Whist Drives And Charity - 28th March 1916

Rev. F Courtenay Burrough, Vicar, writes in the current issue of Woolfardisworthy Parish Magazine - I have recently felt very distressed at seeing notices about Social Entertainments accompanied by Dancing or Whist Drives. These things are most undesirable at any time but how anyone can be found with so little sense of what is seemly and fitting as to attend such gatherings when our brave men are dying for us by the thousand in France, and suffering untold hardships in the trenches, I utterly fail to understand. To me, it is appallingly hard hearted and our men at the Front think so too. I know the flimsy excuse is made that it is done to get funds for Charity. But it is a mere excuse for the indulgence of a desire for pleasure, covered down with the sacred name of 'Charity'. Charity means to 'love'. If these people 'love' those who are in need, why do they not give their money ungrudgingly without receiving an evening's amusement in exchange for it? Where does the love or unselfishness come in? Such things ought not to be possible at this time and should be put down by a strong public opinion. I hope our Woolsery young people will show their propriety and their sense of what is decent by avoiding all such entertainments.