St Andrews, Corowa, 1916 Unveiling Ceremony - Part 1

Quoting from:  Corowa Free Press (NSW : 1875 - 1954), Tuesday 18 April 1916, page 3

Unveiling Ceremony

A most pleasant ceremony was conducted at the Presbyterian Church on Sunday afternoon last, when an honour board, containing the names of twenty members of the Corowa Church who have enlisted to serve their King and country, was unveiled. The church was well filled with ladies and gentlemen of all denominations. In opening the proceedings, after the hymn, "Onward, Christian Soldiers" was sung, and patriotic airs played by the B.B Band, the Rev. McLaren Scott, the pastor, said some months ago it had been decided by the church to perpetuate the memory of the boys who had gone to the front, and the method adopted was the erection of a board of honour. He would call on the mayor of the town to perform the ceremony. Incidentally he would like to mention that Mr. Piggin was the right sort of mayor, and they were honoured in having him present on that occasion. When asked to unveil the honour board, Mr. Piggin said in his generous manner that he would be only too glad to do anything. The Mayor, after thanking the previous speaker, said it gave him great pleasure to take part in the function, as if anybody desired to honour those men who were fighting for the country he could claim to be one of them. Those men deserve more than we could ever show of our appreciation for the manner in which they had heard their country's call and the way they had answered it. We know we are not fighting alone for the British Empire, but for Australia. And if there is a prize which Germany seeks It is the huge territory of Australia. Our boys at the front are not doing badly, but the number is not sufficient, and the desire to give young men from the Presbyterian Church as well as other churches. There are great sacrifices wanted, but the greatest of all are the sacrifices of the mothers who had given their sons, and there were hundreds of mothers every night who went down on bended knees and asked God to protect their sons. All honour to them who allow their sons to go to the front. The example set by the young men whose names were on the board he was about to unveil should be followed by others. More men were always wanted, and functions such as these may be the means of inspiring those who are still wavering. The mayor then raised the flag which covered the board, and said he hoped that as time goes on the hoard would be completely filled with the names of boys who had gone to the front.