SOUTH FOREST SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION
RULES
1. It shall be called "The South Forest Sunday School Teachers'
Association;" and shall be open to all Church Sunday Schools in
the Deanery on payment of a small annual subscription.
2. It shall be affiliated to the Church of England Sunday School Institute.
3. The object of the Association is to promote the efficiency of Sunday Schools
by bringing Teachers together for devotion and discussion and mutual encouragement.
4. The Managing Committee shall consist of the Rural Dean as President; with
4 Clergy and 4 Laity, to be elected annually at a General Meeting in June.
5. The work of the Association shall be carried on by means of Training Lessons,
the distribution of Special Literature, Classes for Instruction, and other
means, so far as circumstances permit.
6. An Anniversary Meeting shall be held each year, in June at some convenient
centre; the Day of Intercession for Sunday School work appointed under the
auspices of the Church of England Sunday School Institute, or some other day
appointed by the Committee, shall be observed by the associated parishes
The Anniversary Meeting refereed to in the 6th of the South
Forest Sunday School Teachers' Association given above, was held
at Bream for the first time on Thursday June 14. The order of the proceedings
were reported in our last month's issue, and need not be repeated here.
It was nearly two o'clock before all the company had assembled, many
walking in from the various parishes round, and many more coming in
by mid-day trains or by carriage. The meeting had as President the
Rev. W.Smith, Vicar of Newland, the Rural Dean. After the singing of
a hymn and prayers, some necessary business was got through, and the
Training Lessons given by the Rev. R.H. Cautley, the deputation from
the Church Sunday School Institute. The class consisted of boys and
girls drawn from several classes in the Sunday School. The subject
of the lesson was the Holy Spirit, and our constant need of his presence.
Criticisms were offered by the Rural Dean, the Revs. E.S, Smith, W.
Barker, and W. Shawcross, and a vote of thanks accorded to Mr. Cautley.
At the tea at three o'clock 115 sat down including 15 local clergy representing
the 11 parishes, besides the Revs. R.H. Cautley, and J.P.A. Bowers, the latter
being the evening preacher. The tables were presided over by Sunday School
Teachers, or their wives or relations, and everything passed off quite comfortably.
They were spread with good things, and were bright with flowers and plants.
At four a paper was read by the Vicar of St Briavels, the Rev. W. Taprell Allen,
which he headed "A few Notes on Sunday Schools" which dealt with
the following points :- (1) their origin; (2) the textbooks; (3) their organisation;
(4) the teaching necessary; and he pleaded for more help with the laity, and
greater zeal among Churchmen for the work. The Revs. E.S. Smith, W. Shawcross,
R.H. Cautley and Mr. Bowerman followed with remarks.
At 5 o'clock the service took place in the Church. The Rural Dean read the
prayers, the Rev. Dr. Bond the lesson, and the Diocesan Missioner, the Rev.
J.P.A. Bowers, preached a very powerful, plain and practical Sermon, which
must have stirred every heart and awakened every teacher to the grave responsibility
of the work they had undertaken. He pleaded for reality of life, earnestness
of purpose, and definite and courageous teaching.
Thus ended the first visit of the Association to Bream, and as it seemed so
pleasant to everyone concerned, and was more largely attended than any previous
meeting for some years, we may fairly echo the hope that it will not be the first
and last Meeting held here.
Monday 25 June will long be remembered at Bream for the violent
tempest which visited us in the afternoon. Thunder and Lightning
heralded the approach of the storm, and by 4 o'clock it had burst with
great fury upon our heads. There were torrents of rain, accompanied
by hailstones as large as marbles, and even larger. With such power
did the elements rage that in a little time the produce of the gardens
was wrecked, plants and flowers being cut down as if with a scythe;
windows were cracked and broken, roads and paths were partly washed
away, and turned into swiftly running streams, while in the low land,
especially in the Oakwood Valley, there was a perfect flood of water,
carrying everything before it in its destructive course. The storm
raged for quite an hour, and after it everything had the most desolate
and dreary appearance; the leaves lay strewn on the ground as though
it was Autumn time, while here and there were heaps of hailstones,
presenting quite a wintry appearance. In the Churchyard there was a
drift 2 1/2 ft deep. Many of the church windows were cracked and broken,
and the Schools suffered still more. The hail lingered about for two
or three days after, and seemed loth to leave. No one ever remembers
seeing such a storm in this immediate neighbourhood, and those who
saw it will certainly never forget it.
The Anniversary Day of the Restoration of the Church falls on Wednesday July 25, S. James Day. Due notices of services will be given. The Vicar of Holy Trinity, the Rev. W. Barker, has kindly promised to come about that time to give on of his amusing lectures
BAPTISM
June 13, Ruth, daughter of William and Delia Coombes, Cleverend's Green, brickmaker.
MARRIAGE
June 10, by the Vicar, Richard Mathew Jenkins of Bream, to Bertha Evans, S.
Briavels.
BURIAL
June 13, Isaac Darby, Bream, 64.
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Melville Watts O.B.E., Ruth Hirst, Jennifer Hancocks, Tony Preest, Paul Morgan, Carole Butt, Joan Davis, Phil Horsley, Joyce Phipps, Peter Richards, Dianne
O'Dell, Edith Pitcher and Roy Haviland.
The magazines were transcribed by Geoff Davis and Malcolm Norris of Bream.
All content © 2010 G.K. Davis, Bream.
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