FOUNDATION STONE LAID FOR NEW SUNDAY SCHOOL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18393, 20 February 1928, Page 11

FOUNDATION STONE LAID FOR NEW SUNDAY SCHOOL.

There was a large gathering at the Shirley Methodist Church yesterday afternoon to see the laying of the foundation stone of the new Sunday school in connection with the church. The service was conducted by the Rev W. Greenslade, chairman of the circuit, and the Rev E. D. Patchett read the lesson. The Rev R. Raine, minister of Shirley, apologised for the absence of the president of the conference, the Rev W. Elliott, who had another engagement. Mr Raine then welcomed those who had attended and expressed his delight that so many had come to assist at the ceremony. “ We are spending a great deal of money on education in this country,” said Dr H. Ranston, ex-president of the conference, who laid the stone, “ but we do not spend enough. Sunday school work is of prime importance in the development of a strong religious conscience, but it is an exceedingly fine thing that, along with mental development, a strong and healtly body is aimed at. The great thing is mental education, but in spite of the vast amount of money that is being spent in New Zealand on education, we should spend more. We want a better and better mental education. If the amount spent on the day schools is compared with the amount spent on other departments, a great disparity will be seen.” The speaker went on to say that in educating children a love of beauty should be developed, as a natidn does not live only by interests that are utilitarian. Nations that had exalted purely mental attainments had gone to the wall. There was only one thing which could assure the permanence of any body of people, and that was goodness. Unless a child was brought up to distinguish right and wrong, the seeds of ruin were sown in a community. Dr Ranston appealed to all grownups to take an interest in children. “The average attendant at a Sunday school has about twenty-two hours’ spiritual training a year; how much good would a secular education on the same basis be to a child?” said Dr Ranston, in appealing to all parents to give religious instruction at home. Dr Ranston was then presented with a silver trowel, and declared the stone well and truly laid. A stone on the opposite side of the porch was laid by Mr K. Todhunter on behalf of his late father, who was for thirty-five years treasurer of the Shirley Sunday School. The new building, the walls of which are now in place, was designed by Mr J. Salkeld, the contractor being Mr C. S. Luney, The Mayor (the Rev J. K. Archer) said that he had three reasons for congratulating the people on the building —as Mayor, as a Baptist and as a resident of Christchurch. “ I feel that you have made a real contribution to the city’s good,” said Mr Archer. The speaker then went on to relate some of the experiences of his Sunday school days, and concluded with the hope that the building would become a centre of spiritual training. Mr J. W. Shackleford, vice-president of the Conference, Councillor F. W. Sharpe and Mr H. Holland, M.P., also spoke.