LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY

Otago Witness, Issue 3205, 18 August 1915, Page 3

LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY

ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting- of the Otago Auxiliary of the London Missionary Society was held on the 12th in the Jubilee Hall, Moray place. Mr J. H. Wilkinson presided. The balance sheet showed receipts totalling £267 17s 7d, all of which had been expended by remitting to Sydney (£248 7s) and on minor expenses. Mr .Moody also read a statement just received from' London, showing the general financial position of the London Society. The statement showed that it had expended a little over £200,000 per year, and to meet accumulated deficiencies in 1913-14, £72.000 had born raised in response to a special appeal, 'the year had closed with a deficiency of £18.132, but it was decided that the whole of the deficit should be met by the completion of the £IOO,OOO fund after the war. Contributions from Australia had increased by £IOOO, and the missionaries themselves, as a voluntary gift, had raised £IB,OCX), and many had given themselves to the service of King am] country as readily tus they had previously done to the service of God, by serving in Red Cross and Y.M.C.A. work. Although the society had been passing through a time of great strain, the year had been one of wonderful triumph. The Chairman moved the adoption of the report and balance sheet, and. pointed out that the parent society had carried on the great work for 120 years. Tho outbreaks of the war had caused great anxiety, hut it had also brought out a condition of self-reliance on the part of the native churches. In India the people were also taking a measure of self control. Ho directed attention to tho patriotism shown by the missionaries themselves. In Madagascar great changes had taken place that vastly improved the relations between th* French authorities and the missionariesIn other parts, in spite of all difficulties, there had been many triumphs during the past year. The motion was seconded by the Rev. W. Saunclers_ and carried. The following- were elected to office fox the current year President; Rev. A. H. Wallace; vice-president, Mr J'. H. Wilkinson; treasurer, Mr Peter Barr; secretary, Mr C. J. Moody; Watchers’ Band secretary, Mrs Heigh way; literature secretary. Miss Knight; assistant. Mr J. Busby; committee—Miss Bcgg, Mrs Thom, Miss Button. Messrs R. Stewart, W. Paterson, and J ack, MISS EEGG’s ADDRESS. _ Miss Bogg thanked her friends for the kind things said of her, and congratulated tho auxiliary on its condition. She said she never felt lonely in Samoa, although at times she did not see a white man for a long time, because she had so much to do. In Samoa their annual meetings were attended by every man, woman, and child near the station, and there was great rivalry as to who should give most to the mission. She described in an interesting and. amusing manner the way the natives of Samoa showed their interest in mission work. The trepidation of Samoa was 43.G00, cut of which 30.000 belonged to tho mission, arc! contributed between £4OOO rnd £SOOO a .year, that being equal to 2s Sd |er head per year. If tho churches contributed in tho same proportion there would be no complaint, of want of funds. . Her work was purely educational. The Gormans had some very fine schools, but they had been taken by the British Government. Miss Bogg spoke very favourably of tho education given in Samoa, the Sixth Standard there comparing very favourably with the corresponding standard in Now Zealand. Miss Bogg said her scholars wore spoken of by the Samoans as her dan editors, and gave instances of the childlike nature of tho natives. She urged the New' Zealand churches to give increased encouragement to mission work. Tho war amongst Christian nations had not shaken, the faith of tho Samoan natives, as it seemed to have done elsewhere, but the missionaries bad been asked by tho parent society, in a polite sort of way, to contribute to the war fund, and had responded in a way that pressed hardly on the married missionaries. Miss Bogg was accorded a cordial voto of thanks for her address. A collection was taken up at tho close of tho meeting.