PATEA PAROCHIAL DISTRICT.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 95, 9 August 1895, Page 3

PATEA PAROCHIAL DISTRICT.

ANNUAL MEETING. The following report and balance-sheet were presented to the meeting of the parishioners of St. George’s Church on Tuesday evening last :-rMEPOKT. In reviewing the work of the past year in the district it will be found that the year has been one both of advantage and loss to the church. The chief advantage gained; is in the increase of worshippers and communicants, the former (omitting week day and children’s services) have increased from about 4600 for last year to about 8300 for this year, and the latter from 232 last year to 413 this year; the absence of a resident clergyman for some months of last year was the cause of the attendance being lower than usual, and this year a series of wet and stormy Sundays has greatly reduced the average Sunday attendance. Besides this, many improvements have been made in and about the church itself—namely, kneeling

stools throughout the church, alterations in the' seating arrangements and the reading desk, re-frosting of the windows, bracing of the church, concrete step and tank, repairing and painting the fence and re-roofing of the schoolroom. Beyond these improvements made by the vestry, there have been others which are the result of private, generosity, for which the vestry desire to express their sincere' thanks; they consist of the organ pre sented by Mr and Mrs Christie, the chancel hangings, closet, and kneeling pad at the altar rails given by souk members of the congregation, bras almsdish and vases presented by the parish of Chapelallerton, Leeds, England a new cross presented by the Yicar and Mrs Harper, ar.d now alms bags worked by Miss Turner. The district has suffered the loss of some prominent church workers and helpers. Death has removed from us Mr Jollie and Mr J. Y. Smith, both strong supporters of the church; Mr and Mrs Derrett and Mr and Mrs Long have left the district, all of whom have very greatly assisted the church for years with their time and substance. And so it becomes a serious question for the incoming vestry as to how best to minimise the loss thus sustained. Turning, therefore, to the finances of the church it will bo found that the year began with a balance of assets, irrespective of the landed properly, of £8 4s in our favour, and ends with a balance of assets of £6 1 Is lOd : yet it must not be assumed that our position is wholly satisfactory, as owing to several causes the year has ended with an overdraft at the bank. In the first place we have felt called upon to strike out £9 from moneys appearing in the books as due for subscriptions, principally from an intent ion on the part of some of those whose names appear on the list of permanent subscribers only to give one gift and not to make it an annual subscription ; further, a sum of £lO was voted from the proceeds of the social last year to the buggy fund ; also £lB 19s 3d has been spent on improvements to the church, and £24 10s on the schoolroom; hence no less a sum than £62 9s 3d has been withdrawn from the ordinary channel, shewing, therefore, that apart from nonrecurring incidents we should have worked out with a much larger credit balance. The Bishop paid a visit to the parish at Easter, but owiug to his time not admitting of it, no effort could be made to give the parishioners an opportunity of meet ing him and Mrs "Wallis, and the terrible weather prevented‘all but a few from being present at the services. The vestry, at the time of his consecration, forwarded to him by the Yicar a letter of welcome, for which he expressed himself much gratified. Since the last animal meeting the fund initiated for the purpose of procuring a buggy and harness for the use of the Yicar has been pushed forward, and a sum of £32 4s obtained, and a buggy and harness procured at a cost of £39 10s, of which £7 6s yet remains unpaid. We trust this small sum will be subscribed a< once in order that the debt may be discharged. The roofing and repairing of the schoolroom has been completed in a nsosl satisfactory manner at the rersonuble cos! of £24 10s, and to provide this and other expenses of the Sunday school the proceeds of a Christmas tree and entertainment early in February, realising £ll 14s, and of the annual social in June realising £2O 9s Id, wore devoted, more than covering the required sum. Through tiro unwearying energy of lln Vicar the out districts have been regular!) attended to, but the had roads and wintci rains render it difficult for settlers alwayi fio attend services. It is pleasing to notice that the settlers are responding rnori liberally in offertories and subscriptions and we trust this is only the beginning o a steady improvement and of more lively interest in church matters. The arduous but very necessary duties of the Sunday school have been slomlil pursued by the teachers, who have bem unremitting in their services to the youn members of the church. There has bee n slight improvement in numbers, but i is a matter of some regret that more d pot avail themselves of this opportunity

of having Iheir children taught religious and church teaching. The Yicar hopes to be able after next month to give more personal attention to the school. The offertories of the year have placed the Sunday school out of debt. The thanks of the congregation are due to the Sunday school teachers, the late organisto, and ladies and gentlemen who have regularly assisted in the musical portion of the services, and at the enter' tainments given for church and school purposes, to those who continue to help us in the country districts. Once more it is our pleasure to record the thanks of the vestry and congregation to Mr E. C. Horner for his services as layreader. During the coming year we would direct the attention of the incoming vestry to the necessity of establishing a methodical and continuous scheme of collecting small sums from all church people towards the General Church Fund. An effort was made in October, 189?, but unfortunately was not sustained. We would ask more of the regular church goers to help in the same direction by becoming scatholders. Provision must also be made very soon for repainting the church and school. Balance-Sheet.

RECEIPTS. £ 8 d Cash in baud, Juno 30, 1894 7 17 0 Offertories (General)— Patea £G9 17 1 Kakaramea and Mauntabi i 1G 0 Alton and Hurleyvillc (less 3/(5, cost of books) 1 7 9 - — — — 79 0 10 Offer tV 8 (SpVl)Diocesan fund — Patea £4 6 7 Waverley i 7 i 5 13 8 Hospital Sunday- - Patea 1 19 0 Waverley 9 7 2 8 7 Melanesian Mission— Patea £2 10 8 Waverley 13 8 3 4 4 General Church Fund— Patea £2 2 8 Kakaramea 1 10 8 Waverley 1 6 8 — 5 0 0 Maori Mission— Patea 1 8. 4 General Church FundPew llents: Patea £76 7 6 Subscriptions: Patea 20 11 0 Kakaramea 8 0 0

—: 104 18 6 Net proceeds “ social” at Patea, July, 1 SOI 22 4 6 Rent received on Kakaramea properly 7 6 Sunday School— Net proceeds <£ Christmas tree,” 10 14 0 IFet proceeds “ social,” June, 1895 20 9 1 Subscriptions to School Fund 12 8 Offertories 4 3 9 Overdraft, Bank £20 7 0 Plus outstanding cheque 2 8 (3 — — 22 15 6 £290 17 9 EXPENDITURE. £ 8 d Bank overdraft, 30 June, 1891 5 3 9 General Expenses— £ s d Cleaning church 1G 15 0 Lighting „ 7 3 3 Printing 8 1G 0 Eatet(incl’d’n!r those of Boro’ for two years to 31 March, 1896 4 G 9 Books, music, etc. 2 19 9 Rent of halls at Kakaramea & Alton 1 10 0 Postages, etc., 2 6 G — 43 14 3 Insurance 4 6 8 Church improvements 18 19 O IJonation to Buggy fund 10 0 0 Special offertories (including balance of £2 4s 3d due on 30th June, 1894) remitted 19 19 2 Sunday School— New roof and repairs £24 10 0 Books, periodic cals & print' ing 4 4 4 28 14 1 Stipend remitted 150 0 0 Bank interest 5 2 Cash, in hand, June 30, 1895 9 15 2 £290 17 9