The Vicarage,
28th May, 1924.

My Dear Friends,

Copies of the Letter sent out by the Committee asking for your help in carrying out the enlargement of the Churchyard and doing something also to improve the appearance of the old ground, have now been distributed through the parish. I feel sure that when the Collectors next week they will be able to report that the promises of subscriptions have been such that we may confidently go forward with the work. The Committee wish, of course, to know as soon as possible the sum which they are to be given to spend on the work.

It has been usual to have the House-to-house Collection for St. Bartholomew's Hospital about this time of the year, but we have postponed this till the end of July. As I was so new to the parish last spring Mr. and Mrs. Day kindly superintended the Collection, but I am asked to undertake it this year.

During the winter the band has been practising diligently, partly with a view to playing to us on the Vicarage lawn on Sunday evenings this summer. Miss Faussett-Osborne has kindly promised to give us two evenings in June - 1st and 22nd. After the pleasant gatherings we had last summer it is hardly necessary for me to say that we hope many parishioners and their friends will come into the garden at 7.45 on the evenings when the band plays and make themselves at home.

Sport plays a large part in our village life in the summer (as it should do in every wholesome village). Cricket and Bowls are going strong. The subscription to the Bowls Club has been reduced to 1/0 (with 1/0 entrance fee) and any men of the parish are welcomed on the greens. Our Schoolmaster, Mr. Southgate, is organising a Cricket Club for the boys, and a Tennis Club for the girls and he has kindly promised to superintend the practices and train the children. The managers of the School are providing the materials and so only a small subscription of 6d. for the season is asked from the children. Cricket matches will be arranged for the boys and the lawn at Dane House has, by the kindness of Col. Locke, been offered to the girls for some Tennis Tournaments. A court for practice has been marked out in the School playground. We look forward to Mr. Southgate turning out some great cricketers and tennis players, and we hope that parents will take an interest in these sports for their children.

I remain,

Your sincere Friend and Vicar,
D. H. CREATON.

The Rogation Days.
(May 26th to 28th).

This year the Diocesan Authorities appointed these days (instead of days in November) as the days of Special Intercession for the work of the Church in (1) The Diocesee, (2) The Home Country, (3) Beyond the Seas. Each evening we had a Service in the Church. The Special Rogation Service which has been a feature in Hartlip for some years, was held in the Churchyard on the Tuesday. As Services were being held in the other parishes in the neighbourhood we could not invite outsiders to our Service, but we had quite a fair number of our own people.

The Mothers' Union.

On May 8th, Mrs. Fowler, of Canterbury, spoke in the Club Room to the Members of the Union, and of the Women's Meeting and it was quite a large gathering.

Taking as her text the 3 objects of the Union she said they meant "A good Wife,", "A good Mother," and "A good Woman." Several of those present at the Meeting, who were not already Members of the Mothers' Union, expressed their wish to join it, and Mrs. Creaton will be pleased to hear from any other women who would like to be admitted or to talk to any about it.

In banding ourselves together for any good purpose we are helped ourselves and also help the others with whom we are united.

The Mothers' Union started in a small country parish in Hampshire, in 1870. The Membership has now reached nearly half-a-million women. That shows how useful the Society has proved to be.

Mr. and Mrs. Labrum desire to express through the Magazine, their great appreciation of the kind feelings of so many of their friends in subscribing to the parting presents to them of the handsome Cabinet and the Illuminated Address, and to thank them all for the gifts.

Collections in Church.

£s.d.
Apr.29th-Vicar's Fund016
May4th-Church Expenses1168
"11th-Quota to Diocesan Funds1100
"18th-Church Expenses1110
"25th-Church Expenses172