DANCING

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 18 July 1925, Page 9

DANCING

RECENT PRESBYTERIAN DECISION ATTITUDE OF THE CHURCHES (By Telegraph.—Special to The Mail.) CHRISTCHURCH. This Day. In deciding that it. is not desirable that, dancing should be permitted in church halls, the Auckland Presbytery confirmed the attitude that appears to be general throughout New Zealand as far as the Presbyterian Church is concerned. In Christchurch dancing is not permitted in the Presbyterian Church halls. The attitude of Christchurch on the matter is not so much one of opposition to dancing itself, as a conviction that the Christchurch hall is not the proper place for dancing.

The Christchurch Presbytery has expressed the opinion very much the .same as that of the Auckland' Presbytery, but it has not. imposed its view as an obligatory policy on its churches. The attitude of the Methodist Church is very definite. Dancing is absolutely prohibited in Church halls. The Church is opposed to dancing, and the model deed under which all Church property held contains a provision ensuring that dancing will not take place in the Church halls. The Baptists have no legislation on the subject, but at the .same time, dancing does not take place in the Church halls. The Rev. J. .T. North pointed out that, dancing found no place in Ilic Church life, and therefore, none occurred in the Church halls. In the Anglican Church dancing is quite a recognised institution, and it is ir t an unknown spectacle to sec the vicar and his w to leading their parishioners at a- Parish dance. These dances take place in the Church halls, when* there are such available, and there are some Church halls that are let for parish dances. In these cases, howeverjlhe terms under which the halls are let are very definite. Congregationalist, express no objection to dancing, and it is not. uncommon for social factions in Church halls to terminate in dancing.