Page:History of Knox Church Dunedin.djvu/119

Rh of Mr Colin Kenzie Gordon as Session Clerk, a position which he still holds with much credit to himself and great advantage to the congregation and its office-bearers.

In May 1883 the congregation lost by his resignation the services of Mr Arthur Scoullar, who had proved an active and efficient member of the Session for a number of years. The following minute was adopted by the Session on the occasion:—"The Session accept with deep regret the resignation by Mr Arthur Scoullar of his place in this Court. In doing so they desire to place on record their sense of the fidelity and zeal with which during the seven years of his connection with the Kirk Session he has discharged all the duties of the eldership; their recollection of his open-handed liberality and modesty in giving many gifts for the promotion of Christ's cause and kingdom; and their appreciation of the warm and untiring interest which he has displayed in the spiritual welfare of the congregation and of the church at large. The Session desire further to record an expression of their own gratitude and that of the congregation to Mr Scoullar for his services as treasurer of the congregational Sustentation Fund. They believe that his energetic and skilful management of that fund will materially contribute to its permanence and growing success."

It has already been mentioned that Mr Robert Short was one of the first-elected deacons of Knox Church, and that he was the first clerk of the Court. He resigned these offices in 1864, but maintained his connection with the congregation. He was elected to the eldership in 1881, and did good service until 1885, when he resigned the office in consequence of his removal with his family to the Oamaru district. He was well known throughout Otago for very many years as the courteous and obliging chief clerk of the Crown Lands Office at Dunedin. The Session adopted the following resolution on the occasion of Mr Short's resignation:—"On receiving the resignation of Mr Robert Short of the North-East Valley, the Session have pleasure in recording in their minutes that he joined Knox Church in May 1860; that he was one of the original deacons, and for a time was clerk of the Deacons' Court; that he filled for some time the office of elder, and in these capacities rendered good service to the congregation in its efforts to maintain and promote the Kingdom of God; further, that