PRESBYTERIAN SABBATH SCHOOL ASSOCIATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16120, 8 July 1914, Page 4

PRESBYTERIAN SABBATH SCHOOL ASSOCIATION

annual mkktinc. Tlie nnnuiil meetinp; of the, Diineiiin I'res bvt'-riiin S'lbh.ith Ki-.hool Association w,is Iμ' Id last, evening in First Church Jiiill. Mr i). S. IV alii oocupied Iho chair, mid (here, was a numerous attendance, composed principally of ladi-s. 'Chi , following is a nummary of the seventh annual report presented by the executive: ~

"IVirinif the yiiir a forward movement was made in the 'direction of holding for toaehers every month. The meetings- - held nltTiiaMy at First. Hall and at a .suburban hull— were on the whole well attended, the attendance ranging from 3fi to 90. Tlktu are, however, over 400 touchers in D'liiudin and suburbs, w< , are aware of (lie objections to too many inertinfl3. but wo bolievc that these meetings hn-ve been of great benefit to teachers. H.y pointing tho way to newer and bettor methods they iiroiißo a desire to get away from old, dinhearteninp:, ineffective method* of work. Fresh enthusiasm, now ideals, and a desire to study are thus created. On Labour Day a conference was held at Stirling. Thjs was the outcome of a sugprretion of iVir Jupp's tJiat tho association s'hould end A avour to hold conferences in country centres as opportunity offered. Thorn wore present about 150 teachers from 0.1 l parts of Clutha l're?bytery, and the mooting proved most successful. It will lio noticed that no meetings wore held a,t country contros in our Presbytery. We would suggest to tho incoming executive the advisability of dividing the country portions of the Presbytery into conference are.is and holding at least one meeting a, year at a convenient centre in each area. Your association imde an effort to got 100 delegates to attend the t.himaru Conference , , numerous handbills and circulars beirii/ issued aJid placed in tho hands of every teacher in tho Presbytery. The result was an attendance of 50 delegates—this number representing one-fourth the total number at tho conference. .Fortyfour new volumes were added to the library during the year, there boing now 83 volumes on tho shelf. Tho librarian's report shows th.it there arc 54 regular users of the library, and that 149 books have boon takon out during the year. The second year of tho training class was commenced immediately after Easter, and the classes arc still m progress. We regret to report that, compared with last year, tho attendance shows a falling off of 'from 60 to 40. The- undoubted excellence of the instruction given deserves a much better attendance, and wo hope that next year this will bo more fully appreciated by the 1300 teachers and Bible class members" in Duncdin and suburbs. Our first examination in Scripture memorising was hold on October 3 last. There were 53b entrants from 16 schools, but of this number only 113 faced tho examination. In last year's report reference was made, to the fact that a scheme for improving tho existing system of grading questions a,nd, divisions in catechism had been forwarded to the Assembly's U.S. Examination Committee for its consideration. We regret to report that the schema was not adopted by the Assembly's committee. Instead, at tho Assembly's examination, tho number of candidates was: Scripture 252, catechism ?31, and essay 101,—a, total of 534. This shows an increase of 176 compared with tlic previous year, made up of 115 Scripture, 13 catechism, and 4rf essay. will be remembered that laet year's figures showed a decrease of 170, «o that this year's figures aro practically the same as those for 1911. Tho prize-giving demonstration was held in Burns Hall, on Friday, November 7. Two hundred and seventy prizes word presented in respect of the assembly's examination —an increase of 63 compared with last year —and 76 in connection with tho Scripture memorising examination—a total of 346. In the. 30 charges in the Presbytery there arc 65 schools. At the end "of tho last church year tho number of teachers and officers was 606—a decrease of 9 compared with the previous year—92 teachers having resigned and 83 joined. Of the 83 who joined, 53 come from Biblo classes or Christian Endeavours, and 30 from other sources. Tho number of children on tho roll was 5419, an apparent decrease, of 188 compared with the previous year, and tho average attojidaneo was 4021, a decrease of 465. These decreases tin- partly explained by the fact that one large eeihool had, the previous year, included its Bibio class attendance with its Sunday school attendance, the error being rectified this year. When this is taken into account, we find that there is a decrease of one in t!ho number of teachers, of 22 in the roll number of children, and of about 300 in the average attendance. We had expected that teachers would ehow an increase this year as the resuit of the establishment of primary departments at" several of our schools. The explanation fccoms to bo that last year S.IS. officers were included with teachers in tho Bluo Book statistics, and this year they are not included. Contributions fcom congregations for the support of schools amounted to £SSO, an increase of £216; contribution.) from schools for self-support £336, on increase of £46; for missions £377, a decrease, of £215; for Youth Fund £15, and for other objects £53 —a total of £1362. This year wa3 commenced with a credit balance in the general account of £12 18s 7d. Tho receipts totalled £15 13s 4d, and the expenditure £19 2s Id, leaving a credit balance of £9 9a 10d. Annual subscriptions outstanding amount to £4- 10s The credit balance in the examination prize fund account from last year was £22 5s 9(1. The receipts totalled £30 19e 6d, and the expenditure £31 19s 4d, leaving a credit balance of £21 5s lid.

Tho Chairman moved the adoption of the report, which, he remarked, was so full as to require little comment from him. In referring to two or three clauses in tho report he laid stress upon tho importance of schools sending rcpreeentativee to meetings of the association. He thought that they should record their grateful thanks to the secretary, Mr G. W. Carrington, for tho very full and able report he had prepared.—(Applause.)

The renort was adopted.

The following office-bearers were elected: President, Mr R. Duncan (who was welcomed by the chairman and presided over the remaining portion of the nroceodings) ; vice-nrosidents —Messrs W. S. Beath and J. Reid; secretary and treasurer, Mr G. W. CaTj'ngton. Tho Rpv. J. C .Tamioson intimated that First Church was going to hold a Bible studv school, from the 10th to the 14th August, and that about s : x from each congregation would be welcome.