reekie

You are too generous VIOLET,
But it must be more than a coincidence that this week the local free newspaper - used to deliver it a year or so ago myself until I fell - has on its front page in large bold print
"1/3 IN POVERTY"
"Over a third of the population of Peterhead is living in abject poverty...." The Editor starts.
I am sorry I have not the technical expertise to transfer it to this post.
A few of the churches are dishing out free or cheap "TEAS" - my wife is away with a friend to one just now.
The editor of the newspaper went on to say that "SOUP KITCHENS" are not the responsibility of the churches but of the local council who all now earn very good salaraies - when I was young in the 1930's they donated their effort and time free for the good of the community?
The Editor goes on to say that he is immediately donating 5% of his council salary (he has just been elected last month.) to start a "BUCHAN COMMUNITY TRUST FUND" which the whole of Scotland shoul;d have done when North Sea oil was discovered and as NORWAY and The Shetland Isles have done.
Billions have flowed through this small country to the hoards of wealth stored in that "Black Hole" they call "The Treasury" in London.
MY MP's words, not mine.
The interest alone from Norway's fund exceeds their GNP which means that it will be self supporting in perpetuity.
Personally, I feel that Boanerges has missed the point. I can assure him or her that no Pastor can guarantee what is going to happen to the funds the Church sends on its way.
I've been there and I've seen it all.
In fact my wife was horrified when sorting out a very large consignments of donations from the USA - some obviouly just bought out of the shops to donate because they were still in their oringinal wrapping and some even had price tags on them - no bar code in those days.
Several missionary wives and their children came in and without a word started to select the best of what fitted them and they needed -???
Then, after filling several large bags, they left without a word to the workers in the shed.
My wife was so incensed that she blew her top and went to see a Dr Carter Morgan who she knew to be in overall charge of this work.
The next day they all meekly tripped back to the shed and deposited what they had taken. AGAIN without a word being said - but there were looks like daggers.
When handing out portions of powder milk to mothers there was a man standing a few yards away from the entrance and the "hungry mothers" went straight to him and sold the "gift!" which he emptied into a large gunny sack before him.
No doubt it was on sale in the Kowloon City Market next day.
Sorry to be so dismal but our government is always boasting that we are the sixth richest nation in the world - it varies - and yet upright decent people who have worked hard all their lives, many never smked or drank, paid their taxes and insurance stamps, and they did devoted their lives to their churches - are reduced to having to beg from the authorities.
The other day I spoke to one female in the Pensions and Benefits Office on the telephone and mentioned that it was considered to be the worst thing that a person could do in the 1930's.
Ask the council for help via "Beveridges Office" - Lord Beveridge was the man who dreamed up the welfare state and over a period of three years constructed a workable plan so that no one should ever want or fear being sick. So the office was always called "Beveridges".
"I can assure you," she said. "that we have moved on from the nineteenthirties."
She was astonished when I replied.
"Well, I can't see it."
So many in this country have lost their lives savings and pensions through no fault of their own. Probably that ONE THIRD applies to the most of the country.
Its a sad, sad sad world.
God bless all.
reekie