A procession so large that little more than half of it could be crowded into the church followed Mr. A. F. Weale, J.P., the newly elected Chairman of Rushden Urban Council, to St. Mary’s on Sunday afternoon. The occasion was the Annual Hospital Civic Parade, organised by the Rushden Hospital Fund, and at the service a striking address on the church’s concern for the public welfare was given by the Rev. Edwin Hirst, vicar of St. Peter’s.

From Spencer Park the parade, headed by members of Rushden Urban Council, marched to the church to music played by the combined bands of the town.

Councillors present were: Couns A. F. Weale (chairman), Dr. R. W. Davies (vice-chairman), W. E. Capon, W. J. Sawford, A. H. Bailey, A. Allebone, J.P., C.C., T. W. Cox, F. Green, J.P., Mrs. O. A. H. Muxlow, T. J. Swindall, J. E. Dilks, J. H. J. Paragreen, J. Allen and J. T. Richardson, J.P., with several of the officers.

On Parade

Taking part in the parade were:- The Home Guard, Army Cadets, G.T.C., A.T.C., N.F.S., Free Church Council, British Legion (Men’s Section), British Legion (Women’s Section), Rotary Club, St. John Ambulance Brigade, Nursing Sisters, Women’s Voluntary Services, Hospital Fund Committee, Orthopaedic Clinic, After-Care Committee, Infant Welfare Centre, Clubs’ Blind and Crippled Fund, Motor Ambulance Association, Nursing Association, A.O. Foresters, Rechabites, Oddfellows, National Deposit Friendly Society, Free Gardeners, League of Nations Union, Youth Group, Highfield Men’s Fireside, Toc H., Women’s Co-op Guild, Men’s Co-op Guild, St. Peter’s Men’s Fellowship, Women’s Adult School, Men’s Adult School, Trades Council, St. Peter’s Girl Guides, Baptist Girls’ Life Brigade, St. Mary’s Girl Guides and Brownies, Methodist Girls’ Brigade, St. Peter’s Boy Scouts, Rushden Town Scouts, Baptist Boys’ Brigade, St. Mary’s Scouts and Cubs, Methodist Boys’ Brigade, Independent Wesleyan Brigade, and Girls Life Brigade.

The chief marshal was Mr. A. J. Sturgess, and with him were Inspector Valentine, Special Inspector Chamberlain and other members of the Police Force.

Church and Politics

“Much has been said and written recently of the Church’s attitude towards politics,” said the Rev. E. Hirst in his address at St. Mary’s. “Some people would like to silence the Church, and others would urge her on to unrestricted activity.”

If, by politics, they meant despicable expedients of mere “vote-catching,” the unrestricted promises of unattainable benefits tendered to an unthinking electorate, and the selfish advancement of one party to the neglect or exploitation of the other, then let the Church keep out of such dealings.

But if, by politics, they meant the advance of the public good, the welfare of the whole, and the uplifting of life in the place, then the Church must be implicated to the full.

The duty of the Church was to expose as such that which she knew to be morally wrong, and in these matters her voice should be heeded, her counsel sought, her way extolled so that a Christian conscience could be both fostered and made articulate.

Christian Conscience

“The Church has done this in the past,” Mr. Hirst declared, “for it was not politics as such, nor yet civic by-laws which secured some of the greatest benefits which we now enjoy. It was the Christian conscience which not only demanded, but secured the uplifting of womanhood and the passing into law of Factory Acts, mining regulations, the humane treatment of prisoners and destitute poor. This is to mention but a fragment of what has been achieved as a result of the Christian conscience being aroused and made articulate by the witness of the Christian Church.

“If we are to serve one another we must realise that we can truly serve only those in whom we believe, and that we can only believe in human nature as our thoughts are based upon faith in God.”

The primary units of our social institutions were the family, the town and the nation; and for the inspiration and guidance of each there was the Church of Christ.

Of those social institutions which were essential to the life of man, the home case first. There were ministerial offices which parents only could fulfil, and when they cherished and guided their children and the children honoured their parents, a firm foundation was laid for the future.

Home and Town

The welfare of the home and the town were inseparably connected. Often people spoke of the parish, the town or the city as if each had distinct lives of their own, unrelated to the larger or smaller units of society.

“Such thoughts are dangerous,” Mr. Hirst declared, “and generally tend to place the burdens of responsibility belonging to the smaller units upon the shoulders of the larger body.

“Here is one of the dangers of democracy, for under its shadow the shirker is often able to shelter, avoiding his own responsibilities by loudly asking, “What is the other man going to do?” instead of lifting his own load and carrying it.”

The civic unit was more than a collection of homes – it was a corporate body in which all were members of one another. This being so, each household must contribute to the life of the community which they formed for the order, happiness and prosperity of the civic unity they constituted was secured only by the peace felicity and regularity of the separate households which made up its life.

Physical Dangers

Physical conditions such as bad drainage, inadequate municipal services, overcrowding, inferior housing, lack of sound educational and recreational facilities, which hampered the development of the home, and the moral conditions such as drunkenness, shameless gambling, moral turpitude and greedy self-indulgence of any kind which wrecked the happiness of the home were the real danger to the life of the civic unit.

“We must be fully alive to all of these,” said Mr. Hirst, “and the civic authority must make it their concern equally with other vital matters, such as the cleanliness, the health and the economic stability of the town.

“They must be concerned about the amenities of the town, too, in the erection of buildings regulating construction that might ruin town planning, and watching over such matters as the erection of hoardings which frequently are defaced by vulgar posters that mar the aspect of any place.”

This was equally true about the State, for that could only be sound and healthy when the normal life figured first in its programme, and when each citizen exercised those functions which were his own, offering his own contribution to the common good.

The Chairman of the Council read the lessons, and prayers were led by the Revs. E. E. Bromage and E. Hirst. The

hymns were ‘Praise my soul the King of Heaven,’ ‘Eternal Father strong to save’ and ‘O Love that will not let me go.’ The collection was in aid of Northampton General Hospital.

The Rector of Rushden (Rev. E. A. Green) was unable to conduct the service as he was out of town.