Susanna’s Last Meeting of the Year

On June 9th, the Susanna Circle met for the last time until September.

It was a lovely picnic at the home of Jan and Don Baker with blue skies and a beautiful breeze. As always, there was a vast selection of food mixed with laughter and a few tears. Lucille Burke, our fearless leader for the six years in total, is stepping down. It is a bittersweet decision. Lucille loves our group and has worked hard to keep us going but it is time for her to hang up her bonnet.

The group, suspecting this exit, gave her a heartfelt round of applause and a parting gift. As only Louise can do, she insisted on honoring Marge Dixon for her thankless work and support over the years as well as our hosts Jan and Don Baker.

Susanna Wesley (1669-1742) could be considered the mother of Methodism, not just because she was mother to John and Charles Wesley. She was an intelligent woman who educated her 10 children at home and devoted an hour each week to each child for private, focused conversation. It was her example of teaching and house groups that would later encourage her sons John and Charles to begin holding similar meetings. Although John Wesley never broke from the customs of his day and did not ordain women, he nevertheless provided many leadership opportunities for women in the burgeoning Methodist movement. (Resourceumc.org)

Thank you Lucille for carrying on Susanna Wesley’s tradition. We look forward to many more years of participating in Susanna Circle as we look for a leader/co-leaders to fill Lucille’s shoes (little as they may be).

Eileen M Brogan