BROTHERHOOD OF ST LAURENCE 67 BRUNSWICK STREET, FITZROY 3065 UBfr6^ANtONS OF ST LAURENCE Address: 67 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. Telephone: 419 7055

Committee: The Revd P. Hollingworth (Chaplain), M. Rusden (Secretary) A. Bush, A. Heathfield, I. Helmore, W. Ford, S. Kirkegard, C. Smith.

NEWSLETTER NO. 32. FEBRUARY, 1980,

CSL NEWSLETTER - An apology is offered to Companions as this Newsletter is the first since June 1979. We are hoping to get the Newsletter established on a more regular basis, and any suggestions, contributions, or practical help would be welcomed.

REPORT FROM COMMITTEE - It was with regret that the Committee, at its last meeting, received the resignation of Jean Herkes. She is retiring from her position with the Malvern City Council, and with her husband Hal, will be moving to Cowes to live. It is hoped that she can maintain her membership of CSL, and that we may be able to offer support in relation to her involvement in a new community. We are pleased to welcome two new members to the Committee - Irene Helmore has agreed to accept the vacancy left by Jean's resignation, and Bill Ford has agreed to be the third staff member, a position which has been vacant since Jim Barr resigned early in 1979. At the last meeting in January, the Committee agreed to call a meeting for February 21st to look at the program for 1980. A discussion of many aspects of the Companions took place and the following matters were suggested for the agenda for that meeting - a discussion paper on CSL; the possibility of quarterly meetings; the formation of Sub-committees for the Newsletter, and in relation to the 50th Anniversary of the Brotherhood; and the future of the cell and/or study groups.

FOUNDATION FESTIVAL - The 49th anniversary of the founding of the Brotherhood was celebrated at Christ Church, South Yarra on December 9th, 1979. We were fortunate to have the Revd Athol Gill of Whitley College and the House of the Gentle Bunyip to give us a most interesting address. After the Service many people renewed contact with friends and acquaintances, including many from Carrum Downs, over a cup of tea provided for us by the ladies of Christ Church.

NEWS OF COMPANIONS - The Revd Geoffrey Taylor, a member of the Brotherhood Board for the past ten years, was recently inducted at St John's Parish Church, Albany, . - 2 -

Fr Michael and the Community of St Mark,have left St Mark's Fitzroy to live in Camperdown, where they have been offered accommodation in an old Rectory. The Revd Vernon Cohen has left the Avalon Community, and has taken up duties at St Bede's, Elwood. The Revd Peter Kan is the appointee to Avalon. Margaret Best, who retired from Aged Services at No. 67 last year, has been travelling with her husband Les in Britain and America. Another traveller is Dorothy Trangmar who goes to Europe in a few weeks time and we wish her a pleasant trip. Bishop Michael Challen of is spending three months overseas, studying new developments in parish ministries.

Peter Hollingworth was fortunate to be in Perth at the time of the celebration in St George's Cathedral of the tenth anniversary of Archbishop 's appointment as Archbishop. Those who know the Archbishop were sorry to hear that he has been ill again, although it was unrelated to his previous illness.

AROUND BSL - The changes at BSL commenced when Peter Hollingworth began duty as the Executive Director on Friday 1st February. We have enclosed a copy of a personal letter written to all members of staff concerning his appointment. The usual monthly Communion Service was transferred from Monday to Friday 1st, and this occasion was shared by staff, ex-staff, members of the Coolibah Club and residents from Sumner House.

Jessica Millott, the manager of the Coolibah Club at Fitzroy, was awarded the BEM in the New Year's honours. This news delighted us all, and it is said that the members of the Club celebrated for two days! Miss Bishop, one of the members of the Club, paid a fine tribute to Jess when she spoke to the group meeting in the Chapel just after New Year, of the many ways in which Jess has cared for those who came to seek her help, and how she has made them welcome over the years at BSL.

Mrs Jean Parker, who was known to many people in the welfare field - both clients and staff (and Companions), has resigned from her position as the switchboard operator and receptionist. Jean and her husband Joseph have bought the General Store at Ensay in Gippsland, and we wish them well in this venture. Jean worked for the Brotherhood for 21 years and during that time she became one of the key members of staff who had to cope with many different situations. Everybody who called in received VIP treatment from her, whether they wanted to make a donation, had an appointment with a Director or just wanted someone to talk with. Often in the foyer you would see people talking with Jean, old men, middle-aged women and young boys and girls. They'd get a cheery welcome and, quite often, some commonsense advice as well. Back in 1978 Jean said "They just come in, have a talk and go away again. They all call me Jeannie, sometimes they bring me in ice-creams or sweets. They know they can't put it over me, so they don't try."

Chris Scheffer has left the Material Aid Centre to spend more time with her family, after working there for four years. Latterly Chris has had a very difficult job where she has had to cope with growing numbers of clients in cramped conditions, but this didn't affect her compassion and concern for the low-income families who sought her assistance. We are - 3 -

not saying goodbye to Chris as we welcome her as a Companion and look forward to her contribution to our activities and discussions.

Congratulations are due to Graham Walker, manager of the Donated Goods Division, who has been appointed an Associate Director of BSL.

Congratulations are also due to Peter Hollingworth who was elected President of VCOSS at the Annual General Meeting in October 1979. He had been a Vice-President since 1975.

The Brotherhood again ran a Christmas Toy Club during December, where over 2000 children from low-income families received about 8500 toys. The toys were obtained from the Donated Goods Division, donated by schools, groups, manufacturers and wholesalers, made for the Club by volunteers, or purchased by BSL.

St Mark's Chapel - Our regular services have commenced again on Mondays at 1.00 p.m., the first Monday being a Eucharist, and the others a ^Service of intercession and worship. Companions are welcome to attend any of these services. Visitors to the Chapel will notice an improve­ ment in the lighting, including an indirect one above the Altar, and the freshening up by some new paint.

UNEMPLOYMENT SEMINARS - Catherine Smith attended a series of seminars on unemployment in the last part of 1979 and forwarded the following report to Companions. Burwood Unemployment Seminars Members of the Companions might be interested to know of a series of four seminars arranged firstly by the Burwood Uniting Church, and supported by the Inter-Church Council so that people from other churches attended also. The sessions were taken by David Griffiths of ARC, and about 40 people ^ came each night. There were of course, some drop-outs, and apart from the usual reasons, some people left either because although they felt they knew all the answers, others didn't agree with thejn. or because they were looking to be told all the answers, and David didn't run things that way. The four subjects were - Employment: Right or Privilege; . Causes of Unemployment; What is being done? What can we do? Each member of the Seminar was provided with a kit of factual material from the Uniting Church, and David provided further hand-outs. This sort of seminar can be an academic exercise unless it results in action. It is too early yet to know what the long term results will be, but the beginning is hopeful. About 30 people have begun involvement in the following four groups - Job Creation, investigation of our own life styles, investigating the situation concerning homeless youth in the area, and social action. The latter, to which I belong, is considering planning a campaign for a rise in the amount of permissible income for an unemployed person (at present they are only allowed to earn$6 per week). All participants have come to understand more clearly the difference between band-aid measures to help unemployment, and more radical steps to alter the system. The first will always need doing, but is much easier to tackle, and therefore the more necessary radical one is often neglected. I have written on this seminar because it seems to me to be one viable way of doing some consciousness-raising in a local district. It also - 4 - seems to be appropriate for Inter-Church Councils (or their Social Action sub-committees) to sponsor such a move; and the more ground-roots action the better. Catherine Smith.

SOME RANDOM PERSONAL REFLECTIONS ON CSL - During my absence from BSL for a few months last year, and as can happen in a period of inactivity, there is time to reflect and try to take a fresh look at things. One of the areas my thoughts kept returning to, was why I initially thought I would miss contact with the Companions, but later found that this was not so as there remained a strong link no matter where I was at a particular time. It was some time later, that I realised this link was not any particular aspect of the Companions' activities, i.e. meetings, services, prayer an«^ fellowship, or the day-to-day organisation involved in these things (they of course, are important and offer an opportunity of making a contribution towards the functioning of the whole). Running behind and through these activities like a continuous thread, and also from having made a pro­ fessed commitment to CSL, is the continuing presence of the opportunity to receive and accept a sense of cohesion and wholeness - or the relating of faith to life. From the effort of trying to relate the Christ of faith to man's actions in the world, in the fellowship of others and in the presence of the Spirit, comes a renewal of support, strength and 'sight' to be absorbed and taken away into, what can perhaps be termed the 'communities' that make up my days - home, BSL, neighbourhood, local parish etc. I feel there can never be an inactive or non-participating Companion. It is not necessary to attend all meetings or take part in organised activities to accept and be part of what membership CSL can offer to each individual and what it can offer in a collective sense to BSL. Perhaps this can be expressed in another way - it is the sum of the linking together of a group of people, w a) with a common belief i.e. Christianity; b) who are committed to a style of life - of action arising out of faith; c) who share a vision of social justice and social change leading towards the "Kingdom on earth"; d) who accept in faith a disciplined and obedient response to God in the world - through the church as the body of Christ, through worship and fellowship, through reflection and through action. The depth and breadth of experience and involvement of Companions in various community activities will never cease to astound me. It provides a large pool of support and resources, both practical and spiritual, to back up BSL's endeavours and activities in the community. I find it helpful, if somewhat simplistic to think of the relationships as a wheel, where the hub is CSL, the spokes the individual members of CSL, and the rim the community or world. Are we still in the process of finding out how to tap this resource and facilitate the flow between the hub and rim and vice versa? Some queries come to mind, to which I have no ready answers, nor would I presume to find them on my own. Are Companions conversant enough with BSL's current projects, policies - 5 -

and activities? Is it possible that we may become just another arm or section of BSL instead of providing support across the whole organisation? (Eg. If we do definitive work on an issue, rather than provide support or act as catalysts for Companions or BSL for their work in a particular area.) Would it be appropriate to undertake some relevant study program? As there is a wide base of involvement of Companions in various communities, should we be more concerned about and share some of the particular issues they encounter? Do we need to take care to avoid moving too far away from 'being' towards 'doing' i.e. should we be 'doing' within our own communities? Merron Rusden.

INTERCESSIONS - Let us all pray for - The Brotherhood of St Laurence as it.enters a new stage in its growth, and especially for Peter Hollingworth and David Scott as they take up their new responsibilities.

Let us also pray for others who are taking up new responsibilities - Fr Michael and the Community of St Mark; Fr Geoffrey Taylor; Fr Vernon Cohen. Let us also pray for - Archbishop Sambell; Sue, Beth and Stephen as they embark on the next 12 months in the North Melbourne house; Companions of St Laurence in their daily activities, and for their meeting on February 21st; participants in the Monday services in St Mark's Chapel at BSL, including staff, members of the Coolibah Club, members of ARC, residents of Sumner House, volunteers and friends.

Eternal God and Father, by whose power we are created and by whose love we are redeemed: guide and strengthen us by your Spirit, that we may give ourselves to your service, and live each day in love to one another and to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (An Australian Prayer Book, p. 54.)

The following prayer taken from Michel Quoist's writings, may be of interest to all Companions -

Lord, you are making my life very complicated! Your commandment, 'You shall love the Lord your God' would have been much easier to obey, if only you hadn't coupled it with another one, similar to it: 'You must love your neighbours.' To love them all, All of the time - That's not easy, Lord. . . . It's hard, Lord, to love a neighbour that I can see; But it's even harder to love one that I cannot see to work for brothers I do not know, and who do not know me; to fight alongside them, for them, against structures, and for structures which themselves are not my brothers but which make or unmake my brothers. . . . I am going to join the army of those who are fighting And who, however painfully, in their organisations and their movements, their meetings and their encounters and their battles, • Are trying to build a world, Lord, in which man, free, will be able finally to love. I am available, Lord, to you, for them. I am available, brothers, even though I don't know who you are.

OBITUARY - Mrs Mary Mitchell, who died in December 1979, will be missed by her many BSL friends. She worked as a volunteer for 17 years, working in the Salvage Division and also in the City Shop.