THE PRESBYTERY

Southland Times, Issue 21853, 2 November 1932, Page 3

THE PRESBYTERY

MONTHLY MEETING. SUPPORT FOR P.S.S.A. WORK. The monthly meeting of the Southland Presbytery was held yesterday, the Moderator (the Rev. J. Chalmers Mill) presiding over an attendance of 13 ministers and 24 elders. Before the business was commenced the Moderator extended a welcome to the Revs. H. A. Mitchell (Balclutha) and F. M. Beattie (Gore), who were associated with the Presbytery, to the Rev. T. A. Speer (Bluff), a new member of the Presbytery, and to Mr V. French, a student from Theological Hall (Dunedin), who is to administer to the spiritual needs of relief workers in the Lakes District during the summer vacation. A deputation from the Presbyterian Social Services Association consisting of the Rev. W. J. Robertson and Mr W. F. Bisset waited upon the Presbytery to seek its assistance and also that of congregations in the matter of the orphanage work undertaken by the association. Mr Robertson said that this was undoubtedly part of the work of the church, affording as it did practical evidence of a Christian spirit. The association had met with a good response in past years and an impression had gone abroad that P.S.S.A. work had reached saturation point. However, that was not the case and the association at present could not make ends meet. For that reason it felt that the position should be brought before the Presbytery. It was suggested that all ministers and sessions shoujd be circularized to make the matter one of prayer and place it before congregations. When the people found out how things stood he felt sure they would do their best to assist the work. Legacies had proved a help to the association, but it should not be entirely dependent upon this form of revenue. Men who gave money in that way were not sacrificing themselves, Mr Robertson maintaining that in a true gift a considerable amount of personal sacrifice was involved. Mi - Bisset, chairman of the finance committee, said it was necessary for the association to obtain more money. The P.S.S.A. had commenced its activities from “scratch” and it had bought Cameron and Gladstone homes on mortgages which it had subsequently cleared through legacies. During the last two years, however, the association had gradually gone back in the matter of finance. The committee had earmarked the legacy of the late Mrs Adamson for the erection of a home similar to Ross Home, Dunedin, but, through the exigencies of the times, the association had found it necessary to use this money for its ordinary working account. When financial conditions improved the association should keep that proposal in view. Mr Bisset said that there were 23 children in Cameron Home and 13 in Gladstone Home, making a total of 36 of whom 10 were being paid for. The amount of maintenance due from the parents or guardians of the other 26 children for the past five years was £977 and, unfortunately, from 75 to 80 per cent, of this would have to be regarded as a bad debt. Mr Bisset requested that this need for money should be brought before congregations with a view to obtaining their support. In the discussion which ensued members drew attention to the difficulty of making further appeals for financial assistance at a time like the present, but it was generally conceded that the valuable nature of the work the association was carrying out among the children would be recognized and that help would be readily forthcoming. On the motion of the clerk (the Rev. W. H. Howes) it was decided to thank the members of the deputation, to grant their prayer and that liberty be given to circularize ministers and congregations in the manner requested. The Moderator expressed the opinion that the response would be a good one. Mr W. A. McCaw was reappointed statistics compiler for the ensuing year.