM Attempt o( the present day to break away' horn Ohuroh inflfldfloa wasndt fthdalthy iiao:'The» ehould do all they 'ttfatttf within the pale of the Ohuroh andun*der its influence, He earnestly commended- to the earnest sympathy of all present theoauseof, the children, and asked them to showvthat' : V sympathy in seouring for the Sunday sohool a greater suocess than in the past. He also aSjied thepar'entß to send their children to ohuroh on Sunday mornings. He had been very pleased to learn from Mr Evans that ha had 100 children attending his ohuroh on a recent Sunday morning. If the children would oome there he would promise to give them ten minutes of speoiai address. During the evening the children sung a a number of hymns under the donduotorshin oIMrA. P.Luoas with ezoellent taste, the aooompaniments being played on the organ by Miss Everett, and a very pleasant gathering was brought to a oloae about 9*30 by the Rev. F, Wi Isitt pronouncing the benediotion,