CSCU Annual Conference. 17.4.1950. Mary Summer Hall, Tufton Street,
Westminster.
Amongst the "goodly gathering of members and friends" were
three whose Secretarial duties covered seventy years of the century.
George Lane, who had been appointed secretary of the
Junior Civil Service
Christian
Union
in
1917
in place of
H.B. Parris (resigned... conscientious
objector to war),
Robbie Code who took over from George Lane at the end of
the second world war, and
Edwin Roberts, who was appointed General
Secretary and Editor of Service at this meeting. Edwin Roberts
remained Secretary until 1987. All three were members of Christian Brethren
assemblies for much of their lives, as was
Frederick Tatford, the retiring
editor;
P.T. Shorey, the chair of the meeting; and
P.C. Rice who was
elected President at this meeting in place of
Lord Daryngton (Anglican) who
had just died.
As a conscientious objector in the first world war, H.B. Parris probably
had to resign on going to prison. As a conscientious objector in the second
world war, Edwin Roberts had been able to serve in a non-combatant corps.
As a result he had become involved in Christian team work (combatants and
others) and had developed the organisation skills that had led Fred Tatford
to recruit him for the CSCU. Conscientious objection had nearly wrecked the
union in the first world war, stripping it of its leading officers. In the
second world war it trained the future secretary of the union.
After the Business Meeting, the Rev. Ernest F. Kevan (Principal of the
London Bible College) gave a closing message on The Light of the
World, concluding with a paragraph which Edwin Roberts quoted
when he
retired from the secretaryship 37 years later:
"You may not seem much in and of yourself: your gifts and your
qualities may not seem very great, but if you are placed at God's disposal,
his transforming light will work wonderful changes. Your life will shine,
and the glory will be to him whose we are and whom we serve."
Editor: Edwin Roberts
Service Volume 21, Number 3, July 1950
Circular August 1950 Civil Service Christian Union. Edwin Roberts, General
Secretary. "During the coming year we should all like to see a great
increase in the Union's membership..."
Circular (Not dated) "Service" the quarterly magazine of the Civil Service
Christian
Union. Edwin Roberts, General Secretary and Editor. "may I suggest that in
drawing up your advertising programme for 1951..."
Letter 19.9.1950, Edwin Roberts to Muriel Warden,
Newcastle: "we are anxious to finish this year
without a deficit and we still have some way to go before we are sure of
this. Fortunately the Union is now making steady enough progress for us to
feel confident that in 1951, at least, our financial position will be
secure."
Letter 11.9.1950: Letter from Edwin Roberts to
Ernest Raisey of
The Post Office Christian Association, 29
Ludgate Hill, EC4 "Mr Code tells me that for some reason you are still not
receiving Service. I am arranging for this to be put right and
enclose copies of the last three issues. I should appreciate it if you
could similarly arrange for me to receive the P.O.C.A. Mail. With cordial
greetings...
This was reciprocated. POCA Mail October 1949 No.248 included news of the
retirement of Rev. B.G. Lovelace as General Secretary on 30.6.1949. He had
first accepted the post of "Home Secretary" in May 1904. Will Morrow
(Organising Secretary) first met him when he came to London in 1933.
Service Volume 21, Number 4, October 1950
A note left by Edwin Roberts said he did not have the issues for 1951
("xxii 1-4 1951"). They are in
his personal file of
Service. I cannot think of a credible explanation for his
not having these issues sent to him on publication. The note, therefore,
may be a list of issues missing from the series passed to him by George
Lane. In which case, it indicates the Mr Lane passed on the Observer
of the Junior Civil Service Christian Union from
1895 to
1918/1919, with
the exception of
1903; and
Service from
1930 to 1950,
with the exception of October 1930 and
January 1947. George Lane
had not passed records on to Robbie Code because of the shortage of space
in Robbie Code's "digs".
Service Volume 22, Number 1, January 1951
Service Volume 22, Number 2, April 1951
Service Volume 22, Number 3, July 1951
Service Volume 22, Number 4, October 1951
Circular (Not dated) "Service" the quarterly magazine of the Civil Service
Christian
Union. Edwin Roberts, General Secretary and Editor. "may I suggest that in
drawing up your advertising programme for 1952..." "...from January 1952
(the next issue), "Service" will appear in a new and improved format (size
8 and a half inches x 5 and a half inches) with illustrated cover etc.
Circular October 1951 Civil Service Christian Union. "Dear...... I hope you
will be
able to send me an item of Branch News for the January 1952 issue of
"Service".