2 November 1925
Minutes of the Relief Society Class held at 80, Clapham Rd Lowestoft at 7.30 p.m. Prest Violet M. Coleby presiding and conducting.
Opening hymn, “Catch the Sunshine.” Prayer Sister Phyllis Coleby. Continued singing, “Come Let us Anew.”
Roll was called, minutes read & approved. Class took up work. During which sister Mae Coleby gave the lesson, “The Conclusion of the Abrahamic Dispensation.” Questions were asked & answered.
Closing hymn, “Beautiful Zion.” Att: 8. Prayer, Sister Ruby Boar.
9 November 1925
No Relief society was held that night as a farewell social was held in honour of Pres. Ralph C. Jones who is returning home.
16 November 1925
Minutes of the Relief Society Class held at 80, Clapham Road Lowestoft at 7.30 p.m. Pres. Violet M. Coleby presiding and conducting.
Opening hymn, “O What Songs of the Heart.” Prayer, Sister Annie M. Ayden. Continued singing, “Love at Home.”
Roll was called, minutes read & approved. Class took up work, during which Sister Alice Samson read a story entitle[d], “Full Measure.” Attendance 7.
Closing hymn, “Marching Homeward. Prayer Sister Phyllis Coleby.
23 November 1925
Minutes of the Relief Society Class held at 80, Clapham Road Lowestoft at 7.30 p.m. Pres. Violet M. Coleby presiding & conducting.
Opening hymn, “Sunshine in the Soul.” Prayer Sister Alice Daniels. Continued singing, “Today while the Sun Shines.” Roll was called, minutes read and approved.
Class took up work, during which Sister Alice So[?] Ruby Boat read two short stories. Attendance 9.
Closing hymn, “Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel.” Prayer Sister Alice Samson
30 November 1925
Minutes of the Relief Society Class held at 80, Clapham Rd. Lowestoft at 7.30 p.m. Pres. Violet M. Coleby presiding Sister Annie M. Ayden conducting.
Opening hymn, “Have I done any Good.” Prayer Sister Annie M. Ayden. Continued singing, “Love at Home.” Roll was called, minutes read & approved.
Class took up work during which Sister Ayden gave the lesson on Social Service “Family Responsibility.” Questions were asked and answered. Attendance 8.
Closing hymn, “Nay Speak no Ill.” Prayer, Sister Mae Coleby.
I am reading the “work” the class took up as their sewing/knitting projects and such. Am I understanding correctly?
Yes, LL. Eventually the General Relief Society requested that lessons and discussions have the women’s full attention (except during Work Meetings once a month), but until then it was common for hand sewing and other needlework to go on while a teacher was giving a lesson. (The reading aloud of fiction while the women worked reminds me of the way I sometimes have the TV on while I work.)
Wow. Fascinating music selections. Isn’t every single one of those a gospel song, in the Philip Bliss use of the term?
East Anglia “Stake” and Ipswich “Ward”? Did the minutes call them that? There weren’t any stakes outside the U.S. in 1925.
There is a Norwich Stake, created in 1971 as the East Anglia Stake, and a Lowestoft Ward, from 1979–assuming that the dates in the church directory are accurate–but I have no way to find out easily whether the Norwich Stake was created from a mission district or by division of another stake.
There’s also an Ipswich Stake, created in 1983.
Finally, I wonder if the sun was actually shining on 23 November 1925 on the North Sea coast of East Anglia.
Mark, the Church History Catalog groups local materials like this under the current names of units (with pre-ward/stake congregations filed under the basic unit name — that is, under “1st Ward” and “X Stake” rather than “X Stake West”); that groups all records of a congregation in one place and avoids having multiple cross-references to previous/later names that would have to be updated every time a ward was split or a new stake created, and it spares everyone from having to somehow know and remember when a unit was created or divided. (You note that you have “no way to find out easily” the creation history of the Norwich Stake.)
But you’re right, these would have been branch and district (or was it branch and conference? I posted on that vocabulary change recently, but can’t remember the date off the top of my head, illustrating the very difficulty I describe above) rather than ward and stake. This congregation, whatever it was called in 1925, is the direct-line ancestor of the current ward and stake.
Whether the sunshiny hymn was descriptive or aspirational, deponent saith not.
I’d answer with a good Japanese word that confirms that I understand–but then you wouldn’t understand that.
Thanks.
And I should have written more carefully–there was at least one stake in Canada in 1925. I should have said that there were no stakes in Europe at that time.
Speaking of the difficulty of finding things, I tried to find 80 Clapham Road on Google Maps. Only to discover that at present there is a Clapham Road North, a Clapham Road Central and a Clapham Road South. No wonder the Germans chickened out of invading England in 1940–some plans were to have them land in East Anglia. They would have ended up hopelessly lost!
I could totally see some people in my ward bringing something to do with their hands to church, even today. Knitting has recently become popular here, but I also see I-Phones and tablets.
I knit in both Sunday School and Relief Society, because if I’m not knitting, the lesson does NOT have my full attention. *l* iPhones and tablets are mentally engaging, and therefore distracting. Simple knitting takes no mental effort, and therefore helps me focus.
I’m going with the sunshiney hymns were descriptive.
Lowestoft (pronounced “Lows- taaaft” by the locals, no-one else) is about 40 miles from Ipswich. It is still a busy container port though likely not as busy as back then. Ipswich is the county town.
It has some beautiful medieval buildings.
The only British members of the First Q of 70 in recent years have connections to both. Elder Kenneth Johnson (Emeritus) was stake pres of the Norwich Stake, and Elder David Baxter (current), the Ipswich stake.
Wish I could knit, or crochet. Unfortunately both skills seem beyond me, but i it’s a fair bet the ladies were grateful for the chance to sit down a bit and relax. And sing jolly songs!