(with apologies to A.B. Patterson)
There was movement down in Henty for the word had come to me,
The time had come to do my first report;
Remembering all the activity, devotions, hymns, and songs,
Stretches the feeble mind just as it ought.
Our meetings are but once a month at ‘2’ on each first Friday,
We plan our year, then have a rest in Jan’ry;
One member gives devotion, and we sing a couple of hymns,
Our pastor chooses his own Bible study.
When members leave for Jesus’ home there is an obvious gap,
And we need some younger ones to fill the space;
Although we try to reach some more they have so much to do,
We cannot seem … to get them to this place.
So, continue on and organise the many things to do,
Missions, visits, catering and so on;
Once a year we do prepare a lunch of casseroles,
For everyone around and in the town.
Our entertainment now is so much easier than before,
A member gets five minutes to give a talk
About their special joy that time has given them to have,
Their hobbies and life stories and their work.
Several times a gathering was offered which we chose to do –
Convention and the quiet World Day of Prayer,
The Henty Machinery Field Days asked if we could help them too –
Drinks and sandwiches were the state of fare.
December comes so quickly, and we need to bake some goods,
The biscuits go out to the old and needy;
But now the months of – April, May, and June – nothing at all …
This pandemic – it is really very scary!