ST. MATTHEW’S CHURCH.

Wairarapa Daily Times, 3 May 1928, Page 6

ST. MATTHEW’S CHURCH.

REPORTS FOR PAST YEAR. At the annual meeting of St. Matthew’s parishioners last night, the \icai (the Rev. W. Bullock) reported that after being* ten months without an assistant, the Rev. E. McLevic was appointed in December last. During last year very efficient service was given to the parish by the stipendiary lay reader, Mr Keith Harper, who acted also as organist and choirmaster, and also by the honorary lay-readers, Messrs Dundcrdale and Norman Winhall. Mr Harper has arranged to stay for another year, thus enabling Mr McLevie to give time to help in the Sunday school work, which is welcomed by those who have the .Sunday school work at heart. It is possible that Mr Norman Winhall will soon leave for St. John’s College, Auckland. Thanks arc accorded the vicar’s warden, Mr L. B. Maunsell; the people’s warden, Dr. Archer Hosking; the vestry clerk, Mr T.T. Denbee, the treasurer and auditors. Reference was made to the work of Miss Hubbard as cub-master, and the scout committee, and also to the Girl Guides and Brownies. The services of Mrs Ilium as organist, and of Mrs Eosewarnc as eh oil* mistress, have been obtained, and already the singing showed the mark of their work. Regarding Sunday school work, thanks are due to the faithful labours of Mr Hyde and the teachers of St. Matthew’s, to Mrs C'hennclls and her helpers at Kuripuni, to Miss Crosswell and her two helpers, Miss Spencer and Miss Gardner, at Lansdowne, and to Miss Perry at the Upper Plain Sunday School, as well as to those,, who have helped at the school at Taucru, Miss Henderson and her helpers in the kindergarten, and Mrs Bullock, who conducts the Girls’ Class. Thanks arc also accorded to all those who so willingly and happily worker in any way during the past —the altar servers, the bell-ringers, the secretaries of the C.E.M.S., which continues its valued work at the Public Hospital, the Ladies’ Guild, the Girls’ Club, and the Tennis Club, to Miss Vallance, Miss Boddington, and Mrs Hosking, for the collection of the Self-Denial Fund for social work, to Mrs James Welch and Mrs Hope for keeping the altar linen, to Mr Clarke for his attentive and regular care of the children’s stamp class, to those who have taken the clergy to country esrvices, to Mrs iStidolpli for her care of the chancel, to Mrs Morton for her work as secretary of the magazine distributors, and to the caretaker, Mr Knapp.

Mr L: B. Maunsell and Dr. Archer Hosking, churchwardens, reported that the deficit of the general .fund was increased by £l6 during the .year. The need for more subscribers to the general parish fund was stressed. During the coining year a last instalment would be paid on the electric light installation, which has been a considerable drain on the funds. The parish hall fund showed a deficit of over £IOO, but it should be noted that £2OO was paid- off the mortgage, instead of £IOO. This was made possible by the generous gift of Mr S. Hawley of £SO, for which the thanks of the parish arc expressed. The bulk of the work for the reduction of the parish hall debt was being carried out by the Ladies’ Guild and the Girls’ Club, and a continuing debt of gratitude was due to them. The need of building up the freewill offering scheme was referred to, and thanks expressed to Miss K. Morrison, Miss Vallance and Mrs Bectham for work in approaching annual subscribers. The members of the Church of the Ep’iphanv are congratulated upon raising their .assessment of £IOO to the assistant curate fund. For tlie year ending June 30th, 1927, a sum of £l5O was raised and sent to the Board of Missions, The Rev. E. McILevie arrived in December from St. Peter's, Wellington, and has already done god work, especially among the young people of the parish.