PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Southland Times, Issue 20950, 6 December 1929, Page 14

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

SOCIAL SERVICE ASSOCIATION. ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the Presbyterian Social Service Association was held in First Church vestry on Wednesday night, the president, the Rev. J. Lawson Robinson, presiding. The Revs. J. Lawson Robinson and John Chisholm and Mr Adam Hamilton, M.P., who retired by effluxion of time, were recommended for reappointment to the Southland Presbytery. The annual report stated: The committee has pleasure in presenting its annual report and balance-sheet for the sixteen months ending October 31, 1929. The extension of the term was due to an alteration in the General Assembly’s date for the close of its financial year. Although the receipts and expenditure are for sixteen months, it will be seen that they compare very favourably with past years. The committee appreciates the goodwill and confidence of the congregations as shown by the regularity of their contributions each and every year. Social service is a phase of practical Christianity which is engaging the energy and the resources of our people in the churches throughout the Dominion. The committee is looking forward to the day at no distant date, when, by means of legacies and voluntary gifts made for the purpose, a Home for our aged people may be established on the lines of “Ross Home,” Dunedin. Our extensions of service at present are confined to hospital visitation by our chaplain, the Rev. J. H. Thomson, who by temperament has special qualifications for the work. Mr Thomson is a regular and acceptable visitor at all the town hospitals. Another beneficent service is an annual subsidy for services at Seacliff by the minister in charge of the SeacliffWarrington parish into which the Rev. H. J. Fletcher, well and favourably known in the Maori Mission Fields, has recently been inducted. Reverting to the balance-sheet, a prominent feature Is the number of benefactions received during the term now under review. These amount to .£905 and have enabled the committee to pay off the balance of debt and leave a small credit (£280). a position quite unique in the history of the association. Apart from these gifts, the income was £2362 12/6 and the actual expenditure £2356 9/5. Other items of interest in the balance-sheet are the children's wages received £587 13/9 and I paid out £262 1/6. The management enI courage the boys and girls to be thrifty when they go out to earn their living. The ■ total amount held on their behalf and on which savings bank rate of interest is paid is £458 5/7. A much needed addition to Gladstone Home was recently made when sleeping apartments and a store room were erected. Working boys can now be accommodated when they come in for a week-end or for a holiday. There are at present 27 boys and 14 girls in the Home and 16 boys and 3 girls are in employment. Mr D. P. Campbell, late superintendent, resigned in June last. The committee marked its appreciation of Mr Campbell’s ' services in a tangible way. Two months later Mr J. C. Bates was appointed to the j position. Mr Bates at the time was in charge of the Brydone Home Mission, but 1 previously he had considerable experience with young men connected with the Y.M.C.A. in Dunedin where he held a re- ' sponsible position. The committee reconi- 1 mends Mr Bates with confidence to all , friends of the Orphanages. Miss Taylor, matron at Cameron, assisted I

by Misses Henderson and Penman; and Miss MacDonald, matron of Gladstone Home with one assistant, Miss Campbell, give the utmost satisfaction in respect of management. The committee Is fortunate in the personnel of the staff. The homes arc deeply indebted to the ladies who pay them a weekly visit for the purpose of darning and mending. Without their help the duties in this respect would be beyond the staff. The committee desires also to acknowledge the valuable assistance the two homes receive each year from the ladies connected with the Riverton Church. They sew, and make useful garments in quantity each year, and this year has not been an exception. Gifts in kind come from various sources and are always appreciated. The Wyndham-Glenham friends specialize in eggs and jam and always in quantity.

In March last the Rev. C. J. Tocker resigned his seat on the committee and was heartily thanked for his past services. In October the Rev. R. D. McEwan was nominated by the Mataura Presbytery as its representative. The chairman in extending a welcome to Mr McEwan, expressed the pleasure of the committee in having another country representative at the table. The committee is grateful for the support so generously given, and anew commends the work to the sympathetic consideration of all Presbyterians within the bounds of its operations.