ANNIVERSARY

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7929, 12 October 1911, Page 2

ANNIVERSARY

TARANAKI STREET SUNDAY SCHOOL Last evening the seventieth anniversatv celebrations of tho Taranaki street Wesleyan. Sunday school were concluded. Tho annual tea was well attended, as was tho public meeting held in the church. At this the Rev. J. G. Chapman presided. ANNUAL REPORT.

The report stated that the number ot teachers on the roll is forty,. with an average attendance of thirty-sis. Ihe number of scholars is 46G, and the average attendance is 305. “ This is not at all a satisfactory average," states the .report, "and we would ask the co-opera-tion of the parents in sending their children regularly and punctually to school.” Owing to the constant removals to the suburbs the school has lost 203 scholars, but against this 143 have joined during the year. Regarding the infant class, no expense has been, spared in bringing this into a very high state of efficiency. A specially-trained staff of teachers keeps the little ones interested, and by blackboard and sand-tablo the children have impressed upon their minds lessons that must tell in the building of their characters. So wide is the reputation of this class that visitors from far and near, _ to tho number of 588. recorded their names in tho visitors’ book during the year. The cradle roll was increased by 45, making tho total number 755. At tho Sunday school examination twelve scholars entered and nine passed. The report regrets that so few entered for tho examination. “A® a number of our boys were under tho Compulsory Military Training Act,’* says the report, “parents will be pleased to know that- arrangements were made with the Y.M.C.A. to enrol our scholars in their corps, so that under wholesome conditions they may bo safeguarded from all the evils that accompany militarism.” After six years' loyal service as superintendent Jli’ J. L. Garrard has been compelled to resign, and tho report eulogises his work on behalf of the school. The amount collected for foreign missions by tho school during the year amounted to .£Bl XOs Aid. an average of 4s per head. Officers were elected as-follow;—Super-intendent, Mr H. T. H. Grave; secretary, Mr H. B. Grave; librarian, Mr IV. A Grenfell; musical conductor, Mr T. Billman. ADDRESSES. The Rev. J. G. Chapman regretted that a great number of children did not attend the morning church services. lie did not see why 200 children should not attend these services every Sunday. If the parents would interest themselves in this respect there would be no difficulty in inducing the children to go along. Shortly, if possible, he would introduce several innovations in the serrices that -would tend to appeal to the children. Once a month he proposed to devote the whole of the morning services to the young folk. Tho retiring superintendent, Mr Garrard, said that during his six years of office he had never once been disappointed in the support that had been given him. He had a great pride in the school, the standard of which must be kept up to a* high state of efficiency. All over Australasia the school had got a good name, and it rested with the scholars to keep the reputation up. He urged the children and parents to support the new superintendent as well as they had supported himself. During tho evening hymns, duets and solos were contributed by the scholars iu a manner that bore good testimony to the training of Mr F. Pierard.