St. Mary's Church.

Taranaki Herald, Volume L, Issue 12244, 29 April 1903, Page 3

St. Mary's Church.

ANNUAL MEETING OF PARISHIONERS. The annual meeting of parishioner* of St. Mary's was held on Tuesday evening in St. Mary's H.all. There was a moderate attendance. The Vicar i(Rev. F. G. Evans) occupied the Chair. The minutes of last aruiual meeting were read, and on the motion of Mr W. H. Skinner amended by the expunging of a word "heated" which occurred in relation to a discussion which had occurred on the subject of Church responses. The adoption of the annual report and balance-sheet for the current year was then moved by Mr A. B. R. Fookes, and seconded by Mr Paton. The principal items of receipts Bhown in the balance-sheet were :—: — ißalance- £29£> IV;. offertories and donations, St. Mary's, £514 11/10 ; Te Henui and country, £99 S/4 ; special offertories and donations, £199 0/9 ; church sittings, £203 12/9 ; interest, etc., (endowment) collected, £110 ; ladies' collections, £35 13/6; subscriptions and donations, £15 ;■ .Vicar's donation, £21 15/; Archdeacon's 'donation*, £15 ; Deb F-orges property, £2S 12/ ; church grounds £17 10/ ; new vestry fund, £74 19/ ; troopers' memorial fund, £5 1/ ; vicarage fund, £71 19/4 ; other it-ems £142 3/ ; total receipts, £1853 15/8. Main heads of expenditure were :—Offertories, £28 9/3 ; expenses of divine worship, £216 12/9 ; special oPi-rtox-ies and donations, £106 5/ ; Si. Mary's parish fund, £537 10/5; ge.ueral expenses, £61 3/7 ; new -v estry, £261 12/ ; troopers memorial fund ; amount paid to trustees), £29 4s Id; j St. Mary's Vicarage debenture account, debentures repaid £110; transferred, £140 ; other items, £332 3.6/S ; balance, £26 1/11. Some discussion occurred ou the question of a church lease at Moturoa which the outgoing Vestry had secured during the year. Mr W. H. Skinner thought the Church would be able at no distant time to secure a freehold site, and in the meantime there did not appear to be any hurry for the establishment of a branch in;that district. Mr Todd explgiinfed that the idea had been to secure a site not too far from town.! aad not too near. Mr "(Hooker >drew atvenitapn to a charge of £14 odd for architect's fees on a £250 job. The Chairman said that the charge included advertising, and Mr Skinner pointed out that the architect, Mr Sanderson, had made a donation to the funds. Mr H. Fookes referred to an item of £5, interest on the Okato Church loan, which had appeared on the bal-ance-sheet for several years. It was explained that St. Mary's Vestry had guaranteed the sum, which would appear for another four years. The report was then" adopted. Rev. Mr Evans' then referred warmly to the services of Mr A. B. R. Fookes as Vicar's Churchwarden during the past year and announced that he would appoint Mr S. Smith to the position. On the motion of Messrs F. P. Corkill and W. H. Skinner, Mr R. Todd was re-elected to the position of Parishioners' Churchwarden. It was decided that the Vestry consist of nine members, and the following were elected :— Dr. Fookes, Messrs S. W. Shaw, J. Paton, E. B. Kingdon E. B. Bates, H. M. Bannister, R. English, A. B. R. Fookes, and H. E. Fookes. Mr P. C. Morton was elected Auditor, and a vote of thanks accorded him for past services. On the motion of Mr lodd seconded by Mr A. B. Fookes, a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to Mr T. K. Skinner for donations of a cross and stone coping on the north porch of St. Mary's, and for a church site on the Carrington Road. Mr W. H. Skinner returned tbanks on behalf of his brother, in hia absence. , Some discussion, ensued on toe Sunday School report, and on the motion of Mr H. E. Fookes, a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to the members of the Sunday School Management Committee for their work in M? a fleoki>!? *»ove4 ft hearty vote of tbw»k 9 to Arcbdeacoa Govett fpvtUe J^ny acts of WaOW^g U« long wmnection With tho Church M* W. D, Webster seconded. Sn atr De«W« motion the . vwolirtioa wftjK&ltered to read that the | Io JuSSgkty .God for restoring Arch. d# ft c<m Govett to kea lth flltw Wb r§ " I cent severe -illness, w Tbe motion was supported by «vpralvspeafcers, and ™ owriad u««£ moußly, ■ -with ou addition by Mj Cook that tbe Archdeacon be accorded sincere thanks for bis great gt.neroiJty to the Church. . At the Chairman's invitation Archdeacon dole spoke a few words. He thanked the congregation for «»« reception fcf himself and Mrs Cole and referred to the diffidence he h*ul felt in accepting a position in which he could only follow at a great distance the example set by the Yen. Archdeacon Govett. His was a grand old figure, round which the history and traditions of Taranaki, aknoat from its birth, had centred. He had been identified with the province in so many ways that the whole of the splendid district might be .said to have been built up round him I£ (the speaker) had determined to do he best to follow in Archdeacon Go-ett ,h \ footsteps, though he felt jt could only , }° „ long-way off. He" would not fclvo the dlfflcultien whUh had. enoom-

passed Archdeacon Govett in the troublous early days — difficulties whicL few people nowadays could appreciate — yet he felt he could not hope to dc so much or so well. The speaker went on to refer to matters relating more particularly to St. Mary's. Seating accommodation was often severely taxed, and he would suggest the enlargement of the Church by the building of. an additional wing. He hoped some day to see St. Mary's the Cathe' dral of Taranaki, and a fund might be started, having this possibility in view, and this might be raised by all the churches in the district combining. Then the Vicar's work was becoming very heavy and he required another assistant. All these things might be taken in hand at once, am the whole could be made a grand memorial to the fine old clergyman oi whom tliey thought so much. The congregation was a wealthy one, and could easily do what he had outlinedj so far as providing hinds went. Archdeacon Cole resumed his seat amidst applause. Mr C. W. Govett referred to tbe conduct of the services, and considered the choir were overworked. Processional hymns might be discontinued except on special occasions, when banners should be used so that the service would be complete. The evening service should also be shortened, by omitting some of the anthems. He supported t anthems in a Cathedral Church, but in a parish Church he thought them out of place. Things were being done which were not necessary, and those which ought to be done were left undone. Several members spoke in support of the present service, which the Chairman said would not be altered. The numbers of people attending Church showed that the service was appreciated. Mr W. H. Skinner moved, ' 'That the parishioners of St. Mary's desire to place on record the high esteem in | which the late Frederick Lewis Webster was held throughout this parish and the Archdeaconry of Taranaki. As a member of the choir, vestryman and Charchwarden, parish nominator and member of the Taranaki Trust he laboured long and faithfully for his Master, . and ever tried to do his duty I to Church and State." 1 Mr Dempsey seconded, and the mo- . tion was carried, those present standing in silence. ! A lengthy report, supplied by Mr Croft, of Auckland, on the state of the organ, was read, and after much discussion a resolution was carried leaving it to the discretion of the Vestry as to what steo<* should be taken. The meeting closed with t-Iva pronouncing of the Benediction.