(Maori Version at Papers Past.)
[3] Te Kopara, Number 26, Gisborne, December, 1915.
‘Iti te Kopara, kai takirikiri ana i runga i te Kahikatea.’
Although the Bellbird is small, he plucks at the Kahikatea. [cf Nga Pepeha 908]
ADVENT
The voice heard at Advent is the voice that calls out, ‘Get ready! Get up!’ This is the beginning of the new year according to the Church calendar. Likewise let it also be a time when we do something new in our spiritual lives. Let us throw away our former sins as the proverb says, ‘the old net is cast aside,’ and take up something new, the new fishing net, ‘the old net is cast aside, the new net goes fishing.’[cf Nga Pepeha 1100] Abandon the old net and take hold of the new.
The old net has rotted; take up the new strong one. We must put on the new armour with which we will defeat sin. If we look at the prayers set for the four Sundays of Advent we find one that is used continually: ‘Give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light.’ However this is just a small part of the teaching of Advent. The Church is drawing attention to the Advent, the Coming, of the King, and it speaks of two comings. First it speaks of his coming when he humbled himself and was born of the Virgin, his birth in Bethlehem 1,900 years ago. This time reminds us not to forget to praise God for his humbling of himself for us, and this coming Christmas we will remember his birth. But this season also teaches us about the future coming of Christ when he will appear before us. When he left this world he spoke to his disciples through the mouths of his angels saying that he will come again and that his coming afterwards will be like his ascension. Therefore the season of Advent stirs us up calling us to be alert, to live with hearts looking out for his second coming. He is returning but it will not be like his first coming, he will not come in humility, but he will come as a wonderful King, the King of kings and Lord of lords, and every
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knee will bow and honour will be given to him. He is coming to gather all things to himself. He is coming to rule and to bring justice. If we are not prepared for the time of his coming we will be overcome with shame. To ensure that we will not die of shame the Church calls us to be prepared, to be watchful, and to put away the things that we know to be wrong and to put on the armour of light.
WHY AM I A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND [THE MISSIONARY CHURCH]?
There are many Churches in the world and the question is asked, ‘Why am I not a member of some other Church rather than the Church of England?’ Here are the reasons:
(1) Because the Church of England is one of the first branches of the Church and is able to trace its history to the time of the Apostles.
(2) Because all the services in the Prayer Book of the ‘Missionary Church’ are based on Scripture. The Creeds and the Articles are derived from the New Testament.
(3) Because some other Churches give little space to the Scriptures.
(4) Because it holds to the original teachings even if new ideas are forthcoming.
(5) Because it holds to the Apostles’ arrangement for the Orders of Ministry of Bishops, Priests and Deacons.
(6) Because it is faithful in observing the two Sacraments instituted by Christ.
(7) Because the services in the Book of Common Prayer were not the work of just one person but were collected together from the writings of the saints of all generations and then gathered into one book.
(8) Because many holy men and women have died whose worship was the worship of the ‘Missionary Church.’
(9) Because this is the only Church which correctly maintains the meaning of Worship as the work of the congregation, the minister being only a leader.
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TE RAUKAHIKATEA, GISBORNE.
Examinations.
Maori Section.
Grade III
Old Testament / New Testament / Prayer Book / Romans / Church History / Total
Mate Wharehuia 60 / 68 / 51 / 43 / 89 / 311
Metera Aomarere 33 / 52 / 51 / 30 /69 / 255
Waewae Ratapahi 42 / 40 / 39 / 44 / 67 / 232
Poihipi Tokoroa 48 / 30 / 38 / 34 / 62 / 212
Te Hana Taua 44 / 45 / 35 / 25 / 52 / 201
Grade II
Old Testament / New Testament / Prayer Book / Articles / Church / Total
Nepia Hotene 33 / 29 / 27 / 51 / 40 / 180
Grade I
Old Testament / New Testament / Prayer Book / Catechism / NZ Church / Total
Hohaia 62 / 34 / 46 / 38 / 52 / 232
Reretima 47 / 45 / 34 / 34 / 33 / 192
Pakeha Section.
Grade IV. Part I.
Wiremu Tureia 713 3rd Class
Rev Tamati te Kanapu 559 3rd Class
Grade I.
Wiremu Panapa 1438 2nd Class
Waata Kopae 870 3rd Class
Three of the men of the College will be ordained Deacons in December: Wiremu Tureia (Ngati Porou), Henare Paraone (Ngapuhi), and Poihipi Tokoroa (Waikato). The Rev Patihana Kokiri, at present at the College, will be ordained Priest in December. It has been a good year for the college; not a single person failed the exams. Those who did exceptionally well were the ones who sat the exams in the Pakeha Section. You can see their names above. They all did well. Many of the Pakeha in New Zealand got lower marks that Wiremu Tureia and Wiremu Panapa. May God be honoured and praised, who has blessed the work of his disciples this year. The school breaks up in the first week of December.
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A WICKED EXECUTION.
Recently a woman was executed by the Germans in Belgium. The woman was a nurse called Cavell. The woman was executed for carrying on her caring work for English and Belgians who happened to come to her home. She hid them before letting them escape from the occupied lands to other places. Many men were saved through the work of that woman and many in England have praised her. How did it happen that what this woman was doing was discovered? What she did was right insofar as she was critical of the law. But Germany took no notice of the fact that she was a non-combatant. In their wickedness Germany did not put that woman on trial but some German officers pronounced that she should be shot by a squad of soldiers. But not a single soldier wanted to shoot that woman and one of the officers turned and shot the soldiers who refused to shoot the woman and then shot the woman, killing them all. No matter what the representatives of America and Switzerland did to delay the execution of that woman the Germans were unmoved. A minister of the Church of England arrived to give Communion to that woman before here death.
ACCOUNTS OF THE WAR.
The main story these days is of the journey of Lord Kitchener to the East to see the King of Greece. For a long time we have been awaiting the decision of the King of Greece as to whether he would help the Allies or join the side of his brother-in-law, the Kaiser. During the past week he and Lord Kitchener have met. It is said that when Lord Kitchener arrived at the King’s palace he was cheered loudly by the Greeks. This was a sign of the goodwill of the people as a whole towards Lord Kitchener as well as a sign that the people at large want to help the Allies. Lord Kitchener and King Constantine met and accounts of their meeting say that Greece welcomes the proposals of the Allies. What those proposals are is not yet known but Lord Kitchener has laid them before the King of Greece. Kitchener’s journey is a wake-up call to the King to declare soon whose side he is on. If he says that he will assist Germany then at that time the warships of the Allies which are standing close by at sea at the ready will begin firing. It will be good for the Allies to have the aid of Greece.
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The Overthrow of Gorizia.
Gorizia is a very strong fort belonging to the Austrians. On 26th of this month news was received of the overthrow of this fort by the Italians. There were 20,000 men in this fort. Since this city has fallen to the Italians it will not be long before another nearby Austrian city, Trieste, falls.
The Terrible Suffering of Serbia.
The terrible suffering that has struck Serbia is famine. The news is that three million people are without food. Most of these people are children, women and men who are not engaged in fighting. The reason why these millions of people are without food is that when they fled before the Germans and Bulgarians they did not go to inhabited towns but fled straight up into the mountains. They chose to go into the mountains out of fear that they would be killed by the Bulgarians who have made it a policy to kill the Serbs whether they be women, children or non-combatant men. The reason why the Serbs ran to the mountains was to distance themselves from the murderous activities of the Bulgarians but where is food to be found there to sustain them? This is what is afflicting Serbia now. What a terrible and pitiful thing.
London, 26th November.
There is little news coming out about the Serbian response to being driven back by the Bulgarians. When they arrived at a narrow pass the Serbians were able to engage the Bulgarians and defeat them there and they were overcome.
In the daylight they fight and at night they retreat. Peter, King of the Serbians makes every effort to encourage his people; he is to be found at the battlefront in the trenches urging them on. The French have come upon the Bulgarians who numbered 80,000. This was a very fierce battle. A newspaper from Salonika tells of a communication of the Tsar to Serbia in which he says that he is sending 40,000 soldiers and that within a week they will be within Bulgarian territory.
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Other News.
The total number of Germans who have fallen since the beginning of the war in all the places where Germany is fighting is 4½ million. At present Germany is losing 300,000 every month. Shortly they are extending the age at which men can go to war to 45. If there are not fit men then doctors now will now accept [nga koki sic ?kohi – the emaciated], the one-eyed, and the hunchbacked to go to fight.
Good News for Russia.
On 30th November there was a major offensive by Germany, but it did not affect Russia [?kaore i totoka i a Ruhia]. Germany has retreated from Russia and Russia has seized some German guns. In one location Germany has seen Russia get the ascendancy over it. Most of the enemy army were killed here by Russia and two Generals were taken prisoner.
The Trenches are full of Water.
All the trenches of the English as well as those of the enemy are full of water because of heavy rain. This is the situation in the West where the English and Germans are found. But the English say, ‘So what?’ and laugh and are cheerful. The English and German trenches are close to one another and when they were filling with water a German soldier shouted to the English from his side, ‘How deep is the water over there?’ One of the English soldiers replied, ‘Up to our own blooming knees’ [English], that is, ‘It has risen up to our knees.’ The German responded saying, ‘The water has reached our belts.’ This is how things are with those people living in their pits.
The Cleverness of Germany.
The Germans are very clever at doing some crafty things to disconcert the enemy; that is so with the Germans who are fighting the Russians. The land in which the Germans and Russians are fighting is a land that has much snow and they are continually fighting in the snow. Germany was aware that it should clothe its soldiers in white like the snow so that they could not be spotted by the enemy. And it was the case that for a long time the enemy was deceived, but in the long run the deception became known and they realised that the enemy knew what they were doing. What they (the Russians) did was to stop shooting at the men and to direct their big guns to fire at the snow in the vicinity of the Germans. Before long the snow was smashed up and became water and a whole large German army sank here.
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Russia.
Russia has got ready a remarkably large army for the Spring. That army numbers seven million.
A Party of Peacemakers.
There is an American millionaire named Ford who is working to set up a large group for the purpose of bringing an end to the present war. Many, many people, men and women, have joined that group. Ford has said that he will pay for the people who join the group to travel to the Hague, the place where people from all nations gather to settle disputes. Perhaps this is why people are keen to join this group. Ford owns factories that manufacture motor cars. His cars are well known in New Zealand and his cars bear his name, Ford.
A Maori Loyal to the Rule of England.
The following letter was written by a Maori to Colonel Porter. Eventually you will discover who that Maori is. This Maori was a soldier in the old days when Maori and Pakeha were fighting each other. This is his letter:
To Colonel Porter.
Greetings to you, in the time of this terrible war, when all the nations of the world are fighting. It is a thing that causes my heart pain and sorrow. I know very well that all things can be done if there is sufficient money, which means that we will eventually win. My occupation is ‘eating’ my pension, but why should I be ‘eating’ when I am looking out upon the lamenting world, and when I am thinking of this thing, the blood of our friends who have given their lives for us so that we escape from the enemy and so that good will come to the world. The common plea now is for us to contribute money to help our soldiers, therefore I am writing now to the Pensions Board to ask that all my pension be handed over as my contribution. Although it is not much, it is not too bad. This is something that springs up continually in my heart and it is right that we should all be active in this cause, Maori certainly, including the children, in order to show our loyalty to our Empire. Although I have now arrived at old age, my heart is still stirred. I finish here.
From your affectionate friend and faithful soldier,
Enoka Rukuata.
N.B. Here! Here! Koro Enoka. What a chiefly example, and what evidence of loving loyalty to the soldiers who are falling. – Editor.
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Lord Kitchener.
Lord Kitchener is achieving important things during his visit to the East. After finishing his work in Greece he went to Gallipoli, to the Dardanelles. He observed the fighting there and saw the difficulties faced by the Allies there. When he was finished there he went to Rome. There he saw the King of Rome and was honoured when the King presented him with an important award. The main reason for his visit to the East is to observe carefully with his own eyes the situation of the fighting in various places so that he can report to the mother Government so that they will know how they should proceed.
THE ROLL OF HONOUR OF THE MAORI CONTINGENT.
Wounded
Main London Hospital – Haki Rata. Birmingham Hospital – A Hepi Rankin. Going to England – Hori Kaipara, Tauri Paora, Wi Tamihana, Tuuru Wiremu Peri. Has gone to Australia – Poai Whatuira. Recovering in Alexandria – Dan Grey, Rai Solomon, James Carroll Tunuiarangi. Returned from London to Egypt – Hohepa Kotua. Seriously ill in Alexandria – C P Kingi. Eastleigh Hospital – H Howell (dysentery). Cairo Hospital – Corp P Meihana (hand wound). Rejoined the Contingent – T Paputene, T P Sidney. Recovering in Alexandria – R Matiu. Moved to England – Lieutenant J Ferris.
FOOD FOR TE KOPARA.
J Kaka, 5/-, to November 1916; Huina Rae, 5/-, to December 1915; Joapa Te Hau, 5/- to November 1916; Karepa Mataira, 5/- to October 1916; Waaka Te Ranui, 10/- to March 1916;Hoo Paihana, 5/- to November 1916; Mrs Woodbine Johnstone, 5/- in advance.
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MAORI COLLEGE
Waerenga-a-Hika, Gisborne.
For half-caste Maori children of the ‘Missionary Church’.
There are two sessions of the school during the year. The first session begins on the first Monday in February. The second session begins on the first Monday in August. The school has two holidays during the year. The first holiday is for seven weeks and the school closes at Christmas. The second holiday is for five weeks and the school closes in winter [Makariri / Takurua]. Requests for places for children wishing to attend the school should reach the Master before the 14th January Do not send requests after that date. The above applies to the first session of the school.
For the second session of the school, requests for places should be sent to the Master before 14th June. Those applying for places for children will find it better to apply for January rather than for June.
Those children who have passed Class III or beyond will be chosen first, and others may start if there are places remaining.
The Master asks for a character reference testifying to the good attitude of the child.
This school is a Church of England School for Maori Children.
There is no charge for children to attend this school.
Clothes
The child should bring the following clothes.
3 woollen singlets, 3 woollen shirts, 2 pairs of pyjamas, 3 towels, 1 hair brush and comb, 1 fine comb, 2 pairs of black boots, 1 large raincoat, 1 pair of slippers (for wearing inside), 1 woollen shawl [?scarf], 1 College uniform of coat, short trousers, cap, neck tie, belt, and 3 pairs of long stockings. The cost of the College uniform is likely to remain at £2. If parents wish to send money to purchase the College uniform it is best that they send the money to the Master who will buy those garments.
The child should bring £1 as pocket money to use on his outings.
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RULES OF THE PAPER.
1. Te Kopara is published monthly.
2. The subscription for the paper is five shillings (5/-) a year paid by postal note or stamps.
3. Anyone wishing to take Te Kopara should send the money with the covering letter.
4. Articles are welcome from all parts of the country, but the Editor reserves the right to decide on what to print. Write clearly.
5. Address all letters to:
Te Kopara,
Te Rau,
Gisborne.
A NOTICE
To those wanting a Prayer Book or Hymn Book. I now have plenty of books. The prices are:
Large, soft cover 2/6
Large, red cover 3/-
Large, hard cover 4/-
Large, superior cover 5/6
Small, soft cover 1/-
Small, red cover 1/6
Small, hard cover 2/6
Small, superior cover 3/6
Prayer Book with Hymns, soft cover 1/6
Prayer Book with Hymns, red cover 1/-
Prayer Book with Hymns, hard cover 3/-
Prayer Book with Hymns, superior cover 4/-
Prayer Book, New Testament and Hymns, red cover, 3/6
Prayer Book, New Testament and Hymns, superior cover, 5/6
Hymns 6d
Words for the Prayerful Heart 3d
I will pay the postage to send the books to you
H W Williams,
Naurea, Gisborne
People wanting a Bible or a New Testament should apply to the Bible Depository Sunday School Union, Auckland.
Bible, 2/6, 3/6, 4/6. Enclose a postage stamp for 1/-.
New Testament with explanatory headings. 2/6, 3/-, 4/6. Enclose a postage stamp for 3d.
Small New Testament with the Psalms. 2/-, 2/6, 3/-, 3/6, 4/-. Enclose a postage stamp for 3d.
Printed and published by H W Williams at Te Rau Printing Works, Berry Street, Gisborne, New Zealand.
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