USA > New Hampshire > Sullivan County > Claremont > Trinity church Claremont, N.H > Part 5
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Founded in April, 1937, Troop 314, B. S. A., has been an integral part of the church for the past six years. First scout- master of the troop was Ralph Crosby, who took over leader- ship of the organization in April and received the troop's regis- tration on April 30. He was immediately followed by William B. Slater, Jr., who became scoutmaster in May. During this time both scoutmasters had as assistant, H. M. Osgood. Scout-
master Slater served for three years until January, 1939, and was followed by John Atwood for a short period. Henry C. Hawkins, Jr., became scoutmaster in the latter part of 1939 and has held that position since. He is now assisted by Edwin Hutcheon, charter member and first Eagle Scout of the troop.
Troop 314 has been active in civic affairs, participating in campaigns of a varying nature and assisting in the erecting and collecting of flags on national holidays. It has been on nearly every camporee the Sugar River District has held and has carried off its share of blue ribbons. Troop 314 has also been of service to the church, assisting after the hurricane to pick up fallen lumber, and at several occasions to clean the cellar and pick up the grounds.
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Trinity Church, Claremont
THE WOMAN'S AUXILIARY
Among old records one finds that the name Woman's Auxiliary appears in 1882, and again in 1885 up until 1933; there seems to be no record of its life or activities until the fall of 1940. Mrs. Sally Dunn, the wife of the Rev. Robert H. Dunn, on returning from the General Convention in Kansas City in October, 1940, put before the women of the parish the need of a united effort and budget on the part of the many existing women's organizations. Mrs. Dunn was the first president of this newly reorganized group of the Woman's Auxiliary.
It has a common budget shared by the three leading women's groups, and it meets as a baptized body once a month -"Any woman of the Church is by her baptism a member of the Woman's Auxiliary of the Episcopal Church." This Aux- iliary has a planned programme, speaker and business meeting each month. Mrs. Francis Hawkins is the president of this group now serving a second term.
THE TRINITY CIRCLE
In the late summer of 1937, at the invitation of the Rev. Robert H. Dunn, all women of the parish of British birth not connected with a church organization were invited to tea in the Rectory. This group was first called the "R. G." (Rummage Sales Group), October 28, 1937. On February 15, 1938, this group changed its name to the "Trinity Circle" at the sugges- tion of Mrs. Harry Lloyd. Their work had become more than just sales; they had begun many other projects connected with the parish.
There are no dues in this group. They have had many food sales, served the Union Men's Club dinner, and helped with many repairs at the Rectory. Furnished the Sacristy and contribute to the Woman's Auxiliary budget. At the pres- ent, there are sixteen active members.
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TRINITY ACOLYTES
When the Rev. Romeo Gould became Rector of Trinity, he found no organized group of youth to serve at the Altar, to carry the cross or flag in the processional. In the fall of 1933, a group of young men met weekly to study and learn the mean- ing of serving at God's Altar, calling themselves the Trinity Acolytes. The word "Acolyte" comes from the early Church historical records meaning member of minor order or servers. While the Rev. R. H. Dunn was Rector, he enlarged the group. On April 11, 1943, the present Rector admitted 12 boys into the National Order of Saint Vincent's Guild of Acolytes. With the present war situation, we have lost many of the older boys, so that younger boys are now being trained to serve as Acolytes.
ALTAR GUILD
First record of an organized Altar Guild can be found dated 1911. Today we have a group of 18 women who con- tribute much to the care and work of the altar, silently through- out the week, by washing, laundering, and arranging flowers. Their motto is "SERVE the LORD in the beauty of holiness."
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Trinity Church, Claremont
Trinity Church Choir with the Rev. James B. Goodrich, Rector
TRINITY CHOIR
The Trinity Choir dates back to 1866. When Rev. James Goodrich was rector, he introduced boys and men vested. The choir has had a grand history among church choirs in New England. Today we have 16 boys and 6 men, and 12 women. Our young organist and choir master, Robert Bailey, has done much to raise the standard of liturgical music.
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Trinity Church, Claremont
THE STEEPLE CLUB
On Christmas Eve in 1936 one of the local radio stores broadcast Christmas carols from a loud speaker set up on the roof of its store. The carols could be heard all over the cen- tral part of the town and were very effective. We heard them -going home from work that evening-and they brought back vivid memories of the beauty of the chimes heard one summer many years before from some of the churches and cathe- drals in England.
The thought kept recurring that it might be possible to broadcast chimes from the steeple of Trinity Church-and after several discussions with the radio store, it was decided to go ahead with the experiment. A combination radio-phono- graph was available that could be set up in the rectory to con- nect with a loud speaker through wires from the rectory to the steeple.
It was necessary to buy a large loud speaker and to add to the power of the phonograph and those items, added to the cost of installation, were estimated at $90.
At one of the suppers held for the men of the parish dur- ing early January, 1937, the proposition was presented and ex- plained and it was voted to proceed. Every man in the parish was solicited and contributions were received from nearly all of them. There were also contributions from some of the women who were interested so that, within a few weeks, enough money had been donated to justify going ahead with installing the apparatus.
The chimes were first tried on Sunday, February 7, 1937, and it seemed from the very first to be a happy experiment.
The question of records to transmit through the speaker was a serious problem. There were very few all chime records on the market although the Victor people had made a few. There are certain traditions about chimes-observed in England and handed down from the English church-which we have tried to observe. For example, there is the tradition that the first chimes heard before each service shall be a series of rounds
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or some variation of rounds, also that the hymns from the church hymnal shall be played on the chimes and that hymns to be sung during each service shall be used.
We were sharply limited in the records available that would allow us to observe these traditions until a firm in Bos- ton was found that consented to make, experimentally, some records for us of rounds and of several hymns from the hymnal. These records were soft and soon wore out, but in 1939 several other firms began making custom records so we were able to complete our library.
Such records are made of war material and are no longer available, but by the time war restrictions were passed, we had been able to accumulate records of hymns appropriate to each season of the church calendar. These records are relatively ex- pensive, but are very durable and we probably can continue to use them until after the war is over.
In September of 1938 came the hurricane which blew down the church steeple and with it the loud speaker and the wires connecting with the rectory. The speaker was damaged beyond repair and during the succeeding weeks, it seemed as if our broadcasting of chimes was at an end.
The steeple was temporarily repaired and by early winter members of the parish had begun to ask if we were to have chimes again. Early in January, 1939, the Rector and seven men of the parish met to discuss what could be done. It was decided that the eight men should meet once every two weeks for an evening of contract-that at each meeting every man should contribute 50 cents and that the accumulated funds should go toward replacing the chimes outfit. When that was all paid for, the continued income should go toward the steeple fund.
That was the birth of the Steeple Club. It has continued to meet twice a month. The membership is increased to 12 and interest is maintained at a high level. The prime reason for the existence of the Steeple Club still is to aid in building a steeple for Trinity Church. Such building will not be pos-
After the Hurricane
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sible till after the war, so our funds have gone for other pur- poses, chiefly,
We have two high-powered speakers in the belfry-we have increased the power of the transmitter to 90 watts-we have rewired the whole outfit, placing the transmitter in the parish house-we have accumulated a very complete library of records of hymns for the entire church calendar-and we have recently donated toward the purchase of two of the lanterns for the church, one of which was given as a memorial to Frank Foster, one of the original Steeple Club members.
Some time in the future, when the war is over, all the ac- tivities of the Steeple Club can be devoted to building a new steeple and surely then the club can justify its name and exist- ence.
-ROBERT BROOKS
Our Parish War Shrine of Christ the King
Our Parish War Shrine of Christ the King was dedicated to the Glory of God and in loving memory of Douglas H. Rawstron. The dedication took place on Sunday morning, April 11, 1943, by our Rector. It is not only a memorial to our first son to give his life for his country, but a
living and lasting tribute to those now serving in the armed forces of the United Nations.
Lieutenant Rawstron was born in Claremont October 15, 1918, and was graduated from Stevens High School in the class of 1936. He attended the Bentley School of Accounting and Finance in Boston, from which he was graduated in 1941. On July 7, 1941, he was in- ducted into the United States Army and was sent to Ft. Devens, Mass.
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War Shrine of Christ the King
He was transferred to Camp Croft, S. C., on July 18, and in October was moved to Ft. Benning, Ga. He was made a corporal in January, 1942. Later he was sent to officers' train- ing school, received his commission as a second lieutenant in June, 1942, and was assigned to an infantry unit.
As a lieutenant he was stationed at Camp Walters, Texas, and from there went overseas. On January 3 of this year he
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was mentioned in dispatches for gallantry in capturing a pill box in the Sanananda campaign.
He was killed in action in the defense of his country in the South Pacific on January 18, 1943.
"May he rest in peace."
The Shrine of Christ the King is in the south porch and is a war shrine to our youth in armed forces and for their families and friends and for all strangers also who wish to pray for the armed forces and for God's Peace. Blue damask vest- ments of a lovely hue are on the Altar and flowers frame the Figure of Christ the King; the vested Figure on the Cross is of very early tradition, the Risen Christ Crowned. Pictures of the parish members of the Crucifix of Christ the King armed forces, a parish flag with its stars, blue, with one gold star for Lieut. Douglas Rawstron whose courage and bravery help all who look on his face in the framed photograph before them. Prayers and meditations are on cards for use, and above the altar burns a sanctuary lamp. In this quiet place pray and think.
O God, unseen yet ever near, Thy presence may we feel;
And this inspired with holy fear, Before thine altar kneel.
Our Parish Honor Roll
"Your prayers are asked for those who have gone to serve our flag and country, by land, and sea, and air."
Lt. Douglas H. Rawstron (May he rest in Peace.)
Col. Leonard L. Barrett
Gerald Arthur Burns
Howard Bannister
Francis Clay
Asa Leete Elliott
Duncan Hunter
Michael Andriski
Clifford Davidson
Nicholas Andriski
Gale Russell Stevens
Harold Crossman, Jr.
Clayton Boddy
Hall Rice
Carol Edward Marshal
Leon Bowen
Richard Harold Chandler
Faxon-David Bowen
Nicholas Malcolm Chandler
Phillip Ralph Lovejoy
Pauline Chandler
Donald Twyon
Deneale Hunter
Donald Curtis
Allan Venables Evans
Peter Nistervich
Eleanor Cohu
Michael Nistervich
Suzanne Walker
Hazel Oescheger
George Colby
John Barlett Dunphy
Walter S. Jenkins
Walter Cunningham Miller III Howard Ordway
Leonard L. McElreavy
Frank Marvin, Jr.
Le Roy Adna Webster
Edwin Charles Marvin
Florence Webster
Edmund English
Francis Desmond
Robert Van Note
Levi Johnston
William Van Note
Richard Hawkins
Frederick Osgood
Peter Weare
Clinton Byron
Gordon Smith
Edwin Johnson
John Hauge
(Note: This list was made up as of August 15.)
Richard Chase
Our War Shrine Prayer
(Written especially for use in the War Shrine at Clare- mont, N. H., by a member of the parish.)
"O Heavenly Father, who alone bringest to human hearts the realization of what life in this world means when the earth seems dissolving beneath us, O Jesus crucified, who blessed the Family by coming into it as a little Child in the arms of Thy Holy Mother and as the Son of Man Sanctified pain and sacri- fice, which we must remember; now O Christ Our King, raise us up and O Holy Spirit of God, Blessed Comforter, garnish our Repentant hearts and give us trust.
"We kneel before Thee, O Blessed Trinity, and pray for those we love wherever they may be in this war-stabbed world, and we would pray for the unloved and the lost. O Thou, Ancient of Days, who hast watched Thy children to guard and guide them even on the Threshold of Death, keep my dear ones, keep someone's dear ones safe tonight in Thee. Grant O Lord, all that is possible for them in Thy mercy and forgiveness. O, Our Father, help us, and help Thy World."-Amen.
1843-Centennial Committee-1943
General Chairman
Rev. W. M. Hotchkiss
Associate Chairmen Mrs. John Farwell Robert Walker
Receptionist
Mrs. Henry Hawkins, Sr.
Historians
Miss Anna Lewis and Miss Laura Briggs Mrs. Roy Hunter Mrs. Anna Christopher The Rector
Secretaries
Mrs. Hugh Durward Miss Katherine McCommons
Reception Chairman
Mrs. Robert Brooks
Music
Robert Bailey and Mr. George Minard
Biographies of Rectors Mrs. Frank Holden Miss Fanny Rice
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Acknowled gment
The Rector wishes to express his thanks to all the mem- bers of the Anniversary Committee and their friends for their assistance in gathering data for this booklet. Any errors or omissions are unintentional, and the Rector would welcome any other additional information to file for future reference.
REV. WALTER MALCOLM HOTCHKISS, S.T.B.,
The Rector.
HECKMAN BINDERY, INC. Bound-To-Please®
2000
N MANCHESTER, INDIANA 46962
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