PRESBYTERIAN SOCIAL SERVICE ASSOCIATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3111, 29 October 1913, Page 80

PRESBYTERIAN SOCIAL SERVICE ASSOCIATION.

ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the Presbyterian Social Service Association was held on the 17th in Burns Hall. There was a fairly numerous attendance, and the uev. A. Cameron presided. Several musical items were given, the vocal soloists being Mr J. H. Oliver, Miss May Walton, and Miss Ruth Gale. In addition to these Messrs W. Paget Gale (who played the accompaniments), and Mr Macfic played a pianoforte duet, and the children gave very nice renderings of two or three melodies suitable for children’s voices. It was quite a pleasure to hear the boys and girls sing, and those present made a special demonstration in their favour. The annual report. which was presented during the evening, has already appeared in the press in a summarised form.

“ It has been a year of important development and added responsibility. 'lho meet important event during the year has been the opening of the now children’s home at Anderson’s Bay, called after the donor the ‘ GlendLning ' Home,’ and following upon this the transference of the schoolboys from Clyde street to Grant’s Braes, the Grant’s Braes family having emigrated to the now home. This arrangement has made it possible to complete the scheme of classification intended —viz., Glond'ning Home for girls and for boys under 10 years of age, Grant’s Braes for schoolboys of 10 years and upwards, and the home in Clyde street for boys learning trades •in the city. Seventy-one boys and girls have been dealt with since last report, 35 of these having become inmates of one or other of our institutions. Of the rcmainiing 36 some have been sent to situations in the country. The rest have been allowed to remain in their own homes, bmt under the supervision of the association. Forty-three young people have passed out of our control; 12 of these were returned to relatives, 10 have been placed in geed homes in the country, and 21 have reached their majority. The number of our charges at the /present time is 235. Sister Mary has now a large family of 56 under her care at Glendining Home, all doing well, all well eared for, and remarkably free from serious illness. Sister Mary lives entirely for ber children, and the result of her influence upon these young lives can never be fully estimated. The same may be said of her assistants. The 'Grant’s Braes Boys’ Home, with Miss Tweed as matron, has 26 inmates. They have settled down nicely in their new homo and will give a good account of themselves as time goes by. Miss Tweed is proving herself a capable matron, and is assisted by two good helpers. We have been fortunate in securing for the Clyde Street Bovs’ Home the services of Mr and Mrs Maclaren, lately in charge of the Y.M.C.A. Boys’ Home. They have 17 lads in their charge, and will do excellent work among the older boys. Mrs Maclarcn is assisted by one helper only, and Mr Maolaren. in addition to his work in Clyde street, gives his services to the larger work of the association. We have thus, deluding three boys living in View street, altogether 102 inmates of our various homes and 133 in our care outside the institutions. “We have been able to assist a number of old people during the past year, but wo are waiting for some generous friends whose hearts shall be touched with the need of our aged poor and who will help us to face this great need as it ought to be faced. The usual problems connected with domestic troubles have been met with as usual, and assistance given when possible. The superintendent has also conducted services in town and country on behalf of the work. Sister Mary also having done good work in the .same direction. The financial support ha*s been in every way as liberal as during previous years, but owing to the opening of Glendining Home and the ge-neral development of -our work there has been a heavy increase in expenditure. We would tender our heartiest thanks to all cur supporters, to those who have sent food, produce, and clothing, as well as to those who have given money. Special mention must be made of young people’s societies and Sunday sc hoc is. The members of committee retiring for the vear are: Rev. A. Cameron, Professor Hewitson. Rev. R. E. Davies, Dr Riley, and Mr W. Gow.”

Reporting on the finances of the association the Rev. A. Cameron said they had started the year with a deb:t balance of £157 18s Sd, and had concluded with a credit of £ls 11s. Id. Their total salaries were increasing considerably, as they had now three homes bo supr>ort. Among the gifts received during the year was an endowment of £SOO from Mrs Reid of Elderelie. Altogether they had an income of £3267 for the vear, £919 of which came from legacits. Furnishing had cost them nearly £SOO. They would need all the help they could possibly get during the coming year. He moved that the Presbytery adopt the report, thank all those who had contributed to the support of the association, express gratitude to God for His goodness throughout the year, and record their appreciation of the great services rendered to the children and through them to the Kingdom of God by Mr and Mrs Axelsen, Sister Mary, Miss Tweed. Mr and Mrs Maclaren, and all their helpers, agree to increase the number of the. committee to 21, and appoint on it the Revs. A. Cameron, Professor Hewrtson, and R. E. Davies, Messrs \V. Gow, A. M. Cameron, and Dr Riley, members of committee to have power to fill the remaining vacancy. The Rev. W. Scorgio seconded the motion, saying that the report reflected the greatest credit on the committee, the agents, and the whole church. The reports were adopted, and additional motions were carried expressing the Presbytery’s thanks to Mr Cameron and to Mr and Mrs Glendining for their noble gift to the association. The Chairman, speaking of the work done during the seven years tne association had been In existence, said he thought H was wonderful what it had. been enabled to do, and ha also referred to the way in

which the association had been supported by the people throughout their church. When they had begun there had been some inisundcrstandingThat they had had to overcome and they owed a great deal to the Rev. Professor Hewitaon for the way the difficulties had been met and overcome. Now they had this association at work, with its three homes, and there was a similar association in Christchurch and Wellington, while in Auckland they were moving to establish a P.S.S.A. Auckland had sent down asking that Mr Axelsen should go up to help them. They had wanted to borrow him for 12 months, but Mr Axelsen had saved them the trouble of saying no by himself saying no. Then they had wanted him for six months, or three months, but he could not be spared. They found that one groat element in the success of the association has been their good fortune in having the workers they had, and he referred to Sister Mary and Mr and Mrs Axelsen and the assistants at Clyde street and Grants Braes. It .had often been explained how these three homes were related, but a great many did not yet understand the relationship. Clyde street was intended for boys who bad left, school and were learning trades, and there were 17 boys in Clyde street at present. He thought it was one of the great features of the association that they were able to help the boys at so critical a period of their lives. It was just the time when they had to face new temptations, and needed wise and loving guidance. The boys in Clyde street were doing very promising work. At Grants Braes they had boys over 10 years of age still going to school. They felt that it was not wise to keep the boys and girls together after they had reached the age of 10 years. Then there were 60 at Glendining Homo. One cause for great thankfulness was the good health of the children. He thought it was remarkable that with so many children there had been no serious case of sickness, and that no deaths had occurred during these seven years. Dr Oo'quhoun had been preaching the doctrine of fresh air. and ho (the chairman) believed very largely in an abundance of fresh air in our homes, and that it was the cause of the good health enjoyed by the children. Some windows had never boon closed summer or winter. They wore ereatlv indebted to those who had helped them in the matter of gifts of produce and money, and they were also indebted to those who bad gone oyt to the homos to help. There was cne direction in winch he thought they had made a good start this last month. They had, as an association, undertaken the charge and regular visitation of the Presbyterian patients in the Hospital and other institutions in town, and they had boon very fortunate in getting the Rev. Mr Spence "to. undertake that work. That had been part of their original programme, but Mr Axelsen had found h’s bands so full in other directions that he could not continue in that direction. There waa one way in which the association should go forward, but it was not at present able to do so. They had a debt of about £I6OO on all their properties, and they could not afford, with that debt, to use their resources in the work to be done in caring for the old people. He hoped someone would help them in this matter. They wanted a site and a home, so that they could do for the olef what they were doing for the young. If they could help the old people who had fallen upon hard times, or who were in a position that they could not provide for themsclvee real homes, he was sure they would be doing a work that would bring joy to the hearts of the sorrowful. Ho hoped by next anniversary that they would be able to report they had done something in this direction, but before they did that they must have their debt liquidated. Mr Axelsen presented the reports, which lie briefly commented upon. He said it had been an exceedingly important year, seeing that the new home bad been opened at Anderson’s Bay. One branch of the work bad-become d fficult, valuable as it was and splendid as the results were. That was the work they were doing -in connection with the juvenile court. They had their three institutions, but besides these they were doing this work in connection with the juvenile court. He had constantly impressed upon people in town and country that the work of the juvenile court had tiothing to do with the work of the homes. He knew what became of the boys dealt with in connection with the juvenile court, and they did well, but occasionally they trot boys who did not do well. Scores did well, but you never heard of them. r I he ones that ‘‘played up” were the ones that were heard of. They advertised the work of the association in that particular direction. Mr P, L. Clark presented the balance sheet and commented thereon. The Mayor (Mr \V. Downie Stewart), speaking briefly congratulated the assoc.ation on its splendid progress. Professor Hewitaon moved —“ That the thanks of this meeting bo given to all those individuals, congregations, Sunday «choo-«, Bible classes, and voung people’s societies who, by gifts and otherwise, have helped on the work of the association, and commend the same to the generous support of the people in the coming year.” He said the work of the association must appeal to the church and to the sympathies of the people. Children always excited the sympathy of everyone. Mr* Axelsen and the committee had'been trying to get annual subscribers to the fund, and if they cou’d get them they would be able to finance upon a sound foundation. , . The Rev. Mr Spence seconded the motion, and made a special plea oh behalf of the Benevolent Institution. The motion was carried. On the motion of Mr F. G. Gumming, a hearty vote of thanks was tendered to all those who had directly or indirectly assisted the work of the association.