Here is this year’s Garden Party Programme 2013!

With over 150 guests served in the Tea Room and the parking lot filled by 11:45 A.M., thanks to the assistance of our authentic Bobbie, this year’s Garden Party enjoyed perhaps its biggest attendance ever. It was a fine hour for St Stephen’s congregation and volunteers.

Here’s how events unfolded:

The planning of the Garden Party started months ago when Donna Szper turned over her detailed operating history to the fledgling Parish Life committee managers. A first move was to track the event on project planning software, set up by Bill Hawkins. Other planning committee members included Annie Hawkins, Don Ruthig, and Dick Huffman, with Martha Miller and Priscilla Huffman serving as co-chairs for the Garden Party.

With this strong start, the volunteers, many with years of Garden Party experience, picked up the project, and momentum rolled from there. The Parish Life meetings afforded volunteers a chance to put forth their ideas and suggestions, all of which were welcomed.

The week before, many hands helped with pricing jumble, decorating, baking, making signs, erecting the tents in our new layout (and testing some bottles of Harp in the process!).

The Garden Party was opened by our Master of Ceremonies, Dan Bursi, who also served as the jester. The John F. Nicoll Pipe Band piped in King Henry (Fr. Jon Filkins), Archbishop Thomas Cranmer (Fr. Rhae Kelley), and our rector, Fr. Guy, who provided the invocation. The traditional English atmosphere was continued as the maypole dancing activity provided by the Baltimore Folk Music Society kicked off the afternoon fun. Garden Party guests were invited to join in celebrating the month of May with a traditional maypole dance.

Always a favorite, the pipe band held everyone’s attention as they paraded in again to offer many familiar and traditional pipe band airs. Madrigal singing was provided by Camerata Musica, dressed in full renaissance costumes.

Guests wandered the green visiting our many booths. Books were a bargain buy, as well as lovely British prints and items offered by the Daughters of the British Empire. Our “”Best of British” flower show theme was carried out with 16 creative and humorous entries.

Many a pint was enjoyed at The Barley Mow, our new authentic British-style pub crafted (along with the wheels and maypole) by our creative Don Ruthig.

The younger guests enjoyed the Bouncing Castle, races, games, and face-painting. We thoughtfully added a parent lounge this year located near the new gym equipment which has been installed at the side of the lawn.

The volume of jumble exceeded anything in past years, and required several volunteers to keep up with brisk sales.

New booths this year included the Arts & Crafts table, a silent auction, and a chocolate wheel. A roving card illusionist entertained both children and adults.

Another innovation this year was to expand the offering at the Bake table to provide some smaller portions and items in addition to our cakes. . The Raspberry Crowns sold out, so these may become a popular tradition at both the Garden Party and Cookie Walk.

Very happily, gross receipts exceeded our investment in materials and supplies.

We invite your feedback on continuing to make the Garden Party a successful event. Please e-mail any comments to Dick Huffman at hufdad@comcast.net.

Again, thanks for the extraordinary efforts on the part of our many volunteers. For those who missed out on the fun of preparation and organization, you are invited to join the happy crew next year for camaraderie and fellowship. Priscilla and Dick Huffman

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Actually, the most interesting aspect of National Council meetings is not so much what takes place around the conference table as the people one meets there.

And, perhaps, the most interesting person at this gathering was The Rt. Rev. Michael Gill, Bishop of Pretoria and Southern Africa, and secretary of the Traditional Anglican Communion.

Bishop Gill’s enormous jurisdiction spans many thousands of square miles. It encompasses eight of the Southern African Development Community countries and its members speak at least 30 languages.

Witnessing for the faith in Southern Africa can be a dangerous business. Not so long ago, in South Africa’s townships where murder rates top those of Baltimore, two of his priests were brutally assaulted and a deacon was killed.

Bishop Gill’s jurisdiction is anything but wealthy. A majority of his people are desperately poor, but the parishes are generally large—some with as many as 7,000 or 8,000 people.

“We don’t get a lot of financial help from places like America,” he says, “But you would be surprised how far we can make a little money go. For $50, for instance, I can put a priest in a parish …”

Bishop Gill has little time for the defensive posture of so many American Christians in the face of the constant attacks from secularists determined to drive all expressions of the faith out of the public square.

“[Anglicans] often [seem to believe] that ours is a rearguard action—a last ditch defense; a walling in of what we know and hold dear,” he says, “If that is so then I am afraid that we are all lost. And so is Anglicanism, and so ultimately will be the Christian Faith.”

Evangelism has to be our top priority, he declares, adding: “Father Wellington Murinda, the Vicar General of Zimbabwe, is a true evangelist and a great missionary priest. He tells his men in the field: ‘Don’t speak to me; show me the work.’”

In Southern Africa, as in America and Europe, Islam—fueled by millions of Saudi dollars—is making massive strides particularly among the youth.

“The church has to be on the march against such a concerted onslaught,” he says. “Souls are being lost—and this while we are the ones responsible for this particular era of the Church.

“We have shown that we are prepared to stand up for what we believe, even at great personal cost. But what is needed amongst us is a far more offensive mentality. The first Disciples faced the same difficulties, and yet they triumphed. Should we not be able to do the same?” GPH✠