| Description | On the 11th February 1900 at a joint meeting of Bull Street and George Road Preparative Meetings, a proposal from the latter to establish a committee to undertake the religious instruction of young members was approved. A joint children's meeting consisting of an address given by a Friend had been held on the last Sunday of the month since 1894, but it was increasingly felt that the varied age range made it difficult to maintain the children's interest or do justice to the topic of the address. After consultation with parents, the new Committee for the Care of Children in the Bull Street and George Road Meetings decided to replace the monthly children's meeting with a weekly Sunday afternoon Bible class for older children, while younger children attended a separate class. Over time, the number of classes offered and their frequency fluctuated depending on the numbers of children in the two meetings and how many were able to attend. From the 1930s, as the remit of the Committee widened, it received annual reports from children's classes at other meetings including Hall Green, Stourbridge, Solihull and Sutton Coldfield.
In addition to the Bible class, the Committee also organised a summer and a winter meeting for children from all of the meetings which then existed in the city. Initially this included Bull Street, George Road, Farm Street and Moseley Road Meetings but in later years, children from other meetings in Birmingham and the surrounding area were invited to attend, including Hall Green, Sutton Coldfield, and Stourbridge. These meetings were primarily social events, with the summer meeting consisting of an excursion to somewhere outside Birmingham e.g. Dudley, Coventry, Warwick, Sutton Coldfield for sightseeing or rambling, or to a Friends' house where games were organised and a tea was provided. From the 1930s to 1975, the summer meeting, which became the Children's Summer Party, was hosted by Rachel E. Cadbury and her husband Paul S. Cadbury at their home. The winter meeting took place at Bull Street meeting house and consisted of a tea followed by an address on a variety of subjects relating to Quakerism and religion, but over time this meeting became less educational and consisted of a tea with games and entertainment organised for the children.
From November 1930 Mothers' Meetings were introduced, which had an educational function, providing mothers with information and advice on a variety of topics and the opportunity to discuss issues which affected them. The first of these was given by Geraldine Cadbury. In later years, the annual Mothers' Meeting was held in spring and from 1971 became known as the Spring Meeting. Subjects included religious training for our children, occupations for children, the school age child, the young child in the home, family life in this modern age, the religious upbringing of our children, the questions children ask, marriage and parenthood and the marriage relationship, the financial aspect of sending children to Friends' Schools, a children's approach to religion, growing up in a changing world, books for young children, Quakerism for the teenager and so on.
The Committee also organised occasional meetings for parents and joint meetings with the Religious Education Committee which consisted of a social gathering with a tea, followed by a talk on a subject relating to Quakerism.
From 1936, the name of the committee was changed to Bull St Group Children's Committee and from 1944 it became Bull St Children's Group. In February 1976, in response to a change in circumstances, it changed its name to the Children's Christmas Party Committee. This was brought about due to the resignation of Rachel Cadbury who had organised the Summer Party for many years, and the fact that there was no longer a need for the Spring Meeting as a separate Mothers' Group which met at Selly Oak was fulfilling the same function. As the main function of the Committee was now to organise a Christmas party for children up to the age of 9 years of age, it was felt that reports from the children's classes held at meetings across the area should be received by the Religious Education Committee. From 1976 onwards, all families in Warwickshire Monthly Meeting with children were invited to the Christmas party which was held at Bull Street Meeting House, or in later years at Bournville Meeting House.
Among others, Caroline Gibbins, Geraldine Cadbury, Eveleyn Sturge and Florence Barrow were involved with this Committee.
A separate Children's Committee existed at the end of the 20th century which ran a children's class and creche for those not old enough to attend Meeting for Worship. See SF/3/4/5/7 for records of this committee. |