In addition a Sabbath School was held in the afternoon. In February
1900 the Glasgow Evangelistic Campaign under the auspices of the
Glasgow Sabbath School Union held meetings in Kenmure Church every
night for a week at which lime-light lantern lectures were shown. In
July 1900, 200 children were taken by farmer's carts to Bogton Farm,
Torrance, where there was sports and refreshments. They returned to
the village at 9pm. The superintendent up to 1919 was Matthew
MacKay.
In 1926 in aid of church funds, A. Allan Beveridge, precentor to the
United Free General Assembly, accompanied by Miss Crerar presented,
in November, a song lecture, The Songs and Song Writers of Scotland.
The Annual Soiree in December 1926 was addressed by Donald Fraser,
a member of Kenmure and President of the Northern District
Sabbath School Union. Santa called and the prize for the most
money collected for the Glasgow Hospital Sunday Fund, was won
by Ellen Fraser.
This was a fund which began in 1873 was supported by charity and
fundraising. It was needed to help to pay the running costs of all
hospitals, including staff wages.
Street and house-to-house
collections were held annually on
Hospital Sunday and Hospital
Saturday. Hospital Saturday often
saw students and other collectors
in fancy dress rattling their cans to
encourage giving by members of
the public. A hospital line, which a
patient must have before treatment
could begin, was paid for by
donations from firms, Friendly
Societies and individuals as all health care had to be paid for up until
1944. Kenmure children had an enviable record in collecting for this
fund.
In 1940 they raised £17. Over 50 children took part. The cost of a
hospital line, necessary for admittance, was £1.1/- (£1.05) In 1944 a
letter was received from the head of the Glasgow Hospital Sunday Fund
in appreciation of the amount contributed annually by Kenmure
children.
Sabbath Teachers' outing (1930s)
In 1950 the Sunday School raised funds to pay for two cots in
Tumutumu Hospital, Kenya Colony, besides sending £10 each year to
the Hospital Sunday Fund. For Foreign Missions they also collected
farthings - a farthing being a quarter of an old penny, 12 of which = 1/-
(5p). A Cake and Candy Sale was held in 1923.
The Northern District Sabbath School Union, to which 18 churches
were affiliated, held competitions for Sabbath School singing in
Cowlairs Church, Springburn. In 1920 Kenmure were the first to
win a silver trophy and a certificate and they retained it on many
occasions over the years.
Typical of the hymns sung in the Beginner Department when the
offering was taken were;
See this little penny it was brought by me
For the little children far across the sea
Hurry penny quickly though you are so small
Help to tell God's children Jesus loves them all
and
Hear the pennies dropping
Listen as they fall
Every one for Jesus, he shall have them all
Dropping, dropping, dropping, dropping
Hear the pennies fall
Every one for Jesus. He shall have them all
On their birthday a pupil took round the velvet offering bag while the
children sang
Comes a birthday once again
Happy day oh happy day.
Through the sunshine and the rain
God has brought us on our way
The magazine, Joyful News reports in the first issue that the Sabbath
School teachers wanted to have more children attend and a canvas was
to be made during the winter. A Sabbath School Anniversary Service
was being held in October, 1926, when the children would gather in the
church at the morning service 'and be addressed by one eminent in
children's work'. A soiree was arranged for Christmas Eve.
In the 1930s a children's flower service was held annually on the last
Sunday in July with the flowers and fruit being sent to Eastpark Home
for Infirm Children, Maryhill.
Sunday School Outing 1945
Sunday School
It was in the 1940 Financial Report that the
name was changed to Sunday School. In 1951
the first Christmas parties were held at which all
children received a gift from Santa donated by
members of the congregation. Prizes were given
for good attendance and to six children who
collected more than £1 for Foreign Missions.
In 1962, when Thomas Aikman was Superintendent, the time of
meeting was moved from 3pm to 12.30 and it was decided that a fairer
method of prize-winning should take place. Rather than prizes for
attendance they should be for work undertaken in memorising three
passages from Scripture and a Bible examination. There were nine teachers
in the Junior Sunday School and over 30 children.
The Primary Department for 3-8 years, led by Nan Tweedie, planned
with Mr Heriot that they would attend special services for harvest and
at 2.30pm on Christmas Sunday. The Beginner and Primary
Departments carried torches and went around the Parish singing
Christmas carols.
There was a crisis in 1966 when George Reid left to take up a post with
the Boys' Brigade in London it left only four teachers in the Junior
Department. In 1968 a Puppet Show raised £16 and Build-a-Brick cards
£23, towards the New Hall.
In the magazine for February 1970 we read that the Beginner
Departments new hymn, sung to the tune of 'Jesus loves me' is
Jesus loves the Indian boy
with his bow and arrow toy.
Jesus loves the Cowboy too
with his gun and rope lasso.
Not perhaps acceptable in the politically correct climate of the modern
day.
Sunday School Outing 1971
There was another appeal made for teachers in 1971. In 1973 John
Stevenson became Superintendent. There were four teachers in the
Beginner Department for 34 children and complaints were made by
members of the congregation about noise filtering through from the
Williamson Hall. Numbers were dropping in the Primary section owing
to lack of staff. Mission Pennies were collected for Alice Jones, daughter
of the minister, a missionary at the Henry Henderson Institute, Sunday
School, Malawi.
To celebrate the Centenary of the church the pupils of Wester Cleddens
School presented a Flannelgraph to the Sunday School. This was used to
tell Bible stories using shadow puppets.
Kenmure were still retaining
the Singing Shield and Bible
Quiz at the Northern Union
events. They held it for many
years up to the 1980s. At
harvest Thanksgiving in 1982
£90 was raised for Alice
Jones, Malawi, to provide
equipment for the Home
Economics Department of the
H.H. Institute. They won the
Willie Cumming Memorial
Trophy for painting, singing
and Bible Quiz in 1983.
Jessie Carlisle, Beginner's leader, at the piano, 1988
In 1983 the Sunday School held a sponsored jog and also collected
aluminium cans for church funds and in 1986, when Retta Lindsay was
Superintendent, Spring Into Action raised £390 for the New Hall fund.
Helen Scott, the new Mission Partner, Zambia needed new hymn books
and the Sunday School raised £50 in 1988. In the same year on 13th
March they hosted The Children's World Day of Prayer in the New Hall
at 11.15am.
Christmas Party circa 1988
Junior Church
A decision was taken by Mr Crawford and the teachers that the Sunday
School was in need of modernisation so in 1990 the name was changed
to Junior Church and instead of the children attending the morning
service before going to their own departments they would only visit for
special occasions throughout the year. This would give more time to
learn about God through song, story, drama and activities. Alison
Wright was in charge. The Children's World Day of Prayer was again
hosted and Margaret Gray gave readings, David McSporran and
Jonathan Willis provided the music.
In 1991, when Iain Laing became minister the decision was reversed and
the children once more attended part of the morning service to hear
their special address. He involves the children, who vie to take part in a
wide variety of tasks posed for them, while illuminating aspects of the
Gospel.
In 1994, Anne Strong was leader and contact was established with Tear
Fund's Childcare Scheme. A 12 year old boy Mbuvi Masiba from Kenya
was 'adopted'. £100 was sent to Helen Scott and £50 to Alison
Wright at Bible College. There were 50 children attending the Sunday
School and an informal Games Evening was held to let them get to know
one another.
To mark the Millennium
bulbs were planted in the grounds of the
church on Harvest Sunday 1999. In 2000,
new learning material was introduced -
SALT - Sharing and Learning Together.
Anne Strong resigned in 2003 to devote
time to the Tear Fund and other interests
but it goes from strength to strength in the
capable hands of a team led by David Munro with Isobel Saunders,
Sandra Chetty and Andrew Strong.
Summer Sunday School
The first Summer Sunday School was held in 1980 and called Children's
Church. It was for 5-10 year olds. In 1994 Ruth Laing and volunteers
ran one which has been successfully going since then. A wide variety of
people volunteer to take part. In 1998 the Bible Class helped with
registration and the children were split into 3 groups of 16. They were
journalists working for the Good News Club and acted as News Hounds,
Press Gangs and Roving Reporters. In 1999 they were led by David
Muir. This year the theme of Summer Sunday School is an appropriate,
'Going back in time' with scenes from Mark's gospel, acted out by
members of Inspired drama group.
Sunday School Superintendents
19?? Neil McEachran
1919 Matthew MacKay
1920s John McMinn
1927 James Robertson
1940 Henry K.K. Gray
1962 Thomas S. Aikman
1979 John E. Stevenson
1980s Retta Lindsay
Junior Church Leaders
1990 Alison Wright
1994 Anne Strong
2003 David Munro and team
Chapter Seven
