A CLOSING WORD
[_Kindly written by_ Colonel E.G.F. MACPHERSON, _Senior Chaplain to the
Forces_ (_Church of England_).]
The completion of Mr. Kennedy's account of his work at Boulogne was not
finished ere he entered into his rest. As the senior under whom he
served during the latter part of his term with the Expeditionary Force,
I have been asked to add a few concluding remarks, relative to his
labours from the period his own narrative ends.
Part of Mr. Kennedy's sphere of work lay just outside the Base at a
certain place. Here was erected a camp of wooden huts, occupied by a
considerable number of A.S.C. Dock Labourers. In this camp there was no
building where the troops could pass a pleasant and innocent evening,
nor was there a church within reasonable distance of the place. This, of
course, was naturally a great disadvantage to any chaplain in his
endeavours to get a hold upon the men. Mr. Kennedy felt the need; with
him to think was to act.
He came to me and requested that I should write a letter to him, asking
him (as he was going immediately on short leave to England) to do what
he could to influence friends at home to supply what we both recognized
was a crying need.
Although Mr. Kennedy was only away about a week, he returned with
between two or three hundred pounds, to start the erection of a Hut for
recreational and religious purposes.
The next thing to do was to obtain a suitable site, preferably in the
midst of the camp.
Mr. Kennedy obtained the consent of the Base Commandant, and that of
the officer commanding the camp; the latter especially rendering all
the assistance in his power--particularly in obtaining for us the
services of a competent architect.
Plans were drawn up and approved by me. It was found that the expenses
of the Church Hut would be considerably more than was at first
contemplated: £600, not £400 as we thought. Mr. Kennedy appealed once
more to his friends and to the readers of certain religious papers.
Pecuniary assistance flowed rapidly in, and we were soon assured of
enough money to build a large and commodious Church Hut. There was to be
a large hall, a coffee bar, kitchen, and some small rooms.
Mr. Kennedy, in spite of much other work in which he was engaged, found
time to constantly trudge to and fro to the camp, watching, with zealous
care, the erection of the Hut. No less keen and interested spectators
were the A.S.C. men themselves, for it meant a great deal to
them--somewhere to go to when work was done, somewhere to pass an hour
or so.
Mr. Kennedy's idea was to supply wholesome refreshment, daily papers and
magazines, and games to play. This during the week.
On Sundays the place was to be 'rigged,' as sailors call it, as a
church. It was to be used also for Bible Classes and Instructions.
In wonderfully quick time the Hut was built, and duly opened. This
latter event happened after I was called home on special duty.
Needless to say the Hut has been greatly used, both from a social and
religious point of view; and has been directly and indirectly the means
of much good being done. It is another monument to the life's work of a
noble soul.
Printed in Great Britain by Butler & Tanner, Frome and London.
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