1919
21 March 1919
KANDOS.
(From our own Correspondent.)
On Friday night a children's concert was held in the Angus Hall in aid of the building fund for the Methodist Church. The concert was organised by Mr. O. S. Richards and Rev. G. Drummond, and over £10 was realised. The most interesting item on the programme was by Master Dawes, who rendered that good catchpenny song "Please Give Me a Penny, Sir;" 12s 8d was thrown on the stage in copper1
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24 September 1919
KAND0S METHODIST CHURCH.
IMPRESSIVE OPENING CEREMONY.
(From our own Correspondent.)
The opening of the Methodist Church took place on Saturday last, 20th inst., in the presence of a large number of people. The proceedings opened with the singing of the National Anthem. Mr. James Dawson then presented to Mr. Floyd S. Richards a gold key with which to perform the opening ceremony, and in doing so dwelt for a few minutes in a brief eulogy of the valuable assistance which Mr. Richards had given to the church. He had personally supervised the erection of the building, and taken a great interest in church matters generally.
Mr. Richards, in replying, thanked Mr. Dawson for his kind remarks and said that since coming to Kandos about five years ago, he had looked forward to the time when there should be a place of worship for the people. He had offered his hearty assistance, and that of his company, to whatever denomination should take steps to build a church, and it had given him great pleasure to be able to assist the Methodist Church in its worthy enterprise. Mr. Richards then unlocked the doors, and declared the Kandos Methodist Church officially open.
The general public then entered the church, and joined in singing the Old Hundredth, followed by the doxology. Prayers of thanks giving were next offered.
Rev. J. G. Wheen, president of the Methodist Conference, addressed the congregation, and complimented the people of Kandos on having such a fine building. He counted it no small privilege to be present that day, and ventured to say that throughout the whole of Australia there was not another church quite like the one they were fortunate enough to possess. (The church is built on the Mexican mission style, flat roof, and a square tower.) He hoped that the church would flourish and do much good work in the community.
Mr. Richards then read a financial statement, showing the cost of the church to be about £1100, £360 of which constituted the debt remaining on the building. The proceedings closed with the benediction, after which afternoon tea was served.
The first services in the church were conducted by the Rev. John G. Wheen, and were largely attended2
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25 September 1919
The Kandos Star.
Kandos Methodist Church.
OFFICIAL OPENING.
The official opening of the Kandos Methodist Church took place at 3.15 p.m. on Saturday last, under very happy conditions. Although there had been much wind and dust during the day, the beautiful position of this unique piece of architecture, on the brow of the hill separating Kandos township from the Cement Works, and immediately below the new and magnificent residence of Mr. F. S. Richards, the local superintendent of the works, and secretary of the Kandos Methodist Church Trust, protected it from the unpleasantness of the dust which was prevalent in other parts of the township. For some time before the appointed hour for the official opening, the Kandos Town Band, under the able baton of Bandmaster S. J. Blackwell, played melodious airs outside the church, to the great delight of the large crowd that had assembled to witness the notable ceremony of the opening of the first place of public worship in Kandos dedicated to the service of the Great Architect of the Universe.
The ceremony opened with the singing of the National Anthem, accompanied by the band, after which Mr. James Dawson, treasurer of the Kandos Methodist Church Trust, presented the key of the church to Floyd S Richards, at the same time expressing in a few well-chosen words the deep appreciation that was felt by the Methodist community as a whole of Mr. Richards' splendid work in designing and superintending the erection of the beautiful building which was about to be opened and dedicated to the glory of God and the service of man.
Mr. F. S. Richards responded very feelingly, saying that when he first came to Kandos he had decided to do everything in his power to get a permanent place of worship established here, and that he would have assisted any other church as zealously as he had the Methodists. He did not concern himself about the denomination, so long as its object was to bring people nearer to God.
The church having been opened by Mr. Richards, an impressive service was conducted by the Rev. Owen Evans, the resident Methodist minister of the district.
The Rev. Owen Evans also introduced the Rev. John G. Wheen, president of the Methodist Conference, to the congregation.
The Rev. John Wheen gave an eloquent address, in which he thanked the Rev. Owen Evans for his kind words of welcome, and also expressed great admiration for the beautiful township of Kandos, which, he said, was so near to Heaven that he thought everyone ought to feel better for living here. He thought the people of the district ought to feel proud of the fact that they were the first settlers and pioneers of a lovely township like Kandos, which was destined to become a very much larger place and an important industrial centre in a few years. The church building, too, was something to be proud of. He thought he could safely say that there was not another like it in Australia. In architecture it was unique, and situated, as it was, on one of the highest points of the beautiful and highly elevated township, the atmosphere of Heaven being all around it, it should prove a great blessing and inspiration to the people, and bring them nearer to God. The simple beauty of its architecture, its bright and cleanly appearance, should carry its reflex into the homes of the people who came there to worship.
Mr. Gibson, on behalf of the Presbyterians of the district, warmly welcomed the coming of the Methodist Church to Kandos. He told a good story of a Chinaman who had regularly attended a Chinese mission for some time, and who suddenly stopped going there. The missionary, meeting him one day in the street, asked him the cause of his absence from the mission services. "Me no Christian now," replied John; "me Presbyterian." Although the story told against his own church, he thought it aptly illustrated the absurdity of members of one Christian communion keening aloof from worship with another Christian body. "If church unity is ever to be attained," continued Mr. Gibson, "it must come about through Christians coming together individually and working harmoniously with each other to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ." Mr. Gibson defined the Gospel as the outpouring of the Spirit of God upon the people. "We must have unity of purpose and openness of heart if we are to accomplish anything," he said, "and only by forgetting the non-essentials upon which we differ and concentrating upon the fundamental truths which we all accept can we advance the Church of Christ and bring His Kingdom on Earth nearer."
Mr. F. S. Richards read the financial statement, which showed that the church building in Kandos had cost about £,1085, and of that amount, £728 had been paid off, leaving a debit balance of £357 to be met. He earnestly invited all those who felt that they would like to help the church and had the means to do so to fill in the forms provided on the four-page souvenir sheets distributed in the building, and to promise to pay any amount, great or small, at any time within twelve months of date, as a contribution to the building fund, to get the church out of debt.
The Rev. Owen Evans heartily thanked the Kandos Town Band for their kindness in playing such a fine selection of melodies before the opening ceremony and inside the church, and paid Mr. S. J. Blackwell, the new bandmaster, a richly deserved compliment upon the proficiency of the musicians under his tuition.
Refreshments were served in the church, during which the band again played appropriate airs very sweetly, including "The Old Hundredth" and "Lead Kindly Light."
A memorable function in the religious life of the community of Kandos came to a close about 5 p.m3
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11 October 1919
NEW CHURCH AT KANDOS.
The opening celebrations of the Kandos Methodist Church (Rylstone Circuit) took place on Saturday and Sunday, September 20th and 21st. Mr. Floyd S. Richards, superintendent of the N.S.W. Lime, Coal and Cement Co., Ltd., and secretary of church trust, performed the opening ceremony in the presence of a large gathering. On behalf of the trustees, Mr. James Dawson presented Mr. Richards with a gold key suitably inscribed, in the course of which he paid eloquent tribute to the splendid work of the latter in preparing the unique design of the church and superintending the construction work. In reply, Mr. Richards expressed his great pleasure in performing the opening ceremony, and stated that for some time it had been his desire, and that of the company he represented, to see a church erected in which the people could meet for worship. That day had dawned, and he thanked God for it. The large company which had assembled afterwards went into the church to take part in the impressive dedicatory service which followed. Fraternal greetings were received from the Rev. W. V. Thompson, of the Church of England, and Mr. Kinlock Gibson, of the Presbyterian Church. These were received and acknowledged by the President of the Conference. On Sunday, the 21st inst., the official services were conducted by the President of the Conference. Large congregations assembled, and were much impressed by the eloquent and timely deliverances of the President. Great interest gathers round the new church at Kandos, on account of its being the first of its kind in the State, as well as the first church to be built in the town. The township, which has only been in existence for a little over four years, has now a population of nearly 1,500, with an immediate prospect of it increasing to 2,000. The trustees are greatly indebted to the directors of the N.S.W. Cement Co. for the practical assistance shown in their effort to build a church. Through the manager of the company, Mr. F. S. Richards, the plans were donated, and for each bag of cement bought by the trustees for use in construction work the company generously donated one. This donation alone amounts to over £100. Several handsome donations have also been received from the directors. The church itself, which has cost over £1,000, is built almost entirely of reinforced concrete, and is after the American Christian Scientist design, and has, in addition to concrete walls, concrete floor, platform and roof. Both inside and out present a white appearance, which gives the impression of good lighting and cleanliness. The lighting is done by electricity, the current for which is supplied free by the Cement Company.
A departure from the orthodox way has been made in the matter of the seating accommodation, wicker chairs being used in preference to the much-used and uncomfortable pew, characteristic of so many churches. The reading desk is after the style of the one used by Billy Sunday, the great American evangelist.
Those in charge of the work at Kandos recognise that the modern problem for the church to face is, how to win and hold the industrial classes for Christ, and accordingly they have put at the disposal of the people an attractive, modern and costly church building, in the hope that the people will find within the precincts of the church that which will inspire to worship and good morals.
Action is to be taken in the near future to secure the appointment of a minister to live at Kandos and assist in the work of the Rylstone Circuit4
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219
1921
25 May 1921
KAND0S.
(From Our Own Correspondent.)
On Friday afternoon ladies of the Methodist church erected a marquee in Angus Avenue and conducted a refreshment stall to raise funds for the Methodist church. The success of the venture was somewhat marred by the inclement weather. Mrs. Richards and Miss Alice M. Lloyd were in charge of the marquee5
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28 December 1921
Christmas services were held in the churches on Sunday. Mr. Gilbert was at the Kandos mission. Large attendances marked all services6
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1920
24 November 1920
KANDOS
(From Our Own Correspondent.)
On Friday a flower show and industrial exhibition were held in the Angus Hall in aid of the Methodist Church fund. The hall was very prettily decorated, and a good number attended. It is expected that between £40 and £50 will be raised7
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1922
5 June 1922
Miss Gertrude Richards, daughter of the works superintendent, was given a send-off prior to leaving for the Burwood Ladies' College. The function took place last Tuesday evening in the Methodist Church, where Miss Richards has been a teacher for some time. During the evening, a number of items were rendered by the mission children. Miss Richards was the recipient of a handsome xylonite clothes brush, and a bottle of perfume, the presentation being made by Mr. Gilbert8
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27 October 1922
KANDOS.
SHOW AND INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION.
(From Our Own Correspondent.)
The flower show and industrial exhibition held by the Kandos United Mission, was opened on Monday afternoon. The hall was tastefully decorated and the stalls allowed evidence of a good deal of effort on the part of the exhibitors. The standard of the exhibits was quite up to that of former years, and the displays in the fancy work and cooking sections were well worth a visit. Quite a number of exhibits from the public school were made in the essay writing and penmanship sections. In the flower section many beautiful blooms were entered, and the task of judging was not easy. In the musical section, there were only two entries for under 14 years. The prize (gold medal) was awarded to Daisy Sneddon, after much deliberation by the judges, Doris Rawlings must be complimented on the good showing she made, taking into consideration that she only decided to enter the competition about a week before it was held. All the stalls were well patronised, and those responsible for the working up of the exhibition should have no fear as to the financial result. Amongst the many folk who helped to make the fair a success were Mesdames Richards, Tarrant, Hextall, Cox, Thrush, Dawson, Sneddon, Kirkness (secretary), Misses Dawson (2), Gillespie, Fletcher, also Messrs. Richards, Mitchell, Moran, Gilmore, Evans.
October 259
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1923
21 March 1923
Mr. and Mrs. Floyd S. Richards were also given a farewell by the members of the United Mission prior to their departure for America. Mr. James Dawson, of "Henbury," Kandos, presented Mr. and Mrs. Richards with a very handsome xylonite bedroom eight-day clock. Mr. Richards has been connected with the Kandos Cement Co., Ltd., during the last six years, and his work in connection with the great war by special efforts in war loans, etc., merited such a send-off to a loyal citizen. We wish them and children happiness and prosperity in their native country10
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1927
28 February 1927
Harvest festival services were celebrated in the Methodist Church on Monday night. An enjoyable musical programme was submitted and was the means of making the evening successful. A sale of goods took place during the evening11
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