Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-06-04
EP|SCOPAuAN CONVOCAT|ON CALLS OUT
LARGE ATTENDANCE, LAYMEN AND CLERGY
Many Matters of Great import
ance Brought Before the
Twelfth Annual Session
BY Rt. Rev. Henry Bond Restarick,
Bishop OF Honolulu.

6iSnop Ot T1CNotuIu.
The 18th annual conyocation of the
Episcopal church in the Hawaiian Is-
lands, which closed its session last
night. has shown how deep the inter
est of the laity is in all that concerns
the work which this church has be-
fore it in the extension of the King
dom Of God in the Hawaiian Islands.
The bishop and clergy are supposed
to be deeply interested. but it was re-
marked by three clergymen who have
lately come to Hawaii that they had
never in any convention seen such a
large proportion Of laymen who took
such prominent and intelligent part
in all the proceedings. The interest
of laymen has been shown during the
entire time / have been here and the
development of the laity in the know.
ledge of American ;Church Canon Law
and Procedure has placed them in
the front rank, Ii all matters con-
neeted with the conduct and growth
nf the church here and it's relation to
the great church on the mainland.
" The laitv realize fully that the
church which they represent is con,
stitutional one, that it's constitution
act forth first in 1855 preceded in
9oint of time the constitution of the
nation. 1t is said by one writer that
'the two constitutions were the han
iiwork of the same men and the re-
suit of the same set of circumstan-
ces." The church constitution con-
from the first national or
ganization in which the states were
to be component units and, that its
avs were to be mAde by two houses
in a general cow tntion. Later the
diocese as a unit bot the state was
adopted. e
OF course, in making these laws GER
tain inherent rights of the Episcopate
md of the priesthood were recogniz-
id without question. But the exer-
Else of those powers were defined
md regulated by Jaws which pro-
tected both clergy and laity as we'll
IS assisting the bishops by providing
constitutional provisions OF proce-
lure.
The chief business of the late con.
vocation after the attention to routine
BUSINESS was the consideration OF new
statutes for the cathedral. The MAJ
ser had come before the convocation
'or several years, 50 that there was
some knowledge antlg the clergy and
tafty Of the fstIb5ecf WHICH they were
% discuss. The committee which pre-
,ented the report Containing the pro-
posed cathedral statutes was compos-
ed of the Rev. Leopold Kroll, Judge
Alexander Lindsay, Jr., and Robbins
3. Anderson. A former member Of
The committee, T. Give Davies, who
had given the matter a great deal OF
study met in consultation with the
committee several times since he
returned to the islands. Before its
adjournment, conVocation showed It's
appreciation of the way in which Mr..
Anderson presented the subject as it
was read section by section for the
consideration of the corivocation when
sitting as a committee of the whole
The presiding officer of the convoca-
ton when sitting as committee or
The whole was Arthur G. Smith, who
performed the functions of the office
to the eminent satisfaction of all.
The debates which occurred on
many sections showed the real and
often intense earnestness OF those
present to adopt statutes which would
so define rights, privileges and du-
ties that there should be no ques-
ton on the part of any as to what
should be done.
In all American cathedrals there is
provision for lay representation upon
the chapter In all councils of the
Episcopal church the voice and vote
of lay delegates is most intelligently
exercised. The debates in the general
convention show that many OF the
Iaity have made the deepest study or
everything connected with church his
tory and it's present life and work.
Many of the most eminent judges and
LAWYERS in the United States are
members of the general convention
and the debates in that body are an
education to all who are present.
In small way the debates which
occurred at the late convocation were
an education to all those who were
present. The cathedral statutes which
we're in force in 1902 when the Amer
lean church took possession here
we're adapted from statutes of an
English cathedral. They were full OF
archaic expressions and provided no
NuA