PARISH MEETINGS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7391, 1 May 1902, Page 3

PARISH MEETINGS.

ST JOHN'S, RANGIORA. The annual meeting of parishioners of St John's Church, Rangiora, was held last evening. There was an attendance of about 60. Tne Rev F. P. Fendall, vicar, presided. The vicar, in- ibis report, stated that cotwithstanding removals, the congregations kept up wed to the average, and a large number presented themselves for confirmation. The attendance at Holy Communion was not, however, at all satisfactory. He expressed his gratitude to Mr W. Meech, Sunday School Superintendent, and! has staff , for the good work done in the school. He also acknowledged the assistance received from the different church organisations, and from Mr G. Prestney and the curate, the Rev A. Beaven. He referred to the lamented death of Mr G. J. Leech, a faithful friend and true son of the church ; also to the loss sustained) by the removal of Mr A. B. Blackett and family. The report of the churchwardens, read by Mr G. H. N. Helmore, showed the financial position of the church to have improved very considerably during the year, a fact dv& in a largel measure to the work done hy the ladies of the congregation in collecting and in other ways. The balance-sheet adopted showed receipts £343 10s 6d, the principal items being offertories £173 12s 4d, subscriptions £65 185, and from the gift auction £32 5s 3d. The payments were £365 7s 2d, leaving a debit-balance of £21 16s Bd, as against £34 7s 2d the previous year. The Cemetery Fund receipts were £19, and expenditure) £13 3s 9d, the credit balance being £71 17s 4d, as against £68 Is Id last year. The vicar again nominated Mr Helmore as his warden, and Mr Palmer Chapman was. reelected parishioners' warden. The following were elected vestrymen' — Messrs Drummond, Bailey, E. W. Relph, C. d'Auvergne, H. D. Bettger, H. Jones, A. E. Smith, C. A. Cunningham, and F. Gulliver, and Mr Blackett was re-elected auditor. A very cordial vote of thanks was passed! to the vicar and curate for the faithful way in which they had carried out their duties during the year. Votes of thanks were also accorded to the Sunday School teachers in Rangiora and Southbrcok ; and to others who had given their services in the interests of the church. A balance-sheet of the Church and Vicarage Repairs Fund read 1 , showed that £315 10s lOd had 1 been received and expended, £150 having been obtained as a loan, and £149 18s Id by subscriptions. The vicar thanked the parishioners for their kindness to Mrs Fendall and himself during the year, and the meeting was then closed with the Benediction.