PARNELL WESLEYAN SUNDAY. SCHOOL. — ANNUAL SOIREE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6999, 23 April 1884, Page 6

PARNELL WESLEYAN SUNDAY. SCHOOL. — ANNUAL SOIREE.

The annual soirea in connection with the Parnell Wesleyan Sunday-school "fras held last night. Tea wa9 Berved ih;the.sohoolroom. .There was a. large :attendance, and: the tea tables, whioh were most liberally provided, were presided over by the lady members of .the congregation. :The>public, meeting was'held in. the church... On the platform were; the Revs.. Bevan (Superintendent of the circuit), . Griffiths,; Parsonson, and, . Watkins. The . proceedings were opened with .prayer,,.-,-.after ; which the Rev. Mr. - Bevan introduced the Chairman (Mr.,A- Laybourn). ~,The Chairman in the course of an able address, referred. to the, troublonß times. experienced with regard; to raising and enlarging - the ohuroh, and making the school-room, for they were at that time feeble-folks,, feeble in number and ; in pocket, but strong in faitV> In regarid to Sunday-schools he said the prosperity of any church could .be gauged by its Sundayschool. Ho concluded .by giving useful, valuable, and earnest a<3yiae to the teaohars. at r. Witheford, for. the Secretary,, read the annual report... The number of scholars was, I.6Qt'r?2-boys and 88 girls, an inorease of 8 on last year, and the number of teachers ■Was 17.; 'ihe . committee regretted the. removal of Mr. Habbot to Tuakan, but hoped he. would be blessed: in his labours .there. Two, female,teachers had also been lost to them. Their receipts for the past year had been very small,, but by economy they had succeeded in keeping the expenditure under the receipts. They had been, unable, however, to add t>o the library.,, .They hoped, however, to be able to do so ,this year.. In July last the attendance of teaohsrs at the morning olasses was bo. small that they werp discontinued until November, .whin they were taken up by Mr. Whiteford, who also inaugurated a children's service, held in the. Oddfellows' Hall. They deplored the loss of the late. Superintendent, but Mr. SohoGeld filled his place. The Band of Hope was progressing well under Mr. Leßoy, who was the : right man in the right place, and the attendance, whioh had fallen off, was increasing. They were now greatly in need of teachers, as the classes wore so large that it was difficult to carry on satisfactorily without sab-dividing them.. It concluded by thanking all who had aided, more especially those who had aided in the Sundayschool feast. Mr. Schofield, the Superintendent of the school, addressed the meeting, and on ~behalf of himself and. his fellow teachers gave a hearty invitation, to thoie who were willing to help in the Sundayschool to come to their assistance. The Rev. Mr. Watkin gave an interesting and humourous address. Several other addresses were given, and the proceedings closed With ,prayer. . ~. .