BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 15222, 21 May 1920, Page 5

BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY.

' The annual meeting of -the British and Foreign Bible Society-was held last, evening m St. Andrew's classroom. , Present; Mr- C. A. deLautour (m the chair), Mesdames deLautour, •■ Church and Fa'lriie, Rev. A. Nelld, Rev- W. H. E. Abbey, Key., Jas.- Aitken"- Rev.- W.-T. Drake, Commandant Dawkins, Messrs. W. J. Mc.Cliskio, J. Stafford, 11. Field, A. Graham, Wearny, J. Parlane, and C. Hawkins. . ■. t • Apologies for non-attendance were re-' ,' ceived from Messrs. Edwards and Bostock, Mesdames Graham ahd Goffe, and Miss Morico. The annual report was as follows:— "Pour meetings of the auxiliary have •been held during the year, at the last of which steps were taken that, , If successful, will result m an energetic canvass dt the district iri the interests ol the Society. We had the pleasure of a visit from the senior agent of the Society m New Zealand, the > Rev. Fred. w. Spencer, who addressed a gathering ;i< a luncheon , m November last, and who also did good work In collecting for th? Society up the Coast. We regret mat illness compelled him to give up- the work and return to Wellington. It, is.imperative that new members fi"om the laity should ; at once join the auxiliary .The work deserves the 'support and active interest of allT^Our older friends who have so long stood by, the Society are passing away, and those who are still spared tv us cannot undertake to accept responsibility for the future." ■ . t .. The balance-sheet showed: Free contributions ..account: Receipts £232 lis 3d. payriienls £I*3l 4s Cd, balance on hand .Cl 6s, 9d. The payments on account of both- f/ee contribu turns' and the -4opoi : Recount- were all to the pareht ' Society m London except the Incidental expenses absolutely necessary to carry on. the work. Bible depot account: Receipts £2^, Xs Id, payments £25 7s Cd, profit for. year £t3 6s Bd. : . „ The Rev. A. Neild moved the adoption of- the rej-ort' and- balance-sheet, ariirt -pro ceedod to give a most interesting addres* on, translation ' \york. He. pointed but th*v It was most unusual for men to ''translate .-their sacred books,; which they regarded as thoir, own and! Quite above th' reach of despised foreigners. The flrsi exception was iri the case of the S6ptuagint, but when Christianity came -ir-. the sacred writings were translated as r> matter of course wherever the Gcspc' spread. In a very interesting manner hf ppinted out tho-diaic.ulti.es m the way of a missionary translating into what i^ to him a foreign tongue,. and pointed out that when all these difficulties have beer ove.rcome -the piero changes of the lan srijage -thai^ are constantly taking' place make if , necessary, for the work to ;; bf done over again; - •" . The Rev. W. 11. E. Abbey, seconded the motion. He expressed his -pleasure -at the interest, taken iii the work "of the Society a specially .pleasing 'thing, being the ready acceptance by the men of aIL ranks m the Great War of. the scripture pbrtlilns freely offered. to them by the Bible Societies.. , The Rev, James Ait-ken,.., speaking aboul the scripture versions: most coriimonly on sale, found grave fault with them. They wero n<-»t attractive m appearance th'r print was top. small and very difficult tc read; even Children who rould read orrV ,nary ■nrlnting well stumhied over the small type, of the Bibles The grand tench ings of the Bible would be more readily grasped if they were ?ot forth m cleari - type and m books not too bulky t handle. There was no reason why tin BMile should always be published In onf Volume. . , , .-.: These remarks were endorsed by othe'speakers,, some ,of whom recommender' the Incoming committee to take the mat ter m hand- ' ; The election of officers for the ensuinp year, resulted as follows: President, Mr. C A. deLautour; vice-presidents, all clergytrien.of Protestant drnominntions m th district; and • Messrs. A. Graham and T E. Toneyciiffe ; committee, Mesdamo Church, Goffe, . and, Graham. Miss E Morice. Messi-sT Bostock, J. East, C. <T Field, F.-.H., Forge, C- Hawkins,' W. ,T McCliskie, C. Rosie, F. Martin |nd F Stafford, with power to add'; secretaryMr. J. Parlane.On ,the motion of Mrs Church a hearty vote pf thanks was accorded the Rev. A* Neild for his interesting address. , Several members spoke m eulogistic terms of the valuable service rendered by Mr. deLautour as. president of the Society.