GISBORNE'S JUBILEE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16338, 12 May 1927, Page 7

GISBORNE'S JUBILEE

OFFICIAL FUNCTIONS JOYFUL CELEBRATIONS WEATHER DOKS NOT DAMP . ■ENTHUSIASM.* The jubilee of Gisborne Borough and Cook County was celebrated to-day with a series of official functions, the central i features of which were the pioneers' luncheon at the Garrison Hall and the pro- ■ cession through the town. The proceed- ! itsgs were carried through-in. a note of i gaiety, and though the weather was not I altogether propitious, the publici attended in force to make, the celebrations memorable. The streets were decorated with greenery and bunting,. and almost every shop-keeper in the business area had made efforts to brighten his windows and to sustain the air of jubilation which marked the several functions. The whole-hearted co-operatiqo of the various sporting' and other bodies in Gisborne was rendered willingly to the,organisers, who, nevertheless, found their duties exacting. The day's big programme taxed ; the energy and ingenuity of those concerned in its conduct, but the manner in which the functions passed off was highly gratifying. The- day's celebrations opened .with, the. thanksgiving service at the: Botanical' Gardens, followed: by the proneeße'*luncheon, at which many residents' of over, 50 years' standing in .the-.district;, were' Die guests of the Winter Show committee at the ;Granson- Hall. ' .In -the'; early afternoon the big procession, of "decorated, vehicles, lorries bearing 'displays symbo-' lising pro'gress achieved by the:town and district, and many other ipteresting unifs, was despatched from the Post Office, and provided a spectacle such as has not been seen since the war years, when public enthusiasm inspired some remarkabll pageants. • The sports meeting at the Oval was the concluding official function, though in the evening the holiday crowds were expected to gather, at the Winter Show and . other halls where attractions had been arranged, and' complete the day in merry -making .spirit.

"service to our town" thanksgiving: gathering small attendance at botanical gardens -Some misundertsancTing evidentlyexisted in Gisborno this morning as to' where the thanksgiving service in connection with the jubilee- was to be held, and in consequence there was but a small attendance at the Botanical Gardens. It had been announced that in the event of the weather being wot the service would be conducted in the Opera House, and since the pky was overcast this morning the gathering at the gardens at the advertised hour of the commencement of the service numbered not more than a score. A short delay was made, and when 15 minutes had elapsed the attendance had in* creased to about 120. ' The service itself was an appropriate and impressive one, a stirring addressbeing given by Canon H, Packe. Hymns suited to the occasion were sung, including "O God Our Help in Ages Past," "The Lord Hath Bono Great Tilings for Us," and Kipling's well-known "Recessional," and an appropriate prayor for the town was offered by the Rev, A. H. Nome, the Rev. Jas. Aitken giving the scripture reading. Those on the platform were: The Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon. R. P. Bollard, with Mrs Bollard and his secretary, Mr. W. D. Lysnar, M.P., the Mayor, Mr. C. E. Armstrong, and Miss Armstrong, the chairiuan of the ■ Cook County Council, Mr. Chas Matthews, and Mrs Matthews, Canon H, Packe, and the Revs, Jas. Aitken and A. H. Nome, Several Borough Councillors were also present. The music for the service was provided by the Salvation Army Band. The Rev. Mr. Norrie offered the following prayer for the town, followed by the recitation of the Lord's Prayer:—"Almighty God, who didst lead our fathers into this land, and set their foot in a large room: Givo, Thy grace to us, their children, that we may approve ourselves a people mindful' of Thy favor, and glad to do Thy will. Bless our town with honorable indnsfry, Eound learning, and pure manners. Save m from pride, arrogance, ond self-will, and give to all the spirit of service, and love, and mutual forbearance. In prosperity make us thankful unto Thee, and in the day of trouble suffer not our trust in Thee to fail. We thank Thee,. O Lord, for the progress and prosperity vouchsafed to this town, and for the countless blessings, temporal and spiritual, hestowed vnon its people. Make us, we beseech Thee, more sensible of Thy goodness, and of our responsibility as stewards of Thy gifts; and grant us such virtue and noble purpose that, by our works and by our lives, Thy Holy Name may be for ever glorified—through Jesus Christ our Lord." "THANKFULNESS TO GOD." "On such a day as this the first note in our minds is a" thought of tremendous gratitude and thankfulness to' God, who has so prospered our town," began. Canon Packe. One could not help feeling a certain amount of civic pride in the town of our adoption, but that must also include.a deep sense of civic responsibility and civic duty. A man must live in relation to his'fellow men and help them all he can, and it was not easy to do as much as we would wish for the town in which we rived. Those elected ,to the liorough Council had a 'golden.'.opportunity to .help the people who. had put them in office, but no man should be, happy unless he lived for his town more than for himself. . "What can we do for Gisborne—to' make this honorable borough a colony of Heaven first?" continued the Canon. "We can be good men, women, and children; a very obvious remark 1 admit, but none the less. true. The best thing a man can do for his town is to be a good man, without any humbug—a man'who is distinguished by goodness of heart and beauty of behaviour; a man who can look the whole world in the face because he has the fear of God in his soul. A man of character will always count. His unconscious influence will.be felt throughout the whole neighborhood. Of many ot those who have served their town during the past 50 years may this be said: They have passed out of public life; they have passed to where beyond "these voices there is peace, and they have left a fragrant memory behind them,. "A good man is God's greatest gift to the Commonwealth; but you must be good for something, and not good, for nothing. You must get a sense of corporate responsibility. The Church oj Jesus Christ has a message to the sopial. ideals of modern times. We may announce that divine worship takes...place on Sunday at 11 a.m., but divine service takes place, or ought to take place, in 1 orough council chambers, shop's, atpres, offices, and company meetings. Ypii may "be pessimistic, but I think the seal of

the Lord is entering our public life, and is moving public-spirited people to make their country a forecourt to the kingdom of Heaven. "There has never been such a passion for social rißhteousness, for justice and equity between man and man. When a Christian looks out from some high tower over the busy, teeming life of his city, and seek;* from God to find his clue to human life arid duty, two thoughts come clearly to his mind: That 'except the ■Lorn keep the city the watchman watch but in vain,' and that what the city needs are citizens who will do their duty day by day, whether in the home, office, shop, or in public affairs." After a blessing and the benediction had been pronounced by Canon Packe, the . service concluded with the Singing of the National Anthem.