CANTERBURY SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 3694, 13 February 1880, Page 3

CANTERBURY SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION.

»'■ ' . Tho thirteenth annual goneral mooting of tho Canterbury Sunday Hohool Union was hold last night at tho ' Durham fltroot Wosloyan Ohuroh. It was prccoded by a public toa in tho adjoining schoolroom, whoro about 350 partook of the good things providod. At tho mooting, a number of addrosßos wore dolivered, and eovoral hymns and anthems were performed by tho ohoir, accompanied by Mr Soarroll, the organist, and oonducted by Mr T. Butland. The annual report was wad as follows : — . In presenting this the thirteenth annual roport of tho O.S.S. Union, your Oommittoo do so with feelings of gmtittido to Almighty Ood for the suoooss attending their efforts during tho past year, aud while thankful for , what has been aooainpliahod during tho pash, they fu.ly realiso the importanco of tho work in which thoy are engaged, and enter uyion another year's labours full of hopo and with ronowod confidence) in God. " The report, 1 as presented last year, represented tho total number of sohools connected with tho Union to bo fifty-six ((56). Your Committee have muoh pleasure in roportiug that during tho year seven sohools have nssooiated themselves with tho Union, making a total of sixty-throe (63) connoctod sohools, ns follows :— wegloyau, 17 ; Presbyterian, 16 j U. M. F. Ohuroh, 10 ; Congregational, 6 j , Baptist, 5 j Primitivo Methodist, 5 j Christian Brethren, 3 j Episcopalian, 1. The number of officers and teaohera being as follows :— Male, 496 ; female, 402 j total, 898. Soholars —Male, 4076; fonmle, 4221} total, 8297. Thelibrariesof tho various sohools represent 10,642 volumes. "Sunday Sohool Visitors— Messrs Doxter and Boy have been . appointed that special Work during tho year, and have satisfactorily carried out their duties in connection with that office. " Model Lesson,— Your Oommittoo bog to report that during tho year ono model loseon has bcoh given, which lesson was delivered by tho Bey A. Boid on Thursday, May 15, in the U.M.F. Ohuroh sohoolroo'm. The losson was. a very able one, and proved highly interesting, as evidencod by a large attendance, and tho lively criticisms which followed tho lesson. , " Teachers' Conference— A teachers' conference was held on June 19, in tho Durham street Wesleyan Schoolroom. A social tea mooting was held in connection with the same, and despite the inclement state of tho weather, fully 800 persons sat down to tea, and ample justice had been dono to the good tilings provided, The conferenco was hold at 7.45 p.m., tho Bey. A. Beid presiding. Tho Bey E. Walker then opened tho proceedings by reading a vory ably writton and instruotivo paper (subjeot, "Somo possible nioanj of promoting the Sunday sohool ontorprieo"). Tho paper as a whole proved - highly,interesting and instructive. A vory lengtlijyuid exhaustive disoussion on Sunday^&hiobl work generally then followed, in|whioh a goodly number of thoso present tookHpart.., ;|i Several of thoso who spoke referred, tojt^i'apid progress's'eoularoduoation is making in our midst, thereby showing tho ndo^Miov raising the teaohing staff '61 ous'Siisaaj£ sohools to a greater state of efficiency. jSJTIib following ro« solutions were thon feferi i^ : to your Committee for consideration'^ Ist, Children's special sorvico mission ; 2nd, Tho oentonary .celebration j 3rd, Examination of toaohors} 4th, Formation Sunday school teachers'lnstituto;, whioh subjeots havorooeived the full i consideration of your Committee. Aohildten's special servioo mission has boon formed) consisting of the following gentlemen :— Mesars Gh Booth, H. J. Boss, E.,Oonnal, H. Patten, H, W. Waters, T. Pillow, — Lamborb, — Vbller, and Turner. A Sabbath Sohool Teaohers' Institute has likewise been inaugurated, and wo sinoerely hopo that all Sabbath aohool teaohers will avail themselves of tho advantages which such a noble institution affords them for their better equipment to carry on tho all-important work in which they aro ongagod. The oontonary question is still undor tho consideration or your Committee, and at present nothing definite has been doeided upon, ponding further inquiries from tho other, New Zealand agenoies as to what stops they intend taking in tho matter. "Annual Gathoring of Sohools— Tho usual annual gathering of tho various Sunday sohools of this city took place on Sunday, Deo. 28, in tho following dhurohes i Wesloyan—Durham streot, Colombo road, and Sfc. Alban'u 5 and St. Paul's Presbytovian j tho services being conducted as follows : St. Paul's, Boy W. Baumter, assisted by Mr H. J. Boss ; Wosloyan— Durham street, Bey J. Klnwlio } St. Alban's, Eov E. Potors, assisted by Mr Cook j Colombo road, Boy J. White, asaistod by Mr E. Connol. The woathor being all that could bo dosirod, tho thirteenth annual gathering passod off most suocess* fully. "He Annual Subscription of Schools.— After duo consideration, your committee have resolved that for the futuro tho minimum subscriptions shall bo as follows !— For all schools having ten teachers or more, ten shilling* per annum } and sohools having loss than that numbor, fivo shillings per annum, ; " Alterations have also boon nmdo in tho fees for tho hire of dissolving view apparatus, tho scale of the ohargea for the futuro being as follows !— For all schools having 100 soholars in attendance, 15a, and 10s for every additional 100 } and your committee trust that tho aboyo moderate oharges will bo the moans of stirring tho oohools up to the moro frequent use of dissolving view apparatus for providing interesting and instruotive ontor. tnlnmonts for tho soholars. "Universal prayer, in acoordanoe with oiroulars reoeivod from tho paront eooioty, Sunday, Opt, 19, was obsorvod as a day of universal prayer on behalf of Sunday sohools. The usual quarterly .prayer meetings have also been hold during the yoar, and tho pauoity of attendance at these meetings is muoh to bo regretted, and we hope that during tho year Sunday sohool toaohera will bo moro alive to tho importanoo of these means of graoo. 1 "Tho Bales from tho depot show a considerable inorease over the previous yoar 5 tho sales for 1879 boing £292 12»4d, as comparod with £235 5s 8d for 1878, being a net increase for tho year of £57 6s Bd. " Tho circulation of mngazinos also bliowb a considerable inoreaso over the previous year, ■ tho issues for 3879 roaohing a total of 38,500, tho issuos for 1878 being 88,400, showing an increase for tho yoar of 5100 issues ; tho cash received for tho ealo of magazines during the year amounted to £151 89 3d, as comparod with £126 for tho provious year. " Your Committeo beg also to roport that a sub-oommittoo has boon appointed to consider tho question of tho thorough reorganisation of tho trado department of the Um'on j also, tho removal of tho dcp6t to moro commodious premises, whioh are urgently needed for tho suooessful and propor management of tho affairs of tho dep6b, "And, in concluding their report, your Committoo sinooroly trust that the dawn' of tho contonary of Sunday- schools will lead to thoreviowof tho past, and whilo attempting to review the great and glorious work this noble : institution has accomplished, it leads us ac ! Babbath school workers to moro fully realise tho importance of a full and complcto consecration of oursolves to tho great nnd important work in whioh wo aro engaged. " And wo hope that tho centenary yoar will nvovo ono of rich spiritual blessing to all Sab- . bath-school teaohers, and that it may lead to tho consecration of multitudes of youthful , hearts to Christ, this boing tho groat object j and aim of our touching. Your Committeo desiro also most heartily to thuuk thoso who have assisted thorn in any way during the pnst yoar j aud in ontering upon tho duties of another yoar thoy do bo confident of the support and sympathy of all . thoso who havo Sivbbath school work at heart, j nlso romomborinfl that our labour shall not bo 111 vain in tho Lord. 1 Tho balanco shoot showod that tho Union ' had v, credit balanoe of £350 in hand, and that tho fioancial posiiion of tho sooioty was greatly improved sinco lnst year, Aftor tho report and balunco sheet had L boon adopted, tho election of officers for the ; onsuing year took placo with tho following

result i— Piwidont, Mr H. J. Tims ; VicoPresidents, Messrs E. Connal, W. S. Taylor, G. Booth, S. Staples, and J. Woodham } ■minute boo, Mr H. Pcako; corresponding bcOm Mr J. Hlggins 5 troiisuvoiy Mr J. S. Cooko. __________