Civic Sunday

TOWN COUNCILLORS and others who run our affairs will soon be gathering at the Abbey Church for the annual Civic Service, an occasion that has become part of the mayoral year yet is comparatively new in the calendar of official events.

It originated with one man who did so much for Bourne and who went to great lengths to ensure that elected councillors involved in the decision making process did not lose touch with those who put them in office by creating sufficient opportunities to bring both together on religious and social occasions.

Jack Burchnell (1909-73) was born and brought up in the town and devoted a quarter of a century to its interests, most notably by saving the Red Hall from demolition, although the list of his achievements is memorable, not least for instilling a new sense of civic pride in the community. He sat as a member of Bourne Urban District Council continuously from 1948, being elected chairman twice, in 1955-56 and again in 1967-68, and in May 1969, he was presented with a silver salver to mark 21 years as a member of the authority and in recognition of his public service by his successor, Councillor Ted Kelby (see picture above).

The first Civic Sunday was held in 1967 and it was so successful that its future was assured. The following year, when the event was held on Sunday 9th June 1968, the Vicar of Bourne, Canon Hugh Laurence, outlined the aims of the event during his address to a packed congregation at the Abbey Church. "Only when government and religion become two sides of the same coin can society become healthy and happy", he said. "Since people get the kinds of governments they deserve, it matters supremely what kind of people we are."

The event that year began with a procession led by parade marshal Reg Chapman and headed by the band of the Boys' Brigade with the chairman of BUDC, Councillor Ted Kelby, and Councillor Harold Scarborough, chairman of South Kesteven Rural Council, at the front together with other councillors, magistrates and officials followed by representatives of various organisations in the town such as the Round Table, the Rotary Club, Fire Brigade, St John Ambulance Brigade, the Red Cross, girl guides and boy scouts, Bourne United Charities, the British Legion, WRVS, police and special constables and the Royal Naval Association.

The various delegations assembled in the Market Place [now the town centre] and then marched down South Street and Church Walk to the Abbey Church where the lessons were read by Councillor Kelby and Mr Frank Mason, clerk to BUDC. After the service, the parade reformed and moved off to the Corn Exchange for an informal gathering over coffee and biscuits.

The Civic Sunday we have today no longer includes a parade through the streets but the enthusiasm of councillors has been no less evident, usually gathering outside the church and then walking in procession down the aisle to their places in the front pews after the congregation has already assembled, and this will be the arrangement when it is held this year on Sunday 17th June with the new mayor, Councillor Jane Kingman Pauley, in attendance.

Jack Burchnell was also the inspiration behind the civic dinner and ball, now an annual occasion that gives the mayor a chance to thank those who have been of assistance during their year in office. In the past, it has been a civic ball but this year the format was changed and instead of dancing after dinner, there was an hour or so of entertainment by budding musicians.

The event has now been held for almost 40 years, having been established by the chairman of the former Bourne Urban District Council, Ted Kelby, who wanted it to become the main occasion in the town’s social calendar. The idea, however, originated a year before when Councillor Burchnell was chairman and at the end of his year in office, he arranged what he called “a civic function” to which all organisations in the town were invited, including commercial, business and industrial undertakings The following year, the event was put on an official footing by his successor when Councillor Kelby organised the first civic ball at the Corn Exchange in 1969 after a busy year in office when he and his wife Dot had been attending functions at the rate of almost two a week.

He enrolled officers from the council to assist with the arrangements and the ball on Friday 14th March was a resounding success with 200 guests, headed by the local MP Mr (later Sir) Kenneth Lewis, and Councillor Harold Scarborough, chairman of South Kesteven Rural Council. A young girl was on hand with a tray full of red carnations, handing one out to each lady as she entered the room. “This is the first ever civic ball”, he said in his speech, “and with your help this function will not only be successful but will also remain so in the future.”

Bourne Urban District Council ceased to function on 12th March 1974 under local government reorganisation and its duties and responsibilities were handed over to South Kesteven District Council and the newly formed parish council which, because of its historic status, was given the status of a town council with a mayor, also taking over the old coat of arms and successive first citizens have observed the tradition of the civic ball every year since.

Jack Burchnell died at the Butterfield Hospital on 8th June 1973, aged 64, and his funeral service was followed by cremation. Family and friends remembered him by presenting a large bible inscribed with the important dates in his life to the Abbey Church and which is now kept on the lectern where it is used for reading the lessons. His service to Bourne was immeasurable yet there is no memorial to him in the town, not even a street named after him. Perhaps this is the time for those who have succeeded him in the council chamber to remedy the omission.