BAN ON DANCING.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 November 1924, Page 6

BAN ON DANCING.

STAND BY PRESBYTERIANS. A CHURCH FANCY DRESS BALL. MINISTER LEADS GRAND MARCH. CRITICISM B'Y THE ASSEMBLY. By Telegraph^—Press Association. Palmerston N., Last Night. The Presbyterian General Assembly was rather startled on Friday morning by a suggestion by Mr. ■ F-. Jone», an eider of tlie Matamata Church, that dancing wae taught in Presbyterian girls’ colleges to-day in the guise of lessons in deportment. To-day the assembly discussed a motion by Mr. Jones: "That this Assembly discourages dancing and the raising of funds by such means for schemes in connection with the Presbyterian Church.’’ Mr. A. D. Nicholson (Auckland), ■in seconding the motion, said dancing was one of the chief deterrers to spiritual life. A Presbyterian minister had actually led a grand march at a dance (kud cries of “shame”); ; The Rev. Jiohn Paterson (Wanganui) moved as an amendment: "That this Genera] Assembly, while recognising the liberty of all Christian men in matters not forbidden in the word of God, enjoins upon al>l ministers, office-bearers and people to discourage all forms of amusement tending to weaken the spiritual life, and especially to avoid such amusements, particularly dancing, in connection with church functions as a means bi. raising money for church purposes, and that the matter be remitted to the life and work committee fora full statement for the guidance of the church on the subject.’’ The Rev. Dr. dibb supported the amendment. It would be wiser, he thotight, for the question to be consideicd jn the quieter atmosphere of a committee than settled in the Assembly. He said the whole development of dancing and the dancing spirit in recent years was most serious, and to think that the Presbyterian Chiirch had advertised a fancy dress ball was shameful. fhey must, however, not lose their balance of judgment.

They all knew that there was dancing and dancing, added Dr. GUbb, and in his own church there were some of the most worthy members of the congregation whose daughters had been taught dancing, and who attended Government House functions. Again, were they going t° ban some games/ that were being played at their Bible Class socials? Some of those games entailed what he might call more “body handling’’ than some dancing did. It would be bdtter for the question to be dealt with by the life and work committee. The Rev. Paterson’s amendment was then made the substantive motion, and carried unanimously.