JOHN BOSLEY spoke to us during the second session at GRAM 2003 on the subject REASONS FOR STARTING A GROUP. The session was chaired by David Bothwell and John spoke extempore in a droll and self-effacing manner
First of all I have to say this is gravely
embarrassing.
I suggested starting a humanist group in Huddersfield, and immediately got whipped up by
Josh and next minute I am asked to speak.
I am down on the sheet as Huddersfield Humanists
and …and… there is none. There are no Huddersfield Humanists. I have to say,
that we are affiliated to the BHA...The thing is, I am totally involved with the BHA and
totally loyal to it and I take ceremonies and so on and… my wife and I said, you know, we’ve got to start a group. That was, I
don’t know, about 18 months ago. So, we
went and looked at some venues.
(sighs) Can’t be bothered. It sounded
like hard work. We haven’t got the energy and we still haven’t.
(laughter)
I am serious. So this is what we did. At the BHA conference these fantastic people here (and others) we were talking about groups and I got all enthusiastic and said, at this working group, right we’ll start a group. And immediately Nina gave me a pound.
(laughter)
Then the Yorkshire officiants met. There are three
of us, officiants, in Huddersfield. I said: I think we’re going to start a group and Ruth, who is the third officiant, said:
OK. I’ll be the treasurer. Well, Nina had given me this pound. So I said: the
fee will be a pound . So I gave this two pounds to Ruth. She said: I am the treasurer. And
so now she’s got these three pounds. A
friend of mine who is in the BHA, who lives in Huddersfield, he sent me a fiver. He said:
I’ll join. So I said: well you can have three years…. if it’s you and your
wife. He said: I am not paying for her. I said: we’ll take it year by year, because I
intend to put the fee up.
This one pound only goes to Darwin Day which is next February 12th. I realise
you have got to make your mind up. You can’t have people renewing their fees at all different times, I am not that
stupid. So we renew our fees on February 12th.
So this pound only takes people to February 12th, but
– I am nearly getting to the
point of stopping – but, the thing is, because we have never had a meeting;
we’ve got no agenda; we’ve got no plans; no venue, I can do what I like. So, I
have affiliated us to the BHA. I have sent fifteen pounds of my own money. It’s
fifteen pounds if you’ve got less than six members, which we have. So we’re a
group – we’re affiliated.
I don’t know where we stand legally because we literally have not done anything. But
we are going to.
I was totally impressed by A.C. Grayling last night - you know you are getting old when
philosophers look young. - He said: the
gravest danger to our world is faith schools. By god it is . You have got to do something
about them and it is getting worse. It isn’t just
this government, but mainly. And then Nina and I sometimes give a talk to hospitals, or to
hospital trainee people in bereavement, and we take ceremonies, and I reckon if you can
say to people, well there’s
a group in Huddersfield - of course it’s no good saying that if you’re in
Sheffield - you’re going to get
somewhere and my aim is to get some… members.
As I say we are going to get there eventually, but... I think I’d be better off talking next year.
(Laughter and enthusiastic applause)
John asks incredulously whether anyone has any
questions. Someone mentions giving advice and another asks whether the Huddersfield
Humanists have a website. John’s facial expression says it all.
Barrie Berkley then interjects: I think John is being a bit modest he does actually give talks on Leeds Radio.
John with enthusiasm says: yes, yes, seriously that’s another reason why I thought we have to have Huddersfield Humanists. We write to the papers, because if you write to the Huddersfield Examiner (it’s a daily) it always gets in. I have never had a letter rejected, unless I was attacking Marks & Spencers. And if there’s anything vaguely humanist, Radio Leeds phones me up and it’d be much nicer if I could say I am from the Huddersfield Humanists and then, you see, people are more likely to join.
(end)