Report from Convocation 2012

       After all the years of Convocation being at Swanwick, we finally had success.  We were able to stop off on the way for a picnic lunch!  After a quiet sandwich and bottle of wine, we arrived at the 148th Annual Convocation of the Free Church of England, in time to say a few hellos, sign in and find a seat.
       We made a start on business at 2pm by welcoming new people and Bishop Royal Grote, visiting from the REC.  The registrar made the head counting less tedious, when he said ‘here’ himself after calling names.  This year there were 38 lay members and 17 ministers in attendance.
       It was then time to elect a General Secretary for the coming year.  Dad nominated Paul and as no one thought anyone else was good enough, he was elected unanimously.
There followed the usual things we have to do – letters, memorials (which included standing for a minute’s silence), more letters, and a response from the Presiding Bishop of the REC.  It’s nice that our relationship with the REC has developed in recent years.  After the standard work, we whizzed through the reports so fast I thought we’d finish business by the end of the first day.

       Afternoon break came, along with time to move into our rooms.  I had a twin so Eric could have had his own bed if he wanted.  He didn’t though.  After grabbing a cup of tea and a slice of cake, we went and sat in the sunshine for a bit (we as in people, not Eric; he stayed in his room).
       When we got back into the hall, it was Dad’s turn for centre stage.  He started by saying this would be the worst report he has had to present in all his years as treasurer.  The investment income was still dropping and the quota had been £600 for four years.  It would have to go up.  There was a deficit of £5000, which could be recovered by increasing the quota to just over £900.  Dad didn’t want to do that.  He suggested setting the quota at £750, then appealed for donations to the General Fund to cover the difference.  He had confidence that £2000 would be raised and set the ball rolling with a £250 donation.  The accounts were accepted and all were in favour of increasing the quota to £750.
       That finished business for the day and there was time for a break before going into dinner.  By break, I mean popping into Mom and Dad’s room with an empty glass…  After a tasty lasagne and chips, it was time for Evening Prayer and the Convocation Charge, given by the Bishop Primus.  Bishop John spoke on 2 Timothy 4:1-5, which once again seemed a very apt passage:  “They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.  But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.”
       It was finally time for the bar, where the best part is not the beer but catching up with people and having long discussions you wouldn’t otherwise have (like, for example, talking to a bunch of Cannons from the Church of England).  This time, Dad and I spent a while talking to Bishop Roy about his work for the REC.  It was fascinating hearing about all the churches he has helped plant, and the growth of his Diocese.
       The next day, business started with the election of officers.  Most of them were the same as last year, except with John Leal leaving and Norma and Marlene stepping down, there were two vacancies.  I was pleased to be elected as Webmaster, although we weren’t sure if that should be Web Mistress, and the nutcase who agreed to take on the Convocation Organiser role was, me. 
       We moved onto the motions, starting with second year approval to some cannons, and we then considered the last lot of Cannons to be reviewed.  Hooray!  Those changes were approved.
       After a tea break, we elected the Bishop Primus, who is once again Bishop John McClean. 
       Back to the motions and the most difficult of them all – a statement setting out a scripturally based definition of marriage and confirming the FCE does not consent to any of its premises being used, or clergy taking part in, the registration or blessing of same-sex unions.  After a lengthy discussion the motion was passed with 20 votes for, but there were 29 abstentions.  The final motion was to write to the Government in protest against its current review to redefine marriage.  This one was passed with 54 votes for.
       The hard work done, we thought about next year being the 150th anniversary.  A celebratory event would need planning!  We agreed the venue could be Birmingham Botanical Gardens.  The Primus and Secretary were to appoint a small committee to organise this event.
       We had got to the dates of the next meetings on day two!  Next year’s Convocation would be at The Hayes, on 20-22 May.  After a short break, we gathered for another important Convocation moment – the annual photo call. 

Paul got bombarded with cameras and I got a lovely purple photo of the inside of Paul’s shirt pocket.  Luckily, that was after he had taken a nice photo of the group, with Eric and Erica sat proudly on the Denomination flag.
       That left us with an afternoon off to enjoy the sunshine.  I spent part of it learning what was involved in organising Convocation, and then I ended up playing croquet on one of the lawns.  I’d never played it before and I didn’t do too badly, but I did come to the conclusion it was a bit of a fiendish game.
       After dinner we had an impromptu entertainment show.  Some of us told those present what we were grateful for and picked a hymn.  I was grateful for getting my voice back in time for Convocation so that I would be able to properly socialise with people, which is, I think, just as important as the work part.  Naturally, there followed another evening chatting in the bar and we were lucky to be allowed to gate-crash a birthday party!  It was sadly lacking in Scotch though.
       Day three was a nice easy day.  We went through the minutes, then costs of Convocation which were down on last year.  Dad was also happy to announce that donations to the General Fund had been rolling in and so far amounted to £1,360.
       There followed the usual thanks and presentations, including thanks to Bishop Grote for his visit and giving the Convocation Sermon at Holy Communion, and gifts for Norma and Marlene as it was their last year as organisers.  To my surprise they also had a gift for me, which included painkillers for the headaches, a bottle of wine to drown my sorrows, and an eye mask for much needed rest.  Convocation business was concluded at 12:05pm.
       It was another lovely sunny afternoon, so I sat in the garden with Lesley, going through the editing of the draft yearbook.  That took a while.  Then it was time to leave what had been another successful and enjoyable Convocation.  I was a little sad to go…

Report from Convocation 2011

Once again we knew lunch would be a struggle.  So we came up with a cunning plan and I found a potential picnic location that was on the way to Convocation.  As often happens with best laid plans, we actually ended up having a very rushed lunch in a layby on the A38.  I sprinted to the four door ‘restaurant’ in the pouring rain and ate lunch whilst watching cars whiz past.

            After a rushed glass of wine and a cheese and onion cob, we got to Swanwick with minutes to spare, time enough to sign in, say hello to old friends and take our seats. 

Convocation got underway at 2pm and the new members were welcomed.  After the usual hymn, reading and prayer came the roll call and this year there were 33 lay members, 16 ministers and 5 visitors in attendance.  We then elected the General Secretary, who is once again Paul, with thanks from Primus.  In a fair imitation of cars on the A38, we whizzed through the rules of order, letters of apology, memorials (which sadly this year included Barry Jones of Emmanuel) and letters of greeting.  We just had time to receive all the reports before breaking for afternoon tea.

It was finally time for the annual game of “Where’s my room?”, made interesting this year as it was still pouring down with rain.  Fortunately, being familiar with the layout of The Hayes, we could head straight for the closest door, find our rooms and then move the cars to the closest door.  Fortunately, someone had some brains and remembered to get the door code before we left and locked ourselves out in the rain.  This tactic meant we didn’t get too wet, which made Eric the Lion very happy.  Simon the Bear was also made happy when we bumped into friends for him to smile and wave at.

We resumed business at 4:45pm and raced through the reports.  There was some discussion regarding the period the Bishop’s appointments should be given for, and then the news that Charity Commission registrations should now be done online.  Joy.  This meant adding each of the trustees’ details by hand.  There were a few groans at this, but also some people looking a little smug.  Then there was a round of applause in thanks for the people travelling to Exeter.  Once again, Dad was able to give his report on day one and gave the good news that the quota is staying the same as last year.

Leaving the election of officers for the next day, it was time for tea, which for me was a rather nice steak and ale pie.  We were impressed with the food this year.  After tea came Evening Prayer and the Convocation Charge, given by Bishop Primus John McLean.  His sermon was riveting and contained hard hitting home truths – the Denomination was at risk of dying out if we didn’t grow.  We were charged not to let this happen.

After the service there was only one thing left to do; go to the bar.  Once again we had a good evening of fellowship and catching up with people we see once a year.  Dad beat me 2-1 at pool.

After an interesting breakfast discussion which included Abbots Ale and Bishop’s Finger, we got back to business with the election of officers.  John McLean was voted back as Primus with a very gratifying 46 votes for and only 3 against.  Next was the General Treasurer and I declared in a loud voice “I’ll propose my Dad”.  He was elected unanimously.  The remaining elections ran smoothly, with the same people as last year being re-elected.  Norma and Marlene did say this would be their last year as Convocation Organisers.

The election of committees followed, and once again these were mostly the same as last year, with only a couple of changes.  We moved onto the motions.  The second year approval for some articles and cannons was passed with no problem, as was tidying up amendments for the admission of deacons.  After the break, the motion to remove the byelaw about the retirement age for ministers resulted in a lot more discussion, as this was a hastily written law for a sensitive subject.  It was however eventually removed.  Ministers may now carry on into their doddery.

After a lunch of jacket potato and chilli (I got a plate of cold meat with little fuss), we got back to serious business and watched a short video of Paul and Mark pretending to be super heroes at the St Andrew’s children’s club.  Bishop Primus wondered how we were meant to follow that, as he now felt very old.  To which, Bishop John pointed out it was too late, as the Byelaw had been removed.

Moving back to the Charity Commission, Convocation agreed to apply for charity status. This meant the whole of Convocation filling out another form, and that someone would have to enter these details online.  Joy, again.  She’s going to be busy.

The date of the next Convocation would be 21-23 May 2012, held again at The Hayes Conference Centre.  Another session came to a close.

As Convocation isn’t all about business, that evening we had a night off, and did something a little different.  We held a talent showcase.  We’re a surprisingly talented bunch of people, but the effort that stands out was Rev Robert Wilson standing on a chair, holding a coat hanger and reciting a poem about being a statue in London.  It was an enjoyable evening, ending in the inevitable singing competition and traipse off to the bar.  Alas, this visit was Scotch free (and not even Scott free).

The final day of business dawned.  We started off by hearing a report from Bishop Gerhard Meyer, and it was good to hear the success stories of the REC in Germany.  He also mentioned someone from Croatia wanted to join the REC, as well as someone from a Lutheran church.  This was followed by Norma and Marlene giving out their inimitable gifts of appreciation.

We were then given the cost of Convocation, which this year was a little over £12,000 and included a donation of £201 (one of the collections) to the ‘Church restoration group’.  After a lengthy and comprehensive vote of thanks, the minutes were approved and Convocation closed.  We weren’t quite done though, as we had to have the annual group photo, during which Paul tried to take a panoramic shot of the whole group.  I ran from one side of the group to the other, to try and be in the photo twice.  It’s a shame the photo didn’t work, but at least it wasn’t raining.

After another tasty lunch, the time for goodbyes had come around again, and surprisingly fast.  It was another good year for business, fairly sensible debate and enjoyable fellowship.

Report from Convocation 2010

Although we had the same shorter format for Convocation this year, for some reason it seemed to last a lot longer than previous years.  We crammed a lot into three days.

After last year, we didn’t hold out much hope of finding somewhere to stop for lunch.  So we took a picnic and thought we’d find a nice spot in the country to stop.  Alas, this also was a difficult task.  We ended up in a layby by the roadside.  Still at least the weather was really nice and hot, we enjoyed our wine and Eric enjoyed his spot of sunbathing.

We arrived at The Hayes and proceeded to the stifling large conference room.  Bishop John McLean welcomed people attending for the first time, including our two new ministers from The States, and also Bishop Meyer who had yet to arrive.  We then re-elected Bishop Paul as General Secretary, got through the various letters and even received the reports before the first break.

After moving into our rooms and enjoying a nice cup of tea and piece of flapjack in the sun, business restarted.  We got through all the reports so quickly that we even had the report from the General Treasurer - the first time Dad had spoken on day one!  The good news was that the recession hadn’t affected our finances as much as feared and so the quota was kept at £600.

We then moved onto the election of officers, the first due to be the new Bishop Primus as Bishop Ken was retiring.  Although this election was postponed due to Ken’s absence, Bishop McLean proposed that Bishop Ken be given the title of Bishop Primus Emeritus, in recognition and thanks for his hard work over many years.  This was agreed unanimously.  Most of the remaining officers were elected back to office, with the exception of Rev John Leal being elected as the new Webmaster.  The session closed and I went to chat to our new Webmaster about redesigning our current website, resulting in Rev John deciding I was his new assistant.  Still, I was able to chat to both new American ministers and it was good to get to know the new faces.

After tea we went to Evening Prayer where the Convocation Charge was given by Bishop Ken.  This centred on the Epistle of James and building the church.  As usual, this was followed by a trip to the bar where I spent part of the evening talking about websites with Rev John Leal, and part of it discussing the hierarchy of the Church of England with Bishop John the Younger.  A most convivial evening!

The next day, business started with the election of the new Bishop Primus.  The ballot was between the two Bishop Johns and Bishop John McLean was duly elected.  He indicated he would only serve for a year.  We then elected all of the committee members, mostly the same as last year with one or two new additions.  We moved onto the motions, and after giving the second year approval to some amendments to the Articles and Cannons we moved onto deciding whether we should seek to join Churches Together in England.  A lot of people spoke, some passionately, on this point and all were in favour.  Joining this group would help our Sunday School children get into faith schools and also some teachers getting promotion.  The motion was carried unanimously.

After a tea break, we started wading through amendments to the Articles and Cannons.  This took a lot of discussion and a lunch break, but we finally passed the whole motion.  Another motion later, we broke for the evening meal.  This was a special occasion and after a quick trip to the bar for dinner wine and beer, we were surprised to discover wine had been provided on the table!  The meal was in celebration of Bishop Ken’s long service and retirement as Primus and it almost developed into a party.

As far as Bishop Ken was aware, we were then due to go back to the conference room for the evening’s business session.  Much to everyone’s delight, we were actually treated to a fantastic rendition of the musical ‘Rock’, which gives the story of Simon Peter, the fisherman who followed Jesus to become a fisher of men and was a rock for the early church.  I think everyone in the audience found this to be an emotional performance and was an event not to be missed.

Once again, following this event I found myself in the bar where I was able to catch up with old friends seen annually.  After showing Bishop Gerhard Meyer how to use Facebook, being one of the last in the bar I was about to leave to go to bed.  Unfortunately, my route took me past someone pouring out a few glasses of something from a familiar looking bottle.  Maybe I should have known better, but I couldn’t stop myself.

Still in a jubilant mood following the presentation of the Rock, I paused as I passed the table and asked if that was Laphroaig he was pouring.  It was indeed, and I was cordially invited to join in.  I somehow found myself drinking Scotch with half a dozen Cannons from the Church of England.  I did my best to improve the relationship between the two denominations and I don’t think I did too bad a job.  After finishing the Laphroaig and sampling two more malts, I finally got to my bed at ten to four in the morning.  Maybe that’s why Convocation seemed to last longer.

Alas, I missed the morning service.  After breakfast, which included strong painkillers, we got back to business and the last of the motions.  We eventually passed an alternative funeral service order.  That left us with the last few bits and bobs and business was finished!

Following the annual photo call, it was time for Holy Communion and the Convocation Sermon, given by Rev John Graver.  A combination of the previous sermons and the presentation of the Rock meant John was concerned that his sermon had pretty much already been given.  He need not have worried.  It continued the theme that had been running through Convocation and his main subject was the story of Simon Peter.  This was one of the most memorable sermons I have heard, not least because it started with two jokes.  Also, John said that had Jesus asked him to “Follow me” he wouldn’t have hesitated as he hates fishing.  It was inspirational and also heart warming to hear about the work being done in Exmouth.  Bishop McLean later took the opportunity to let Bishop Ken know he was now Bishop Primus Emeritus.

Following lunch, it was time for leave taking and the journey home.  This year, Convocation was something special with building our church the concurrent theme, apparently by coincidence.  Certainly not by human design.  I left feeling revitalised and inspired to carry on the good work.

Report from Convocation 2009

 

The big improvement for Convocation this year was that it started at 2:00pm.  Registration started at 1:30pm so this meant we didn’t need to leave until gone 12, but we left a bit earlier so we could find somewhere for lunch.  After food serving pub finding failure in previous years, this year we took sandwiches.  We bought the beer though.

So, the business got underway at just after 2pm.  The roll call followed registration and Convocation this was attended by 15 clergy, 38 lay members and 7 visitors.  After Paul was appointed Convocation and General Secretary, the Rules of Procedure were read, and listened to intently.  We then had letters to various people, memorials and acceptance of reports.  It’s the same routine every year, and it’s still very interesting stuff.

Next was the election of officers and Bishop Powell was once again elected Bishop Primus, but he did state that this would be his last year.  Following the election of the remaining officers, pretty much the same as the year before, we finished the session at around 3pm and all went off to settle into our rooms.  We were in a different part this year and I had a twin room.  Eric could have had a bed all to himself, but he didn’t want to.

After a refreshing cup of tea, we got back to business.  Oddly enough, the visitors decided not to join us this time.  Not sure why.  The last of the afternoon was spent trawling our way through the reports.  The sign-off sheet to establish each church’s congregation as a charity was probably at the bottom of someone’s in tray.  The good news was that two ministers from the US would be joining us as Presbyters-in-Charge, and there was a possibility of several churches leaving the Church of England in the next few years.  We wanted to head them our way.

Following a tea of pork steaks, we had Evening Prayer and the Convocation Charge from Bishop Powell. I then had a short session in the bar and the words green, pink and yellow will go down in history.  I was knackered so I went off to bed.  And got woken up at 3 in the morning by the fire alarm but we got back to bed about 20 minutes later.  To be woken up by the fire alarm again.  This time, everyone else on site decided they were missing out and wanted to join in.  It seemed like ages before we got back to bed this time, but at least we got to see some firemen!

The next day was met with a slide show of some pictures taken the night before.  Apart from all of us looking a bit sleepy, there was some interesting nightwear on show.  Bishop Powell mentioned he thought the fire alarms were similar to the air raid sirens during the war. 

Our visitors were then invited to speak and Revd Gerald Kirsch again sent greetings from the Countess of Huntington’s Connection and mentioned that Paul had visited their church wearing full robes which was quite unusual for them.  Bishop Meyer also sent greetings from Germany and said the fire alarm went off not for German reasons!

Following a brief discussion on what the Constitution and Cannons committee should be doing, the remaining reports were accepted.  We then broke up for a cup of tea and went back for Dad’s bit.  Just when you thought things couldn’t get worse…  After we voted to send the collection money to the Malabar Independent Syrian Church instead of Lalitpur and changing the REC Missionary Fund’s name to the Missionary Fund, we voted to keep the quota at £600.  All good stuff!  We then moved onto electing the Committees, which were also pretty much the same as last year.  It leads to a sense of déjà vu…

Then followed the motions.  I though this would take a while as we had a lot of changes to review and vote on.  Surprisingly, after a break for a baked potato lunch, these were concluded remarkably quickly with hardly any discussion.  They were all passed and thus concluded the day. 

After some funny chicken for tea I returned to the bar and had an interesting discussion with Gerald Kirsch.  The subject moved from the Bible to knees to pain sensitivity.  Go figure.  Instead of going to bed, cause it was quite late, I went and played pool with Jessica, Gerhard’s daughter.  She also was a quick study but I still beat her.  Twice.

All that was left to do the next morning was the minutes, Convocation costs and date of next meeting.  Costs were slightly up from last year, the next Convocation will be 24-26 May 2010 and the minutes were approved.  Oh, and there was a vote of thanks too.  After close of business, we had Holy Communion, the annual photo call, lunch, and then most of us went home, leaving Central Trust members behind.  Ah well!  Once again, a most convivial Convocation!

Report from Convocation 2008

 

Convocation was a bit different this year, only going on for three days (for most of us) rather than four.  It was an early start too and we got underway before we were actually allowed into our rooms.  Being fairly local we were okay, but I don’t think the people from the far south and north were too pleased.  I think that will be changed next year.

So, having nowhere else to go, everyone piled into the small conference room, including the visitors, and everyone signed in, including the visitors.  The roll call was next and the attendance was 16 clergy, 31 lay member and 7 visitors.  We moved swiftly through the opening items and we were then introduced to our visitor from Germany, Bischof Gerhard Meyer, who said a few words of greeting and described how much work was going on in Germany.   We then took a break for lunch which was, as ever, quite tasty.   Back into business and we flew through the reports.  We had a bit of discussion about our website, who can edit it and how to make it look more professional.  The matter needed tending to as soon as possible.  It was then time for another break.

It was while we were all milling around drinking tea and eating biscuits that the word got around the afternoon session was cancelled.  A whole afternoon off!  Well, nearly.  I  think most of us spent the time settling into our rooms and having a wander around the grounds before dinner.  Evening Payer took place after dinner, along with the Convocation Charge, given by Bishop Powell,.

I was just leaving my room after the service to make my way to the bar for the evening when I bumped into our German visitor.  Somehow, I have no idea how, we got talking about English beer.  He was willing to experiment.  So when Gerhard joined us in the bar, Dad bought him a pint of bitter, which he liked very much, and we got talking about his English camp in Austria.

Business the next day got underway with a short talk from Revd Gerald Kirsch of the Countess of Huntingdon’s Connexion.  He said he thought it was sad we had been separated over the last 100 years but was looking forward to a closer relationship in the future.  We then blasted our way through the remaining reports and even the Treasurer was prepared in time.  For the first time ever the accounts had been audited and returned before Convocation, so handouts were available well in advance.  Good news!  The quota has been reduced to £600.

After the lunch break and annual photo call we turned to the election of officers.  Bishop Powell was once again elected Bishop Primus and there was not much change in the other offices.  After another break for tea and biscuits we moved onto the motions.  After a short discussion, we voted to amend Cannon 70.  That was the end of the motions.  Next year’s Convocation would be held 1-3 June 2009 and there was a short discussion about reducing Convocation further, as this meeting had gone smoothly and there was lots of free time.  It was decided to keep it the same for now as in other years there could well be more motions and the Cannon’s were due to be reviewed which would take a lot of discussion time.  There also needed to be time to socialise.

Our destination after dinner was the bar.  To socialise, of course.  After missing out on pool playing the previous evening, I took it upon myself to teach Gerhard how to play.  He said he had never played before but he was a quick student.  It was close, but I still beat him.

The next morning saw the presentation of the costs.  Due to the shorter Convocation, there was a saving of around £2000.  Great stuff.  There were some finishing touches, the minutes were signed and that was the end of Convocation business.  Gosh!  Just over two days to do what normally takes four.  Well, there was still the Home Mission Fund and Central Trust meetings, but I had left by then.  It was one of the easiest Convocations I have ever been to. 

The business was followed by the Holy Communion Service and the Convocation sermon was given by Revd Robert Wilson.  There was another collection taken, bringing the total to £232.34 and $5.  “Go figure!”  Then we had lunch and most of us went home.  The afternoon saw the Home Mission Fund meeting take place and the start of the Central Trust meeting which finished the next day but as I said, I had already left and was home by the time the next meeting started.

Report from Convocation 2007

Convocation started this year with a very important question.  Did we have time to find a pub for lunch before the first meeting started?  The answer was just barely.

            We eventually arrived at Swanwick Conference Centre with enough time to sign in and sit down.  This year, there were 15 clergy and 36 lay delegates in attendance.  We then got through the first session (covering registration, roll call, rules and formal letters) with no problems, had a cup of tea and a nice shortbread biscuit, then got back to business and got a long way through the reports for the year book, to which a few amendments had to be made.  Luckily for us, we then broke early for dinner to give us time to settle in to our rooms before our next supply of food.  So far, so good.
            Dinner was roast beef and Yorkshire Pudding.  According to John, one of the best meals we’ve ever had here.  I didn’t like the vegetables…  There was a service of Evening Prayer after dinner, which included the Convocation Charge by Bishop Ken, where we were charged to climb ladders, and check we were all headed in the right direction.  This was followed by a trip to the bar where we all had a chance to socialise and catch up with people we hadn’t seen since last year.  It was also a chance for me to beat Dad 2-1 at pool.
            The next day, morning prayers were held at 7:45am.  I did not go.  Breakfast was followed by more business; during this session we elected Bishop Ken as Primus again, Bishop Paul was almost made Treasurer but Dad was instead (before he told us what the quotas would be this year…) and all the other officers were also elected.  Various other committees were also built.  Dad started going through the accounts just before lunch, where he emphasised the need to cut costs where possible.  It wasn’t until after lunch, when we all had some sustenance in us and we were all sitting down, when Dad told us the quota had to be increased from £500 to £900.  Surprisingly, the new quota was passed with only four people voting against.
            Following Dad’s speech, the remaining year book reports were agreed and we were informed that there would be training sessions to look at in more detail what people actually wanted from their services and to explain which bits were necessary.  This would lead in time to the production of a range of traditional and contemporary liturgical services.
            This session was followed by a teaching session entitled Iraq: Land of the Bible, Land of the Church.  Unfortunately, I didn’t make this as I was too busy talking.  Instead, I took the time to bring my report from Convocation up to date.
            After the break came another lovely dinner, the best bit being the pudding.  I had Mom’s too.  This was followed by the Holy Communion service, the honour of preaching the Convocation Sermon this year falling to Rev Dr Gordon Wearing and was based on 1 Corinthians.
            There was time after the service to once more retire to the bar, to socialise.  This time Dad had the pleasure of beating me 2-0 at pool.  Apart from that, it was quite a fun evening.  Then, to bed.
            Not much happened on the Wednesday.  We got through the rest of the reports, elections and even finished the motions.  The only thing left was to approve the final minutes, which would be done Thursday morning.  Job done!  There  was another good meal, then the evening service was lead by Rev George McGeagh.  Sadly, I didn’t make the service, I was too busy talking in the bar…
            On Thursday, we just had the costs of Convocation presented followed by a short devotional service, then just the minutes to check before having our photo taken.  If only I had a toga…
            We then went for lunch before saying our goodbyes.  Again, another Convocation that could be the best yet.  There may be fewer of us, but it’s quality that counts.