DIOCESAN MOTHERS’ UNION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22326, 28 July 1934, Page 11

DIOCESAN MOTHERS’ UNION

ANNUAL MEETING The annual meeting of the Mothers' Union of the Diocese of Dunedin was held in St. Paul’s scho'olroom yesterday afternoon, Dean Cruickshank presiding over a good attendance of members. There was also a representative gathering of the clergy, and with the dean on the platform were Mesdames Fitchctt (patroness), A. R. Falconer (president), Holloway (treasurer), and J. G. Butler (secretary). ANNUAL REPORT The annual report read as follows; — There are now 22 branches, with a membership of 760 (English tribute £3 3s 4d). New branches are being formed at Kurow and Milton. Seven council meetings have been held in the crypt of the Cathedral. In February Mrs Butler resumed her duties as diocesan secretary, and Mrs Holloway was appointed acting diocesan treasurer. Mrs Worthington represents the M.U. on the Council of the League of Mothers, and Mrs Price, of the League of Mothers, occupying a similar position on the Diocesan Council. Mesdames Hardy Johnson, Hamblett, Parata, M'Gcorge, Groves, Dobson, Jenkins, and Holloway represent the branches of Oamaru, Gore, Queenstown, Balclutha, Palmerston, Lumsden, and Invercargill._ _ The 1933 annual meeting of the Dominion Council of the Mothers’ Union was held in Wellington on Wednesday, August 23. Her Excellency Lady Bledisloe, patroness, attended, and welcomed the delegates, who represented the dioceses of Auckland, Waikato, Waiapu, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin. The sixth report of riie Dominion Council showed that the membership of the union in New Zealand has materially increased. There are 208 branches and a membership of 7249 —an increase of 31 branches and 1430 members in two years and a-half. MOTHERS’ UNION EXTENSION. At the Dominion Council meeting the following resolution was passed:— That the branches of the Mothers’ Union be encouraged to help in definite Mothers’ Union missionary work, either in Melanesia or among the Maori people.” The intention is to make grants to the general funds of the missionary societies, in so far as the teaching of Mother’s Union principles are included in their general work. After considering this resolution, the following motions were carried by the Dunedin Diocesan Council at its June meeting:—■“ (a) That contributions for Mothers’ Union extension work in Melanesia should not be raised by means of a levy, but be entirely a free-will offering, and should be forwarded through the Dominion treasurer of the Mothers’ Union to the Central Overseas Fund, as this is the procedure recommended in the pamphlet, ‘ Difficulties iu Connection With Regulation IC,’ as issued by the Mary Sumner House. (b) That contributions for Mothers’Union extension work among the Maori people should also be a free-will offering, and be forwarded to and administered by a special committee appointed by the Dominion Council for the purpose, the members of which might best be domiciled in Auckland.” CALL TO RENEWAL. Tlie world-wide cal] to renewal of the spiritual life within the -union was sounded in Liverpool in June, 1933, by the Archbishon of York. This call was supported by the Archbishop of New Zealand. The dates, October 2.3, and 4, had been set apart as sjiccial clays of intercession for blessings on the work throughout the world, and this diocese took its share on October 4, the hours chosen being 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Dean of Dunedin conducted tlie devotion. There has been an earnest response to the call throughout tlie diocese. Quiet days were held in many of the parish branches, and we thank the clergy of this diocese for their assistance. June 19 was observed as a day of thanksgiving to God for the opportunity of spiritual revival. Holy communion ■ was celebrated in the parish churches in the morning, and in the evening a combined thanksgiving service was held in the Cathedral. The Bishojj of Dunedin preached from the text Peter i, 1-13, “ Gird up the loins of your mind.” OTHER ACTIVITIES. The festival day commenced with a corporate communion at 10.30 a.m. in the Cathedral. A combined Mothers’ Union choir added to the beauty of tlie service. After lunch, which owing to the wet weather was served in the Town Hall Concert Chamber, an opportunity was taken to say good-bye to Bishop and Mrs Richards. They were presented with a revolving bookcase as a token of the love the Mothers’ • Union members have for them. Anzac Day was again commemorated by the Mothers’ Union by the placing of a laurel wreath on the Soldiers’ Memorial. This year St. Mary’s, Mornington, had the honour of making and placing tlie wreath. Feast of the Annunciation transferred to April 10, corporate communion was celebrated in all the churches. Mothering Sunday (fourth Sunday in Lent): Mothering Sunday wa s celebrated by special family services, sprigs of

rosemary being given to the mothers by the children. Invalid Prayer Circle was started in this diocese in 1930 with a membership of five. There are now 22 members, three members having entered into the wider life. The members express their gratitude for the intercessory quarterly leaflet supplied to them by the diocesan correspondent (Mrs 11, V. Fulton), and are grateful that they are able to help the Mother’s Union with their prayers. The call to renewal has been an inspiration to all. Mrs Mosse, central correspondent in England, keeps in touch with all dioceses who have branches of the I.P.C. The members of the Mothers’ Union in this diocese have appreciated and valued the counsel of Bishop Fitchett while occupying the position of Archdeacon of Dunedin, and now welcome him as patron of the union. - Referring to the statement of receipts and expenditure for the year it might be further explained that we began the year with a credit balance of £5 12s 7d. The sum of £37 12s lid was received by sale of calendars, badges, and magazines, making a total of £43 5s 6d. The sum of £35 15s 4d was expended in the purchase of literature, and we have in hand a credit balance of £7 10s 2d. During the year the following magazines were distributed: —Thirty Workers’ Papers (monthly), 170 Mothers’ Union journals, 28 Mothers in Australia, and 10 Mothers in Council Quarterly, also 550 calendars. A memorial to Mrs Boustead (late central president) is to be placed in the chapel of the Mary Sumner House. Individual members of the Dibcesan Council have also contributed to this fund. PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS Moving the adoption of the annual report and balance sheet, the president referred particularly to the Mothers’ Union extension work. She said she wished to explain to members why the resolutions were passed at the last council meeting. The meeting was held so recently that some of the enrolling members bad not yet bad time to explain them to their members. They would remember that the Dominion Council at its last meeting passed a x'esolution “that M.U. branches be encouraged to help in definite M.U. missionary extension work, either in Melanesia or among the Maori people.” When Bishop Badcleley was in New Zealand recently he met the members of the Christchurch Diocesan Council and the executive of the Dominion Council and asked if it would be possible for the members of the M.U. in New Zealand to combine and provide a woman worker for Melanesia. The sum required would be £l5O a year, and with 7000 members this could easily be done if each member gave a small sum. The matter came before the last council meeting for consideration. While they were anxious to help Melanesia, and realised the need for more women workers, the manner, however, in which the assistance is to be given required careful consideration, and they had to keep before them reg. 16 ot the royal charter, which governed the action of the M.U. at home in dealing with this question. At present Melanesia received help for M.U, extension work from the Diocesan Fund of the M.U. They had the organisation for it, and they should work in with them. The funds given by them would strengthen the work as a whole, and also strengthen the bonds of unity between them if they had a common object. This method would not prevent them from keeping in touch with the individual worker appointed, and would also facilitate their getting reports of the M.U. extension work as a whole. The second part of the resolution, of course, was a New Zealand report. As most of the Maori population lived in the north, it had been suggested that Auckland could deal with the extension work.: itself, but the resolution permits of its being a national effort, with headquarters in Auckland.

The report was adopted. Proceed infra were brought to a close with afternoon tea.