Branch News (1962)

Party News from the December 1962 issue of the Socialist Standard

Glasgow Branch. Members have been enthusiastically working hard throughout the year, following up the work done during the Municipal elections, they are carrying on with great energy and success during the Parliamentary by-election at Woodside, Glasgow. Apart from the normal meetings and canvassing, additional meetings have been arranged, and despite the fact that St. Andrews Halls (where a whole series of meetings had been arranged) was burned down a week or so ago, the members quickly arranged other accommodation—at the Woodside Halls—and are carrying on.

The Lewisham Branch series of lectures has got off to a good start. Members have done a great deal of preparatory work. Every weekend since the end of September members have been touring the area posting bills announcing forthcoming lectures and meetings; some sixty or seventy posters have gone up each weekend, all of them written by hand by branch members. Street maps have been made of each part of the local district, and members have covered each area in turn putting printed hand-bills through the letter boxes. The work of organising and advertising the lectures is now beginning to show fruit. Five lectures had been held up to November 12th. At the first one there were four visitors, besides a good attendance of branch members; the visitors returned in the following weeks, together with a steadily increasing number of others, until at the fifth lecture on November 12th, there were fourteen visitors. The Branch room is now getting overcrowded and if attendances continue to increase the Branch will have to consider hiring a larger room. At the first lecture the literature sales amounted to 4s.; at the fifth, they came to 14s. Collections at the first four meetings averaged £1 6s. 0d.; at the November 12th lecture the collection was £2 1s. 6d. And at this same lecture three of the visitors enquired how they should apply to join the Party. Lewisham Branch members are now looking forward eagerly to the meeting at Lewisham Town Hall on November 27th. (This at the time of going to press). The challenge to all other local political parties to debate the Socialist Party of Great Britain at this meeting was printed in the "Kentish Mercury” as a news item.

Coventry Group has been busily occupied “on the canvass” on Sunday mornings. Their method was to call at houses and leave copies of back issues of the Socialist Standard and leaflets and followed up on the third Sunday with the October Standard to sell. The comrades are optimistic that they can work up a good sales result by this method and at the same time they consider it good propaganda to distribute back issues to people who will most likely read them, instead of back issues being left on branch and Head Office shelves. The Group is arranging a combined propaganda/social drive at Rugby one Saturday afternoon, selling literature outside Rugby’s Central Library and having a social at the home of Comrade Skillings (late of London) who has visited the group meeting place and is very impressed with the work being done by the Group members. Another Party member will soon be resident in Coventry and Comrades are hoping that before long the Group will become the Coventry Branch of the SPGB.

Two donations have recently been made to the Party—one from a close sympathiser and associate of Hackney Branch. He is anxious that more copies of the Standard are sold, and he is particularly concerned that there is a deficit balance on the cost and sales of the Standard, hence his donation. The other donation was made to Islington Branch and was sent by workers in the Mount Pleasant Sorting Office. This, and the other donation are of great help to the Party and very much appreciated.

For meetings, him shows and socials, please read pages 191 also the Branch Directory for Branch meeting dates and times, where all are welcome by Party comrades. A new pamphlet—The Case for Socialism has been published by the Party. Price One Shilling. This is a most useful and interesting pamphlet, especially for comrades who are contacting workers who have not yet read much about Socialism.

Annual Reminder. In this, and most issues, is a subscription form for the Socialist Standard. How could one better start 1963 than by being certain that every month a copy of the Standard will be received by a friend or relation. For 8s. which includes postage, this can be arranged. Fill in the form, send the cash to Head Office and the rest is done. Apart from passing on some first class reading matter, one will be helping to sell more Standards and most of all, spreading Socialist propaganda which is the only way to interest workers in Socialism, and, being interested, they will work for Socialism.

Phyllis Howard