Not all bad!

Readers shouldn't think that I am against Mothers' Union in general: like the curate's eggs, parts of it are indeed excellent. and a good example was a recent knitting marathon run by the Archdeaconry of the East Riding. The Archdeaconry committee is a lively and forward looking group and wanted to stage a publicity event to draw attention the work of Mothers' Union. A 24 hour knitting marathon was suggested. Although the original suggestion had been a little tongue in cheek, the idea stimulated the idea of knitting woolly hats for the Sailors' Society and so came to fruition a couple of weeks ago.

It was a good example of an innovative idea properly thought through, well resourced and effectively implemented to fulfill a somewhat introverted aim - publicising the work of Mothers' Union - but combined with practical charity outside the organisation itself. Sadly this is entirely contrary to the attitude of the diocesan trustees board which signally fails to look outside its own internal concerns and so fails to achieve anything useful: see previous posts.

The Knitathon has led to more discussion at Archdeaconry level on how to support the Woolly Hat campaign in the future but also about generating another charitable project for the coming year.

You can see some of the photos from the Knitathon here

The persistence of untruth

They're still at it. At their recent biannual meeting the hierarchy of Mothers' Union in the Diocese of York repeated publicly the untrue assertion that I had resigned from editorship of the newsletter. In truth, I did not - "they" decided to "ask some else to edit it." Not surprising, really: by repeating this untrue statement they continue to shift blame from themselves and attempt place it at my door. Persistent untruths, persistent injustice.
And it won't go away any time soon. The previous hierarchy has been reelected (though I also hear rumours that no vote was held, so how it can reasonably be said to be an election escapes me), so it's now likely to be another three years of stagnation at best, and continued decline at worst. I also note the record decline in numbers recently reported: there's a close causal connection, folks...

Swimming against the tide

I was delighted to se the headline on the front page of yesterday's Times Review section: 'Swimming against the tide.' And more delighted to read approval for the habit, albeit in the article it was in the context of heresy in science. we only progress when someone challenges the easy assumptions of our habitual ways of looking at things.

Gnats and camels

I hear that "they" are now muttering that I used - shock horror! - a swear word on this blog! Well, I'm not going to get into whether using the word "arse" in full (as opposed to "a*se*, say) is swearing or a justifiably colourful expression which was in any event a direct quotation from a newspaper. 

But I will suggest that these critics are straining at the gnat of a possibly indelicate phrase whilst swallowing uncritically the camel of injustice, maladministration and untruths which surround the "sacking" which prompted this thread. Blind guides, indeed , to quote Mathew 23.24.