25th January 1924 - British Legion Annual Meeting

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British Legion

(Buntingford Branch)

Annual Meeting

The Annual General Meeting of the members of the Buntingford Branch of the British Legion was held at the Ex-Service Men's Club Room on Wednesday evening.

The chair was occupied by the President, Captain H.H. Williams, and there was a good attendance of members, including a strong contingent from the Hormead Branch.

Balance Sheet

The Hon. Treasurer, Mr F.W. Butler, presented the balance sheet of 1923.

Receipts were: Subscriptions £5 18s. 4d., Donations 7s. 6d., Sale of Badges 15s., Poppy Day £64 14s. Total £71 14s. 10d.

Expenditure - Membership cards 10s. 6d., Club funds £1 5s., Badges £1 4s., Poppy Day fund £64 14s., Fees £1 16s. 9d. 

The balance in hand amounted to £2 8s. 7d. The balance sheet was adopted.

Secretary's Report

The Hon. Secretary, Mr G.H. Maughan, gave a satisfactory report of the working of the organisation.

Since February, 1923, 57 members had been enrolled, and 17 new applications for membership had been accepted for 1924.

The amount forwarded to the Headquarters in respect of Armistice Day was £66 1s. 4d., and after deducting the cost of the poppies, 85 per cent. of this was returnable to the branch for relief.

During the year several pension questions had been dealt with.

It was proposed to hold a public meeting next month, and Colonel Crossfield, D.S.O., had consented to address the meeting.

The report was passed as satisfactory.

Election of Officers

Capt. H.H. Williams was unanimously elected President and re-elected Chairman, Capt. G. Scarborough Taylor being elected Vice-Chairman.

The Chairman said that he would like to move that the Hon. Secretary, Mr G.H. Maughan, and the Hon. Treasurer, Mr F.W. Butler, be re-elected. They had both performed their duties in an excellent manner. The proposition was seconded by Capt. G. Scarborough Taylor and unanimously carried.

The election of the Committee was carried out by ballot, and resulted as follows: The Rev. H.L. Sheppard, Messrs. P. Woollard, H. Piper, A.E. Mayes, E. Totman, H. Cutts, G. Coleman, A. Dray and E. Crane.

Captain H.H. Williams and the Rev. H.L. Sheppard were elected as delegates on the area Council.

The formation of a sub-branch at Great Hormead was confirmed.

Thanks

The Secretary was instructed to write to the Secretary of the Buntingford Ex-Service Men's Club thanking the Committee for the use of the Club Room for the Legion meetings.

It was announced that subscriptions for 1924 were now due.

25th January 1924 - Layston Parochial Church Council

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Layston Parochial Church Council

Annual Accounts Submitted

The Layston Parochial Church Council met at Mrs A. Dixon's house on Monday last.

The Chairman (the Rev. A. Howard) was supported by Mrs A. Dixon, Mrs Howard, Mrs F.W. Butler, Miss Boniwell, Mr J. Pateman and Mr F.W. Butler (Hon. Secretary and Treasurer).

Accounts

The balance sheet for the past year was submitted.

Receipts showed a total of £143, and expenditure £142 19s. 11d.

During the year the Church contributed £21 3s. 3d. to various Missionary Societies, and £25 16s. 9d. to Hospitals, Nursing Funds and Home Societies.

The balance sheet was adopted.

On the Burial Ground account the receipts showed a total of £65 6s. 10d., which was made up as follows: Church members, £59 17s. 10d.; Congregational Church and members, £5 4s.; Catholic Church member, 5s.

The total expenditure had been £70 8s. 0d., making a defecit of £5 1s. 6d. due to the Treasurer.

The Council considered the accounts very satisfactory.

Garden Fete

It was decided to hold a garden fete in June. Mr and Mrs Claud Fraser had kindly offered the grounds of the Red House for the occasion, and it was hoped that sufficient funds would be raised to wipe out the defecit, and to ensure that the present tidy appearance of the grave yard be kept up. The graveyard had previously been a disgrace to the Town, on account of shortage of funds.

The following were elected to serve on the Fete Committee: Mr and Mrs C. Fraser, the Rev. and Mrs A. Howard, Mrs A. Dixon, Miss Boniwell, Mrs Maughan, Miss Woods, Mrs F.W. Butler, Mr J. Pateman, Mr C. Miles.

Free-Will Offering

The Hon. Treasurer, Mrs A. Howard, reported that the sum of £35 12s. 11d. had been contributed to the Diocesan Board of Finance.

The quota for the year was £50.

The Council felt that the quota was too high, and after discussion it was decided that the amount which the Church would endeavour to contribute this year would be £35.

Thanks

Mrs Howard was thanked for the interest she had taken in the Free-Will Offering Fund, and Mr F.W. Butler was cordially thanked for his services as Hon. Secretary and Treasurer to the Council.

The next meeting to revise the Electorial Roll was fixed for February 11th, and the Annual Church Meeting on March 10th.

18th January 1924 - The Remembrance Day Fund

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The Remembrance Day Fund

The President, Mr H.C. Marshall, presided at a meeting of the committee of this fund on Wednesday last. Others present were Captain H.H. Williams, Messrs. G.H. Maughan, F.W. Butler, E.J. Totman, J. Warner, A.E. Mayes and the Secretary, Mr E.J. Crane.

The Secretary reported that since Dec. 1st, 1923, 180 grants had been made to Ex-Service Men, widows and dependants.

The amount dispersed was £20 0s. 2d., which was made up as follows: Groceries £14 18s. 6d., milk and eggs 16s. 6d., meat £2 16s. 6d., bread 18s. 8d. and coal 10s.

4th February 1927 - Layston Annual Church Meeting

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Layston Annual Church Meeting

This meeting, which has been held annually in St Peter's in accordance with the Enabling Bill (1919), and which is open to all on the Electoral Roll, and which has in the past been very poorly attended, was this year made the occasion of a social gathering at "The George" Assembly Room on Wednesday night.

Over 60 responded to the invitation sent in the name of the Vicar and Churchwardens to every elector, and undoubtedly the number would have been considerably larger but for the prevailing influenza, from which many electors and their families are suffering, including several of the Parochial Church Councillors.

From 6.30 to 7.30 the business meeting of the year was held, enabling many of the first time to understand what lies behind the regular working and provision of the Church's services, which many look upon as a matter of course.

After the opening prayer, the Vicar welcomed those present, reminding them that it was at the suggestion of Mr Claud Fraser, who was really the "host" of the evening, that the meeting was taking its present form.

Mr Maughan, Hon. Sec. and Treasurer to the P.C.C., read the minutes, and then presented his financial report for the year, which, with additional help from an appeal to electors who did not regularly attend church, and a jumble sale, showed a balance of 6/9 on the right side.

The report of the Churchyard Committee was also read, and the Free-will Offering Fund was shown to have contributed £25 17s. 9d. during the year to the Parochial quota to the Diocesan Board of Finance, new subscribers being invited to join. Subscribers were asked to come and hear Canon Shorting, who is preaching on the subject at St Peter's on the evening of February 27th.

The financial report having been passed, the next business was the election of four representatives to the Ruri-Decanal Conference: Mrs Butler, Mrs Macklin, Mrs Howard and Mr C. Fraser; the election of Mr C. Fraser to represent Layston on the Diocesan Conference, and the election of the Parochial Church Council for the ensuring year, which resulted in last year's Council being re-elected en bloc.

Rev A. Howard then informed the electors of the urgent necessity of having the organ at St Peter's thoroughly cleaned for the first time in its life of 25 years, which would involved from £45 to £50, and asked for united effort to meet this need.

Mr Fraser emphasised another expense which would have to be met in the near future, namely, that involved in the proposed addition to the Churchyard. The ground had been given by the Vicar, but fencing, fees and other outlay would arise, but this would be a matter affecting the whole town.

The business meeting having been closed with prayers, the guests were served by the ladies of the P.C.C., in whose hands Mr Fraser had left this part of the entertainment, and others, with tea and refreshments, and a pleasant social time was spent, after which a programme of music and singing was greatly enjoyed, of which the programme is appended.

Every item was appreciated, and at the close very hearty thanks were given by the Vicar to all who had helped to make this new departure a thorough success.

Piano duet, Misses Macklin; song, "The Little Hero," Mr Henry May; part song, "The Gardener"; song, "My Hope," Miss Bartlett; Community Singing, Mr E.E. Dennis; Piano, Miss M. Macklin; song, "Orpheus with his Lute," Mrs Scarborough Taylor; part song, "Music when soft voices die"; song, "The Bonny Blue Kerchief," Mrs Armstrong; Community Singing, Mr E.E. Dennis; God Save the King.