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The Ecclesiological Society

For those who love churches

Volunteers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are a number of ways you can become involved with the Ecclesiological Society. We are always looking for new members.

These two vacant positions are critical to the running of the society, without which we would need to contemplate curtailing some of our activities:

Events Administrator

This role has been fulfilled with efficiency and charm in recent years by Christopher Moore, and many thanks to him for his hard work and companionship along the way. A number of changes have taken place at our usual home for the AGM and Conference – the St Alban’s Centre in Holborn – which mean that the role has evolved in a number of ways. The new Events Administrator will be responsible for booking and managing the relationship with:

  • Our two regular venues – the St Alban’s Centre in Holborn, and the Art Workers’ Guild in Queen Square;
  • Our caterers; and
  • Our IT and live-streaming provider.

Our relationship with all four partners is routine and well-established, and this part of the role is mainly about being efficient and making sure the right bookings are made in good time. It should be emphasised that managing the relationship with the IT partner involves minimal IT knowledge on the part of the Events Administrator.

The Events Administrator will also be responsible for liaising with the organisers of the AGM & Lecture, the Conference, and the Dykes Bower Memorial Lecture. These will provide the Administrator with the materials needed for:

  • Preparing the advertising flyer and sending it to our distribution agent to post it out;
  • Setting up the online booking details on Eventbrite and managing queries that arise;
  • Liaising with colleagues for the event details to be uploaded to the Society’s website, newsletter, Twitter and Facebook account; and
  • Monitoring bookings as they come in and (for the conference) preparing name badges.

The role needs someone who can take on responsibility, and see things through. No expert knowledge of churches is required.

Visits Secretary

Our late friend and colleague Geoff Brandwood briefly took on the role of Visits Secretary, and we now need to find a successor in this role.

The Visits Secretary prepares and manages the programme of evening and day visits or tours to churches and other places likely to be of interest to members of the Society. This involves:

  • Having the lead responsibility for generating ideas for the visits programme, but drawing on Council colleagues for suggestions as well;
  • Approaching the clergy and laity of the churches concerned, some of whom can be senior figures, to propose and discuss how we might visit them;
  • Preparing the flyer giving details of the visits programme as a whole;
  • Setting up the online booking details on Eventbrite and managing queries that arise;
  • Liaising with colleagues for the visits details to be uploaded to the Society’s website, newsletter, Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook accounts; and
  • Being the welcoming face of the Society on the day of the visit to greet attendees as they arrive, and ensuring the smooth running of the visit.

Visits are predominantly in the South-East at present, but the new Visits Secretary will also look at arranging visits elsewhere in the country, possibly in co-operation with other members of the Society.

The role of Visits Secretary does require knowledge of churches and awareness of the type of visit likely to appeal to members.

Both these posts are important for the continuing success of the Society. At present, these roles will not the volunteers to be members of Council, though they will be encouraged to attend Council meetings (either in person or via Zoom), which take place four times a year. Does either of these roles fit your interests and experience? Please get in touch with chair@ecclsoc.org if you are interested or if you would like to know more. Also, please do circulate the details around your own networks.