LOOKING BACK

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 24 December 1945, Page 5

LOOKING BACK

NOTE OF THANKSGIVING BISHOP’S ADDRESS AT STOKE A thanksgiving service in connection with the Stoke School centenary was held in the grounds of the Stoke School yesterday. There were about 200 people present and a choir of 40 led the singing. The address was given by the Bishop of Nelson, the Rt. Rev. P. W. Stephenson, the Rev. R. Patchett led the gathering in prayer and the Rev. C. F. Saunders read the Scripture Lesson. The Bishop of Nelson, in his address, took as his starting point some words from the prophet Isaiah, Chapter 51 verse 1, “Look unto the rock whence ye are hewn.” The situation at the time was one in which encouragement was needed and the people were bidden look back to the earliest days of their history when the material and prospects were unpromising and then notice what God made of them. After looking back they were to look forward and take courage. The Bishop said that the promoters of the celebrations connected with the centenary had shown a true sense of values in arranging a thanksgiving ser- ! vice. At such a service it was natural 1 to look back and see what changes 100 i years had brought and to look forward ' with nope; it was right that the good ' hand of God should be seen in their history. The centenary brought to ! many the opportunity of learning of i the past. Amongst the significant ! things brought to light in the history jof the school was the part played by ' Matthew Campbell in promoting educai tion in Stoke as elsewhere in the Nelso. district and the way in which he was supported by the public spirited citizens, bearing the names of families who were still with us. The difficulties which they had to face were formidable but they were faced with courage and were overcome. Religious t< aching and training were part of the daily school curriculum. The note of thanksgiving was uppermost as they thought of what God had done through the agency of men and women who were the pioneers. Public spirited Christian men were an incalculable asset to any community as they sought to bring their influence to bear on all the community’s activities. And such were many of the early citizens of Stoke.

As those who were concerned for the welfare of the school to-day looked forward it was important to ask what aim and purpose they placed before themselves as the good of their endeavour. Three great formative facj tors in life were the home, the church and the school. The fact that the s' >nes from the first school building were incorporated into the building of St. Barnabas Church, Stoke, was a parable reminding men of the close connection that should exist between the church and the ..chool. The ‘present system of education made provision for religious teaching in the schools, and many were seeking how this might be improved. The Bishop hoped that the time would come when such teaching would become a more in. tegral part of the school life. A little calculation of the time children spent in the home, in the school and in the church would show how very important was the spirit and guidance that was given in the home. It too often happened, the speaker said, that what the church and the school were endeavouring to r’o for the children was destroyed in the home largely by example, but sometimes by word. Also, too many parents were apt to attempt to shift their share of responsibility for religious and moral training from the home to the church and the school. It should be the purpose of serious minded parents to regard the church and the school as far as their children were concerned as supplementary to the horr.e, in building citizens who would find their true life and satisfaction in the knowledge of God and in consequent Christian service.

The hall marks of a Christian community were unselfish love, respect for persons, respect for the will of God as ultimate authority, and reverence for all that was good and true and beautiful in things and people. This ideal could be placed before children in the schools as elsewhere. The Bishop referred to the earnest bod:' of men and women who comprised the teaching strife and were serving the community through the schools, aad in addressing the children present he reminded them that being members of a school imposed obligations because on them the good name of the school largely depended. He begged them to seek always to bring credit to their .school, and, as they grew up, to take their place in helping forward the good of th community.