Children's Special Service Mission Coming To Ohope

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 37, 24 December 1948, Page 5

Children's Special Service Mission Coming To Ohope

For a fortnight this summer, after Christmas is over, Ohope beach will see the Children’s Special Service Mission in action for the first time. On many beaches in many parts of the world, the banner of the C.S.S.M. has been flown and has become a rallying point. for Children —on the populous beaches of the British Isles, Australia and Canada, South Africa and India, and even outside the Empire to France or to Peru. • . ’

In New Zealand on six different beaches this summer the C.S.S.M. banner will be flown—on one of these it has been seen almost every summer for the past 17 years. C.S.S.M. stands for Children’s Special Service Mission, as it has done since some 80 years ago the movement had its humble beginning in England. Since that time the movement ehas grown and spread, so that the C.S.S.M. exists today as an interdenominational and international Christian organisation with the object of creating fresh avenues of approach to boys and girls that they may be influenced by the Christian faith.

Each C.S.S.M. is organised and carried on by a leader and woman leader with a team of about a dozen young men and women. Each morning while C.S.S.M. is in operation, a decorated sand pulpit may be seen on the beach, and hearty singing and interesting talks by C.S.S.M. workers are an attraction for the children who gather. The afternoons are filled with ’ games and sports organised by the t&gfP.. Of-% ten evening gatherings alsqy skater; for the children —picture evenings where the • religious film is used or perhaps coloured lantern slides. Children may be seen at such a beach while the C.S.S.M. is functioning wearing the coloured ribbon badge which shows them to be C.S.S.M.’ers, or perhaps also a different coloured badge of merit, which entitles the wearer to the name of Keenite.