Page 7 - BPW-UK - E-news - Edition 109 - February 2023 with BELFAST AGM 2023 Flyer_Neat

• Even poor varieties may be sweet and good by gathering them with patience and flavour with
kisses to taste,
• Then wrap them in a mantle of charity, keep them warm with a steady fire of domestic
devotion and serve with peaches and cream.
• When thus preserved they will keep for years

This particular book had belonged to Sheila Worth a member of Ponteland Club in the 1960’s and had
been sent to me by her daughter. Her daughter also let me know that Sheila had left Ponteland in 1963
for South Africa, and had over the years lived in India, Ceylon and Pakistan, before returning to the UK
in the 1980’s. She then settled in Exmouth, joined the local BPW Club and held office from 1982 till
1984. Her daughter concluded by saying that Sheila had died in 2022 aged 96 years and had remained
interested in BPW until her death.

This set me to thinking about the candle lighting ceremony as a whole, its origins, those I had attended
and ones I had organised.
When the International Federation of BPW met in Geneva in June 1931 for its Board Meeting it consid-
ered a proposal that a simultaneous observance of International Night should be made in all member
countries, and a subject of international importance should be recommended. By February 1935 many
Federations celebrated the observance for the first time and messages continued to be exchanged an-
nually. By 1941 members were asking for a format that they could use and a ceremony was devised,
later known as “the Candle Lighting Ceremony” and it continues to this day…….

In the north we have always celebrated in some form or other. When there were many clubs, we visited
each others’ ceremonies as well as holding a joint regional one. Whist writing this I found myself smiling,
remembering some of the incidents that had occurred;

• the incident at Morpeth Town Hall when a
stumble up the steps to the stage nearly resulted
in the flags all catching light
• Visiting Whickham Club and knowing we wouldn’t
be finished lighting the candles till gone midnight
The celebrant a long time member of BPW liked
to relate her memories of places, countries and
people whilst lighting the candles

• the incident of the mushy peas, which is
best forgotten
• when fire regulations changed, having to
take the sand out of the sand tray at school and
return it the next day before the children arrived
• When health and safety regulations
changed which resulted in the paperwork
becoming too unwieldy a change to battery
operated candles was made and having trouble
lighting them in the dark
• trying to introduce the new Collect and being told in no uncertain terms that this
would not do