In brief: The Jersey branch of the Royal British Legion Women’s Section has marked 100 years of service with a special afternoon tea, held at the very location where it all began. The centenary celebrations continued with a service at the Town Church, including the dedication of a new standard.
A Century in the Making
One hundred years is a long time in any organisation’s life, and the Jersey branch of the Royal British Legion Women’s Section has every reason to raise a teacup in celebration. On Wednesday 14 October, members gathered for a special afternoon tea to mark the centenary of the branch’s very first committee meeting, held in October 1926 at La Haule Manor, the private home of its first chair.
The choice of venue was no accident. Returning to La Haule Manor for the occasion gave the event a pleasing sense of historical symmetry, connecting the women of today directly to those who sat around that first committee table a century ago. Chair Jean-Marie Gavey described the gathering as a “memorable occasion” celebrating the branch’s centenary, and thanked La Haule Manor for hosting members and providing the afternoon tea, according to Bailiwick Express.
A Century of Remembrance and Community
The anniversary offered members a moment to reflect on the considerable contributions women have made to the Legion and to the wider Jersey community over the past hundred years. It is a story of quiet dedication, sustained across generations, through wartime and peacetime alike, through social change and the particular challenges that a small island community brings.
The work of those who have helped keep the organisation going through the decades was also acknowledged, a fitting tribute to the many volunteers whose names may not appear in the history books but whose efforts have kept the branch alive and purposeful.
The Celebrations Continue
The afternoon tea was not the final word on the centenary. Celebrations continued this weekend with a further event at the Town Church on Sunday 18 October at 12.30pm. The service was to include the laying down of the old standard and the dedication of a new one, a ceremony rich in symbolism, marking both the weight of history and the branch’s commitment to carrying its mission forward into the next hundred years.
Source: Bailiwick Express
