The Vigil service on Easter Eve (Saturday 3rd April)) is always very atmospheric and I would encourage you to come along and meet to worship in celebration of Easter and renew our baptismal vows together.

Supper is being provided by the Mother’s Union of Ramoan Parish, Ballycastle.

As a Translink bus is being hired, members and others will be able to come along. If interested please contact the President, Molly Finlay (432342) or myself (432676) no later then 7th May so as to confirm numbers.

In February 38 members and friends had tea in the Templeton Hotel then travelled by coach to the Grand Opera House. The evening was enjoyed by everyone.

Our Country and Western Evening was held on 23rd February, which was once again a great success. Our thanks to everyone who assisted before the event and on the night and to all who supported us.

On 26th March the bowlers had a good evening’s bowling at the Baker Stadium followed by a meal.

Bowling continues until the end of April with our AGM on the first Friday in May at 7.30pm.

It was a great pleasure to enjoy the appropriate programme and meet folk over supper, which in itself involved work, which I greatly appreciate. Please thank Jack for his appropriate contribution to the evening; Ronnie for his skills on the ‘whistles’; Mrs Pat McKean for her encouragement to ‘Survivors’ and to the choir for their humorous chant. It was a particular pleasure to see John Houston with the choir. I am grateful to Mildred and the choir for their serious contribution in the conclusion of the evening..

Thank you for the years of friendship and kindness; thank you for the evening and the generous gifts and for Mildred’s beautiful scented flowers.

You will all be welcome at Kilead and Gartree and I look forward to accepting the Rector’s invitation to return when the time is opportune.

Yours very sincerely,

In order to secure theses grants we need to raise a percentage of the total cost, approximately £63000, of which £12000 has already been raised.

We will hold a ‘Gift Day’ this year allowing parishioners to make a donation and the opportunity to covenant. More on that later.

If anyone knows the names of former parishioners or people connected with St. John’s and the Donegore area who might be interested in contributing, please let me or a member of the committee know.

We said a sad farewell to Akela- Willy McDowell on January evening with a presentation in the Parish Hall from the Scout Group and the Select Vestry. The Reverend Stephen Fielding expressed thanks on behalf of the Parish and Mr Stephen Pyper did likewise and made a presentation on the Group’s behalf. The District Commissioner Mr Edwin Mitchell gave a brief account of Willy’s service to Scouting and said he was pleased to have him remain as ADC Cubs for Antrim District.

In reply Willy thanked everyone for their kind remarks and gifts. He wishes Dorothy Berry well as his successor as Cub Leader as we all do. The evening concluded with supper. Willy gave almost 25 years service to the group and will be greatly missed.

Last Saturday 20th March we held a Coffee Morning Bring and Buy Sale. It was well supported by parents and friends and raised the marvellous sum of £330. Our thanks go to all who helped and contributed in any way.

The next couple of months should see us getting out and about for our activities and we’ll keep you posted on that.

St. Patrick’s Day 1999 is worth recording. It was a most beautiful Spring day, mild with uninterrupted sunshine. Perhaps then it was chiefly the weather which brought out twenty-one walkers eager for the trip to Castlewellan forest park.

After a very welcome coffee and bun in the car park while accommodation for lunch was sorted out, we divided into two groups for alternative walks, the short flat one round the lake, the longer steeper one round the perimeter of the forest. Points to note: the smell of conifers (and not lawson cypress); the sight of frogspawn and mating frogs (and not in the same place); some of us taking "time to stand and stare"; others walk very fast. You can decide which pace you prefer.
Our meal at three o’clock in the Hillyard at the entrance to the forest park was very good - I recommend the Irish stew - and made up for the hiccup of finding somewhere which could take the whole party.

There is no doubt, however, that the weather did make the day, and I think we all went home happy.

Our next meeting will be either 1st May, which is a Saturday, or 3rd May, which is May Day. All are welcome to come along, we are not a clique, in fact you might call us a very democratic unorganised (not quite disorganised) bunch; you do not need to be overly fit - we had two in our number with feet in a delicate condition. It does help if we have a good idea of numbers beforehand because while walking is our raison d’être, a good meal takes on greater significance after exercise and we like to make the arrangements beforehand.

(1) Publishing a booklet from a collection of photographs and postcards illustrating the life and times of the village of Templepatrick past and present.

(2) Mounting a photographic exhibition of these in a local venue so as to ensure that as many people as possible have an opportunity to view it.

(3) To place a time capsule within Donegore Parish Church. This will contain articles etc. which will reflect life as it is today within the Templepatrick-Donegore community.

This month’s sites to visit: -

Anglicans Online www.anglican.org/online

Your Parish www.walbridge.u-net.com/church

Then the following was posted:-

‘Paul, an apostle of Christ and a slave of the Lord, to the brothers in Corinth who are using e-mail accounts other than AOL. I will send a separate message to those using AOL accounts, knowing how primitive their e-mail service is at the present time.

This is the third e-mail I am sending to you. Did you receive my other two? I have had no reply from you yet, and a "fatal delivery" error message for the second e-mail, in which I wrote about love, faith and hope. I will send it again, just in case.

I sent my second message to the congregations throughout the whole of Asia Minor, but my service provider considered this to be spamming and closed down one of my accounts.

To those who are using Web based e-mail accounts, I will send Timothy to you with my message on foot. It will get there quicker.

Philemon and Titus send you their love. I found their e-mails amidst a flood of junk mail and get-rich-quick messages, in which there is no real profit.

Look - I hope you don't mind, but I think I'll stick with the parchments next time.’

HISTORY

27 December 1998. Ellen Margaret McCOMB, St John’s, Donegore

6th January 1999. Hanna Victoria FOSTER, St John’s, Donegore

January 7th 1999 - Alfred George NORGARD, 103 Steeple Road, Antrim.

March 1st 1999 - Edward Sydney McCASKEY, 25 Temple Rise, Templepatrick.

The Creche will meet in the Church Rooms a short time after the service begins and parents are welcome to bring their own child to use the facilities there.

For parents who want the opportunity to worship in church and to leave their child/children in Creche we need at least two adults on duty at any one time. So we need volunteers from among the adult members of the congregation.

Those who ‘sign up’ will be briefed in the Church of Ireland Code of Good Practice. Please give your name to me or sign the sheet in the porch to register your interest in establishing a Creche and help make this a possibility.