I have only just happened on this forum and it gives me an opportunity to raise a topic that greatly concerns me. As usual I attended the Easter Festival back in April and when it came to Guild Office and Benediction, noticed that, as last year, only myself and one other female server appeared to be present (at least, robed up). I do recall that a few years ago a lady wrote to "The Server" magazine that she had attended the Easter Festival and did not feel she was made welcome, which I feel is sad, as I have never felt anything other than welcome either in my Chapter or at events. If women don't attend our festivals, they will continue to be mainly male enclaves. There are quite a lot of women and girls who are members of GSS - do Chapters do enough to encourage their female members to attend? 

I do have to make one point on the Easter Festival and that is,that when additional acolytes were needed to lead the banners during the procession, the stewards chose only male servers. Given that there were only two robed women there, it would have been nice to have been chosen. I don't say this because I want to put myself forward in any way, but I do feel that involving those women who do take the trouble to be present, when this is possible, would be, at least in a small way, a step forward to encouraging others to feel that they are valued in the Guild. 

I'd be interested to hear what others think about how we might "improve the experience" for women.

Sandra Bishop
Treasurer, Chapter of St Andrew, Romford 

REPLIES

Q.B. 31/5/09

Banners displayed at festivals are chapters own and are carried by that respective chapter member.
Why not take your chapter banner and carry it yourself then you can really say you have that women do take part.
Q.B Holy Grail

Fr. David Moore 1/6/09

I read with interest Miss Bishop's contribution to the G.S.S. Forum.

Firstly, I read with some interest this morning in today's edition of 'The Daily Telegraph' that Sir Stuart Rose of M. & S. fame claims that women today 'never had it so good'.I think 'mutatis mutandis' that claim applies to the G.S.S.

We admitted females to full membership of the Guild many years ago and there have been female servers in the sanctuary at our national festivals. I have clear memories of a female thurifer on duty at the Autumn Festival in Wakefield Cathedral both at the Mass and the Guild Office.

So far as I am aware the stewards at our national festivals do not decide who carries Chapter banners rather the choice is made by each Chapter which has turned up with a banner. So if the Chapter of S. Andrew, Romford (and all stations north of there to Harlow!)
take their banner to a festival then it is up to Sandra to put herself forward. However,having said that ,I will look into what she raises in her e mail and the next time I manage to get to a local Chapter meeting and our paths cross we must 'have a word' about the situation to which she draws our attention.

Thank you, Sandra, for taking the trouble to make a contribution to our Forum.

Fr.David Moore...Warden. 

Craig Aburn 1/6/09

I am responding to this post as, as the elected Guild Master of Ceremonies, it is my responsibility to organise the servers at National Festivals. 

For the 2008 Easter Festival a general request was sent out via the Guild e-mailing list asking for volunteers to serve at that festival and every member who offered their services was given at job at one or both of the services. The Autumn festival is historically served by the host chapter.

This year, as retiring Group Councillor for LG5&6, I asked members from my chapters, particularly those who had been of especial support to me during my time as Group Councillor to form the serving team. This was with the full agreement of General Council. As for extra acolytes this year, I can only apologise that you felt left out. As I was rather unwell over Easter, I was reliant on the much appreciated support of others to organise some of the things I would normally organise myself at the Easter Festival. 

I can assure you that there is no intended sidelining of female members on my part - I have several female members in my own chapter, several of who played an active part in various ways in our own Chapter Centenary Festival earlier this year.

As from next year, we shall return to the previous standard of the Easter Festival being served by volunteers; all of whom shall be welcome, regardless of gender.

Hon Cllr Craig Aburn
Guild Master of Ceremonies
& Chapter Chairman LG5/85 with LG6/3

Sue Pritchard - 1/6/09

Does that also mean that we will be welcome if we wear white cassock albs, as we do in our own churches instead 
of the masculine black cassock and white cotta with black shoes as has previously been instructed for those volunteering as serving team members at our major festivals?

Sue Pritchard
Chapter Purification of Our Lady - Telford

Craig Aburn - 2/6/09

I can see nothing "masculine" about the cassock and cotta.

General Council decided that this was the standard attire for the servers at National festivals so that all the servers wear the same.

Craig Aburn
Guild M.C

 2/6/09

Sandra,

Unfortunately we have never felt welcome at national festivals so we do not attend, preferring to support local events instead. 

As all our Chapter females wear white albs, we would not be able to serve if we attended any way.

To be made welcome to attend, but not to serve in the team is the most we can expect I am afraid.

 Sandra Bishop - 7/6/09

Thanks to Craig Aburn for his comments as I had sort of wondered how the servers for Festivals were chosen in the first place. Clearly one answer is to join the e-mailing list which I will now do. And hopefully other women servers who haven't already will do likewise. (Being recently retired I am still getting up to date with various websites - this one included - a slow process as otherwise one ends up spending half the day on the computer and nothing else gets done!). I fully agree with Father David that women are well served (excuse the pun) in the Guild but we still have the problem of how to get them to Festivals, so I look forward to a discussion with him although I can't pretend to have any bright ideas.

Sandra Bishop 

 Roger Emery - 7/6/09

I totally support Craig Aburn's comments re Festivals and the decision made by General Council re Cassocks and Cottas The Guild has made a financial investment in Cottas and Albs for Priests at the direction of General Council, clearly to ensure uniformity and dignity at Festivals The Council will always be grateful for this decision as it has "Set the Standard, for others to follow ", I am pleased to say that in all Chapters in my Group PG3 this has been taken up by many members who do not only rely on Robes provided by their churches, but in fact purchase their own for use at The Guild, I appreciate that this is not possible for everyone to achieve. In my own Chapter our female members are always invited to serve at meeting, ( they usually decline) but we have seen some excellent serving around the country by female members at local area Festivals, ( there is always good and bad from whatever gender in my experience). At a past Local PG3 Area Festival at Lancing College, the M.C.. was a female member, from the Worthing Chapter.

Roger Emery 
Group Councillor PG3 Sussex