CHALMERS CHURCH ANNIVERSARY.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXII, Issue 12669, 3 May 1905, Page 3

CHALMERS CHURCH ANNIVERSARY.

The third annual business meeting of the congregation of Chalmers Church was held in the church last evening, about 80 people being present, and the minister, the Rev. R. Jackson/ presided. The various reports and balance sheets were:=presented in.a neatr pamphlet, the cover of which bears a good photo-picture of the church, as seen from the south-east. The Report of Session . showed that the congregation ceased worshipping In the Theatre early in September, and that oh Sunday, - the 11th September, the new church was opened for public worship by the Rev. Dr Nisbet, of "Banedro. The congregations were very large, the evening congregation bsing of an overflowing nature. The collections for the day amounted to £2OO. Since the opening the congregations had increased in attendance, a large proportion being young people. The admissions to membership during the year were 58, and the number of names now on thj communion roll was 405. Reference was made to the death of Mr Andrew Hart, an .elder and also session clerk, - abd to the - -departure, from Timaru of Mr James Thomson Dr R. S. Reid and Mr T. D. Robertson {deacons); also to Mrs Reid, special mention being made of her work as-honorary organist, and to the. great regret the- : con : . gregation parted with her and her services.. The Session acknowledged with gratitude' the work of the choir, and referred with; pleasure to the work of the Sunday and the Bible classes; also to the fact that; a Gnild had been formed to work for a. •new hall.

The business portions of the report by the Deacons' Court' were :.;as:.;-; "From the date of the church's opening there has been much financial prosperity connected with the different- funds.' The ordinary account commenced with a credit balance of £22 16s 10d._ The. collectionsat the church services (including Claremont. and Washdyke) amounted to £931 being an average of £l7 18s 3d perSnhdayr an increase of 18s 3d over "the previous year. From these collections there-. -, was transferred to the building account £165;.65, and to the fence account £ll 16s sd:~ The building account commenced with a - credit balance of £BB 13s 3d. The opening! and anniversary collections and subscription* direct and by envelope amounted to £3lB 5s Bd. The Dorcas and Xadies Work Societies contributed £l2 to the building fund! Transfer from the ordinary revenue account, proceeds of social, Dorcas and Ladies Societies and debentures issued make up a grand total of £2151 5s 6d. The sum paid on building and furniture during the year amounted to £2886 17s 7d, leaving a debit balance of £646 18s lOd. The. organ account shows (exclusive of the balance of £26 2s lid) that £774 Os lOd was raised from all sources during the year. This includes Mr Andrew Carnegie's donation of £350. The total sum raised for the organ has been £1046 12s 6d, and the total cost £1032 10s 2d. The organ is thus free from debt, while the credit balance of £l4 2s 4d has been transferred to the fence account. To he in keeping with the handsome, church, it was considered desirable to erect a fence in concrete and iron Tailing, with two double iron gates and four gas lamps. For this purpose a subscription- list was opened, and £271 5s 6d was speedily collected. A lecture by Dr Nisbet netted £22 10s 6d. Mr G. Hilton paid half-cost of division fence, amounting to £lO 18s. Transfers from ordinary and organ accounts amounting to £25 18s 9d balanced and closed this account. The amount, given for mission purposes (including Sunday School collec- | tions) is £3B 6s. The subscriptions for' the Bible Society amounted to £ll. During the year the total amount raised from I all f ourges, exclusive of Sunday School and,

m Debentures to the amount of £1630 have also been issued*, .f g ross amount of debt now stands- at -£309 l 18s lOd, while the congregation during the three years of its existence haV gaiS for its properties £4980 19s lOd."'' - , „„ Reports of tne Sabbath Schools (Main 22 teachers and 170 pupils, and Washdyke), of the Bible Classes for young men and young women, and of the Dorcas Society, were also received, and all reports and balance sheets were, adopted, with but little remark. --■'"'• ' : '", ' ' '.':.' '- '..■ Mr McHutcheson for the Deacons Court, and Session raised the'question,' of■ obfain- [ ing a hall for Sabbath school and various other purposes, and this gave rise to a long discussion. It was "first proposed, Mr McHutchesOii said,, to erecfa small !ha'l for the present; -with a view to 'adding to it laterl For a time there was a hope of purchasing an adjacent section, in which case it would have been proposed to erect a large hall at once. Being, however, tied down to their own site, it was_considered whether they should build as large a hall as therfe was room. for,, at. a. cost of. £I2OO or £ISOO. After- cjpfisi'de.ration, however,., it w?s,decided ! 'not to'add'so "much to the debt of the church, but to build only a portion of tlje Kail;'at'a' cdsfc : .not : exceeding £SQO, to be added to when funds permitted, the means to be obtained by .direct contributions', so as to the debt!' He pTopo?ed that the office-bearers be: authorised .ti) proceed- on-thos6-lines.- -(Ap" plause;) | --■ - - -—■■■■ . MrySiniiiair seconded, and gave soma details, of the • steps_ proposed/'to- be'taken"."" ; He- deßcribeH'th% arrangement of "the hall of ICn'ox pturch, Dunedin, as an ideal to be aimed |a|.

i The- chairman explained the proposal in jregardjp dimensions of hall and rooms proposed ~a't !t}ie outset and .finally., , '. ". ■ an; (imendinent was proposed .to p'ds ,^nes"ariy;; «ecisi6ii to give' the officersj time rjhbw much .money." could.. be| Raised vby .;de«enfures, ''with -a 'view; ; if |ppssible,.;.to^erecttthe .complete buildingi I j ,-.•:,; .?*;,/J? *?.•";..■''■'. ' ..••-'. ■';. ■■The chaarman—ladvoeated' raising the ! money straight "out for a portion of the ball; if there were any willing. to taVe up' debentures, they, still needed £SOO to be taken -rip of the"'tihur^h'<'debt. '■ : ■■' Mr. McHutcheson sai'd-iit''was "a question 1 'for ;tllg 14>ngregatiWttVCSSb#nld'' they orshould they not add-"te<the : -deljt. ' ..A suggested that if each member g'aV6[£l S year (not less) they would haye ajl.fthey needed in 2 or 3 years. A ; b'Jijiaar -|vas suggested; but bV-'i&anyj as theyjiadt had vthree a bazaars, aiid : i:tlie public wefV"perhaps a little tired of, bazaars,- .to -ask 4he-wotkeiss to undertake anoti'ier. further discussion it was. carried lufianhnot|sfy that the Deacons?;:: C'o,urt be "OTtiforisea ito take, isteps. to-erect-a portion jot It he. hall buildings at: a; cost, not exceeding £6OO. ; Votes bfrthanks were passed to the secreG. Morgan, and the treasurer, Mr; J. Mcßae.^hjKeproposal-;:being made with conipliments andt carried by applause. A. vote of j thanks to the pastor with very hearty, applause, and a suggestion, very well received, ;hat the time had arrived fcr providing ; i'im an assistant for outside work : i; .i.„,:;_...v„^^-^^^-,-,. ; . -....-....-. . 'A- vbfie of thanks was also-passed to allvW.ork ( ei£LXonn£Cted Jrith the church. .A.njeßting of the ladies -was--then held, and"'a dommit&^.aw^ president. Fer- : gtfsbti)' were to .add • to-"'their! number, ~td.»carry out the annivernext Th'ui.sday :':-