Faith & Flowers - October 2020

Faith & Flowers
The Magazine of the Church of England
Flower Arrangers’ Association
Issue 28 – October 2020

Letter from the Editor
In August, Council met via zoom, and learned of the precarious
state of C.E.F.A.A.s finances and the consequent prospects for
the future. Please read the details, especially those of falling
membership numbers and the effect of that. If you have
comments or questions please approach your Council Member
if you are a member of an established branch or Averill, Laurie
or myself, if you have no branch attachment.
This edition is very loosely about the natural world as you will
see as you read on. This year Harvest Thanksgiving is likely to
be a poor affair compared with other years. How I will miss
“Come ye Thankful People, Come”. So, the Harvest article is
quite different from the usual ones, quite Retro in fact. I hope
you will try to imagine the event and enjoy the prospect.
More conventionally (or perhaps not) we look at dragons and a
delightful children’s hymn celebrating nature. A subtle
connection exists between the articles, you must admit, but
sometimes things come together that way.
Finally, for a serious health and safety warning if you are an
arachnid phobic, DO NOT turn to page 19. Just remember,
spiders belong to the natural world and like us are God’s
creatures.
I hope that you all may have as happy and carefree Christmas as
is possible in the current circumstances.
Ruth
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Greetings from Barnet
Dear Friends
I am writing this as the sun goes down at the end of another
gloriously sunny autumn day. I hope this finds you all keeping
well and enjoying the last days of summer. I have a feeling that
the winter is going to be long and hard with the colder weather
and more hours of darkness. Who would have thought six months
ago that we would be standing on the brink of further restrictions
or even another lockdown at the end of September?
I hope you managed to relax and enjoy some of the wonderful
weather we had from Easter onwards. The gardens locally have
looked magnificent this year. Our section of the road held a
sunflower competition which has brightened our front gardens
and caused some friendly rivalry. Sadly, my plants were not in
bloom on judging day on August Bank Holiday, but they are now
and are looking splendid in varying shades of yellow ochre,
brown and orange.
Are you able to worship in church now once again, I wonder? I
have found from talking to friends up and down the country that
some churches are open for private prayer and for congregational
worship whilst others are not planning to open until October.
Today we have been planning our harvest decorating. It will be
very much scaled down from our usual harvest decorations with
several CEFAA members making their arrangement at home and
bringing it into church with them on the Sunday morning. How
strange it will seem not to sing favourite familiar harvest hymns
at the Harvest Eucharist.
I hope you will look carefully at the accounts. They show our
income and expenditure from April 1 2019 to March 31 of this
year (just 8 days into the lockdown period).
You will notice that our expenditure exceeds our income. If we
were to continue at this rate, then the life expectancy of the
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Association would be two years. Note that these figures do not
include flower festivals or general expenses as we have not met
together in person this year. It is for this reason that we have
reluctantly had to increase our subscription.
We continue to meet weekly on Thursday afternoons for a cup
of tea, share laughter and smiles and a chat on zoom for 45
minutes. If you would like to join us, please do send me an email
at averillovatt@gmail.com or phone me on 0208 449 0696.
The year moves swiftly on towards Christmas. I wonder what it
will be like this year….Somehow I cannot see us decorating the
church and preparing for the Crib Service, but we can hope and
look forward to a time when we can all meet together in person
to arrange in church once again.
This will be our last magazine for this year so may I wish you a
peaceful Christmas and enjoy any flower arranging opportunities.
Please take care and keep safe.
Averill
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A few words from our National Secretary
Council met via Zoom on 26th August to consider several issues and to
receive the annual accounts from our treasurer. This is a summary of the
important decisions.
Finances: Our income in the year ending 31 March 2019 was £2309 and
our expenditure £2736 a deficit of £427. In the last five years we have
only once shown a positive balance and, in the last three years, we have
consistently shown a deficit; £68 in 2018, £1757 in 2019 and £427 in
2020. Council felt strongly that we cannot continue to run year after year
with a deficit of expenditure over income. Our main income is from
membership subscriptions and from new memberships and our main
expenditure is our “Faith & Flowers” magazine and our website. We are
extremely grateful to Mark Edwards for keeping his costs on the latter to
a minimum.
Increases agreed: Our current membership fee of £10 for a full year has
not changed in many years and Council took the difficult decision to
increase membership subscriptions from the Current £10 to £15 for a full
year from 1 April 2021. New memberships will be pro-rata depending on
the date of joining (as now) but the registration fee will increase from £2
to £3. We have also been selling our lovely CEFAA badges at far less than
it costs us to have them made so the decision has been made to charge £6
per badge.
Council appreciates that these increases may cause concern for some
members, but we simply cannot allow the Association to continue losing
money each year.
Recruitment: Our membership numbers have been steadily falling in
recent years and we are not recruiting enough new members to replace
those leaving us. Our discussions on finances and membership costs led
to us to talk about the need to run a recruitment campaign and Council
will be looking at a strategy to take this forward. For instance, if 50% of
our current membership were to recruit just one person each, we would
have around 100 additional members. So please don’t wait for Council
or your branches to come up with ideas, which we will in due course, but
get talking to others in your churches who you might encourage to try
flower arranging.
National AGM 2020: It was, of course, greatly disappointing that we
could not gather in June in Birmingham. Obviously with the continuing
restrictions due to Covid 19 it is difficult for us to have a proper AGM.
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One of the main reasons for an AGM is to receive and approve our
accounts (referred to above). Council have decided that this year our
AGM will be a paper AGM, via the pages of this edition of “Faith &
Flowers” with just the one item on the agenda to receive and approve our
accounts.
The independently examined accounts can be viewed elsewhere in the
magazine. Please look at them and let me have any comments at
secretary@cefaa.org.uk or in writing to my home address before the end
of October. Subject to receiving many comments not approving the
accounts we will assume that the majority of members are content to
receive and approve them.
National AGM 2021: Council have asked Judith Whalley to investigate
the possibility of coming to Birmingham. So hopefully before too long
we will be able to give you a date and venue. However, Covid is still with
us so the situation for arranging any forward dates must remain fluid.
CEFAA 40th Anniversary in 2021: For the same reasons as above Council
felt that they were unable at this time to make any firm proposals
regarding our Anniversary celebration but that they will continue to
monitor the situation.
Trustees: Roger Brown had asked Council to look at the position of our
current 6 trustees, bringing to our attention the fact that trustees should
be actively involved in the running of the Association. At present only 4
of the 6 serve on Council. Council left it with the National Chair and
National Secretary to talk to the 2 non-Council trustees about the
possibility of standing down so that Council could reconsider who on
Council should be invited to become trustees.
My apologies for this rather dry and dreary report but I felt it important
for you all to know what your Council have been doing.
Unpaid subscriptions for 2020/21: There are still around 20 members who
have not renewed their subscription for the current year. Unless these are
paid by the end of October their names will be removed from the members
database. Which, of course, will mean that they will no longer receive our
magazine.
And I know it is too early but as our next magazine is January 2021 can
I be one of the first to wish you all a very Happy Christmas with lots of
lovely Christmas arranging in your churches.
Laurie Little
National Secretary
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The Natural World
I found the delightful children’s hymn printed below in a daily
newspaper. I often think that today it is not fashionable to believe
in creation and the Creator because of modern scientific thinking.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a Creation Day?
I hope you enjoy the hymn as much as I do.
Ruth
Daisies are Silver
Jan Struther (1931)
Daisies are our silver.
Buttercups our gold:
This is all the treasure
We can have or hold.
Raindrops are our diamonds
And the morning dew;
While for shining sapphires
We’ve the speedwell blue.
These shall be our emeralds
Leaves so new and green;
Roses make the reddest
Rubies ever seen.
God, who gave these treasures
To your children small,
Teach us how to love them
And grow like them all.
Make us bright as silver;
Make us good as gold;
Warm as summer roses
Let our hearts unfold.
Gay as leaves in April,
Clear as drops of dew
God, who made the speedwell,
Keep us true to you.
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A different colour for Christmas
Last Christmas I was lucky enough to be in charge of flowers at
Christmas in the church. My theme had been very traditional, red
and green, but I was unable to get the flowers at a price that
suited. Fortunately, orange flowers were very cheap, so I decided
to interpret We Three Kings instead. I sprayed alliums and old
lotus heads I had saved and to keep costs down added satsumas
and gold chocolate coins.
It was terrific fun to do and very well received by the
congregation. So, I am now going to use Christmas Carols as my
inspiration and this year I will be attempting Hark the Herald
Angels Sing.
Elaine Fenning
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Harvest of the Sea
A short time ago I was privileged and entertained by a
conversation with a retired priest who served his curacy in St.
Martin-on-the Hill, Scarborough. Until my recent retirement I
was the flower arranger there, so I enjoyed his reminiscences. I
hasten to add, however, that the occasion I now relate, took place
long before my time.
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During the Harvest Thanksgiving Service in question, the clergy
and congregation suffered from an unusual and extremely
unpleasant smell. It was eventually traced to the fishing net which
had been draped across the pulpit and threaded with kippers.
Incidentally, the pulpit is insured for £250,000 as it is composed
of panels painted by prominent Pre-Raphaelite artist.
We can only guess exactly what the congregation thought of this
enterprising form of decoration, so our artist tried to imagine
what the produce used, thought about it all.
Ruth
Let’s go green
In lockdown I had a walk around my small garden and found
some lovely green foliage and flowers.
I used:
4 stems garden ferns
4 hostas leaves
3 fatsia japonica
1 cupressus
1 hellebores viridis
Dish and oasis
To create this design just use
a variety of green forms and
textures.
Why don’t you see what you
have in your garden and get
creating?
Good luck and happy flower
arranging.
Joan Hardwick
Liverpool
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Lockdown Chain
What a joy it has been for those of us who have been able to get
back into our churches and to arrange flowers to the glory of God.
Lockdown and isolation sadly meant that we could not hold our
usual chain of flowers event back in June, however, with the
news that churches might possibly be open again by August,
Council decided that we should ask as many of you as possible
to do something on 2 August when we believed a good number
of churches would be reopening.
I am really sorry for those of you who were unable to take part
in lockdown Chain of Flowers because your churches were still
closed or arranging is not being allowed, or that you, yourselves,
are not ready to return to church. However, the good news is that
some of you were able to arrange in church and others used their
imagination and creative flair to provide something either at
home or outside their churches. Here are some of those offerings.
Sarah Lacey placed this lovely
arrangement on a cross outside the
door of St Giles, Hartington
Margaret Shuffield, London
Branch, provided this from her
home to mark the chain event
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Tracy Lennox provide this
arrangement outside St Peters
church in Woolton
Alethea Fielding sent us an earlier
arrangement from Liverpool
Cathedral
Laurie Little marked the opening of
Barnet Church for its first service
with this pedestal
This arrangement was created by
Brenda Benson, All Saints Church,
Kirk Hallam
Hopefully, some of you who were able to provide a link in the
2020 chain will send me some pictures for the next magazine.
Laurie Little
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Wedding Flowers for Very Different Times
This time last year Sonia, our Treasurer, asked me to help her
with flowers for her granddaughter’s wedding, planned for June
2020. I was happy to accept the invitation and, notebook in hand,
joined the bride and Sonia in the middle of March at the
wholesalers to select suitable flowers.
The wedding was postponed due to Covid restrictions and
rearranged for mid-September. The week before I returned to the
wholesaler to order the flowers. I was shocked to see only about
a quarter of the usual selection of flowers and foliage. Of course
there have been no events, many postponed or cancelled
weddings and places of worship having been closed until
recently, there has been a much reduced need for fresh flowers.
Once the flower order had been placed, we faced the dilemma of
how and where we could arrange whilst obeying social distancing
and following the Covid rul4es. Many prayers were offered that
week for a way forward for us.
The weather forecast for the end of that week was for sunny and
warm days. The flowers were duly collected and conditioned.
Buckets filled my shed and kitchen for a day!
Friday morning saw me awake early and setting up tables and
chairs in the garden so that the team of four of us could work
individually whilst following the regulations, with a box of
equipment on each table and my clipboard on the lawn. Believe
me, it was planned like a military operation! In little over four
hours we made the bride’s bouquet, 5 bridesmaids’ bouquets, 2
table decorations and 16 buttonholes and corsages.
At 2.20 p.m. the bride’s mother arrived to collect the flowers and
take them to the church in the Olympic Park, ready for the
ceremony the following day, and we sat down in the sunshine for
a late lunch and a well-deserved glass of fizz. It had been a
stressful and exhausting few days but also great fun with much
laughter and wonderful teamwork.
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And the wedding…. The sun shone, the bride looked radiant and
bride and groom had a smaller than originally planned, but very
happy wedding with their families. My thanks to Sonia, Lynne,
and Dixie of the London Branch for their help.
Averill Lovatt
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Dragons and all deeps
A change in my pattern of worship since March towards Matins
and Evensong has led me to a new awareness of the Psalms and
to the psalmists speaking of dragons.
Psalm 148 urges dragons and all deeps to praise the Lord and
Psalm 91 promises those who dwell under the shadow of the
Almighty that “the young lion and the dragon thou shalt tread
under thy feet.”
In all, there are about twenty-five references to dragons as well
as serpents and beasts. As the Bible was first translated into
English before the word dinosaur was invented, dragon was the
term for a large lizard.
I would like to share with you my favourite quotation from
Revelation, Chapter 12, verses 3 -4.
“And there appeared another wonder in heaven and behold a
great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns and seven
crowns upon his head”.
What a wonderful subject for a flower festival.
Ruth
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York Minster Flowers after Lockdown
The York Diocese branch arrange the flowers in the Minster in
June and July each year, but this year things have been rather
different, and we have been unable to join together. However,
one of the arrangements, which is usually done by Ruth, is placed
on the memorial to William Wilberforce August 1759 – July 1833
a leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade, we really
didn’t want to miss putting in this floral tribute. Living within
easy distance I volunteered to do the job.
I was telephoned by one of the floral
volunteers at the Minster to make
arrangements for entering, due to the
Virus I was asked not to touch the
access key pad on my arrival at the
appointed hour of 10 a.m., I would be
met and taken in. The flowers had to be
in place, and we were to leave by 11
a.m. when members of the public and
the working day would begin for the
Minster. It felt very strange after passing
the security entrance and on into the
body of this great and beautiful building
we were the only people inside and it
was completely silent, no members of
the clergy, admin staff or visitors to stop
and have a chat and admire our work: it
was very strange indeed.
I look forward very much to 2021 when our Yorkshire group can
enjoy the joy of flowers followed by lunch and a natter
afterwards.
Jane Copeland
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A final look at the natural world.
A New Lodger?
At the end of last month one evening I noticed a huge spider in
the bath. With his legs at full stretch, he was the size of the palm
of my hand. Gently I tried ushering him towards the opening of
a jar so I could safely pop him out of the window. He wasn’t
having any of that and dodged the jar. I didn’t want to harm him,
or his legs, so left him in the bath overnight. In the morning he
had disappeared.
Later that day he was back. I am not sure where he spent the
previous night, but he obviously felt at home in the bath because
he was back again that evening. Thus, it continued for the next 3
weeks or so. I even christened him Sidney. During the day he
moved up the bath and spent the day in the sunshine under the
window, returning to the corner by the taps for the night.
One day I put a towel on the
side of the bath. Now I think I
must have been somewhat
rougher than usual placing the
towel because I watched
Sidney visibly jump. I even
apologised to him!
Then last Monday I noticed he
wasn’t there in the bath and I
haven’t seen him since. Now I
don’t know if it’s the change in
the weather or if he was fed up
with my bath but he certainly
isn’t about any more; and I
have to say I quite miss him!
Averill Lovatt
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The Association Prayer
O Lord the creator of all things of beauty,
grant to those who serve you with their gifts of floral art,
a sense of your majesty and a desire to heighten the worship
of the Holy Church by the dedicated use of their gifts.
This we ask in the name of Him, who with the Father, is the
Creator and Sustainer of all good things,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
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