P.N.E.U. HEAR ADDRESS ON THE HOLY LAND

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19240, 29 November 1930, Page 14

P.N.E.U. HEAR ADDRESS ON THE HOLY LAND

ORGANISATION HOLD ANNUAL MEETING. Mrs Norton Francis. Mrs Pyne, Mrs H. Wvatt and Mrs G. Aitken were joint hostesses at the annual meeting of the Parents’ National Education Union, held in the reception-room of the Canterbury Women’s Club last night. Mrs Norton Francis presided over a large attendance of members, and read the report and balance-sheet, presented by the honorary treasurer, Mrs J. H. Williams. The report and balance-sheet were adopted. The election of officers resulted as follows:—President, Mrs Norton Francis; vice-presidents, Mesdames Firth, W. Machin, J. H. Hall, Paul, P. Overton, Turner, R. E. If. Whitcombe, W. H. Clarke, J. 11. Williams and E. Hay, Misses Strouts, Macfarlane and Holderness, Dr Hansen, Dr J. Guthrie and Professor Shelley; honorary secretary, Mrs Whitcombe: honorary treasurer, Mrs H. Wyatt: executive committee, Mrs Peter Wood, Mrs Douglas Anderson and Mrs Averill. Miss Wilkinson, who is returning to Ambleside Training College, thanked the members for their kindness during her stay at Selwyn House. Plans of the new school, in course of erection on Papanui Road, were on view. The sum of £lO 10s from the general funds was voted to the school committee for the new tennis courts. After the annual meeting Mrs West-Watson gave an interesting account of a nine days’ visit to the Holy Land. She gave a vivid description of the country, the traditional places, the great industry of the Arab population,' the flowers, which grow luxuriantly in an apparently unfertile land, the churches, mosques and the wonderful excavations that are being made. Mrs West-Watson and the Bishop took many photographs of Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth, the Mount of Olives, the Brook of Kedron, the Sea of Galilee, the Pool of Bethesda and the Garden of Gethsemane. Among the souvenirs brought from Palestine were specimens of coins of the time of Antiochus and Herod Agrippa, shells from the Sea of Galilee, pieces of Roman tiling, Jewish lamps found among the excavations at the Pool of Bethesda, also two earthern pitchers for water, bought for 2*d each, and pieces of pottery from ancient Jericho. The dome of the Rock on the site of Solomon’s Temple and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, full of costly votive offerings, and the Church of the Nativity were described. Dr Guthrie moved a vote of thanks to Mrs West-Watson, which was seconded by Mr Machin. Supper was then handed round.