CHURCH OF ENGLAND

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17322, 23 May 1918, Page 3

CHURCH OF ENGLAND

CONFERENCE OF MEN'S SOCIETY. IPh Ukitkd Press Association.) . CIIRISTCHURCH, May 22. The Dominion Conference of the Church of England Men's Sociciy opened to-clay, Bishop Julius presiding. The report of the Dominion Executive specified a number of matters for tho public good that the last conference hud assisted to bring about, notably tho arrangement of C.E.M.S. Institutes at military camps, and tho effort in tho interests of social purity, which had included a course of lectures by Surgeon-captain Pettit. Tho exact stength of tho society in Now Zealand was hard to ;:stiniato, ac; so many secretaries had failed to send returns of membership. The membership was, however, somewhere about 2000, and the number of branches about 120. Some 661 men had responded to tho call to serve their country, about 20 per cent. (127 in all) having made the supremo sacrifice. Considerable time was occupied in discussing the appointment, of an organising secretary. Tho London headquarters offered to undertake to select a secretary, and several members were in favour of tho offer being accepted. Others favoured the appointment of a man resident in Now Zealand or Australia, being of opinion that tho society was_ " dying so rapidly" that unless an organiser were procured speedily there would bo no one left for him to organise. It was eventually resolved that the Dominion Executive bo empowered to entor into negotiations with London headquarters with a view to the appointment of an organising secretary as soon as circumstances permit, and that in the event of headquarters in England failing to provide «a suitable secretary within throe months, the Dominion Executive be empowered to find a secretary in Australia or New Zealand. Archdcacon Russell (Oamaru) ' was reelected general secretary, and the following executive was elected: —Rev. 11. G. Blaokbumo fPalroerston North). Canon T. F. Tavlor (Trentham Camp). Rev. J. G. Cattle (Wellington), Messrs J. C. Adams (Christchurch), W. Nash (Now Plymouth), J. W. Henderson (Wellington). It was decided to hold the next conference at Auckland.