LINES OF TENTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23542, 30 December 1939, Page 9

LINES OF TENTS

CAMP AT SHOWGROUNDS SEVENTH DAY ADVENTISTS OVER 800 UNDER CANVAS In a self-contained canvas township, over 800' members of the Seventh Day Advontist Conference are encamped at the Epsom Show Grounds for a gathering that lias been hold annually since 1889. Housed in neat lines of wellequipped tents, obtaining food and cooked meals from a communal kitchen and assembling in huge marquees for services and meetings, the campers are practically independent of outside facilities. Three weeks before the convention commenced 011 Wednesday, a team of men, directed by an experienced camp superintendent, began tho task of erecting the 200 living tents and the marquees used for the group activities. Several days were occupied in surveying the ground and pegging out the allotments, and then tho advance party faced the routine of erecting line upon line of canvas dwellings. Each tent was furnished with standard equipment which provides a maximum of comfort and privacy, and, when tho campers arrived this week, everything was in readiness for occupation. Communal Catering Catering for 800 campers is no small problem. Apart from a few visiting delegates, the families attending the conference have their meals fin their tents, lining up at the camp cookhouse to receive their food piping hot from tlie ovens. In addition, a fully stocked store is operated and there the campers purchase other requirements such as bread, groceries and fruit. Coming from all parts of the North Island, persons of all ages are included among the campers. Tho conference is essentially a family gathering—iu some cases three generations being present •—and many infants and toddlers arc among the children who have entered into the many camp activities with all the enthusiasm of youth. Days Fully Occupied To many of the older people the convention is far from being a new experience, for the conferences have been held annually over the past 50 years with only one interruption shortly after the Great War on account of the influenza epidemic. Diligent in the practice of their faith, the campers spend a long day at meetings and in the pursuit of other activities. The first daily gathering is held at 0.30 a.m., and, after breakfast, further sessions take placo during the morning. Two meetings, together with special gatherings for children, are usually conducted in the afternoon, and, in the evening, the bulk of the camp population assembles in the marquee, planned to accommodate an audience of 1000, for tho main evangelical service. Jubilee Gathering Particular interest attaches to this year's conference as it represents a jubilee gathering. It was on May 27, 1889, that the first meeting of the New Zealand Tract Society, the name given to the first organisation of the conference, was held. At that time there were only three churches in New Zealand, with a total membership of 127. To-day there are 2004 members in the North Island and 900 in the South Island, with 40 churches in operation. lieporting on the work of the Church* at a camp gathering yesterday, the secretary, Mr. .It. E. G. Blair, said that when the New Zealand Conference was organised 50 years ago there were only 29,000 members in the world in 1000 churches. At the end of last year there were 469,951 members in 8570 churches. Iteferring to missions, ho said the work was now conducted in 387 countries using 700 languages.