Beyond the Flickering Candle: an evening with The Guild of Young Freemen
It feels like the aftermath of a whirlwind as I attempt to recall and report on the events of last evening. An evening of such tremendous fun as we hosted some forty members from The Guild of Young Freemen in the company of our own younger members and others young at heart.
(Left to right) John Lam (Upper Warden, Guild of Young Freemen), Barbara Hearne OBE, Grace Abba (Master, Guild of Young Freemen), Tim Maile (Deputy Master), Bee Rowlett, Rafael Steinmetz Leffa (Middle Warden, Guild of Young Freemen), Past Master (and Past President of the former Society of Young Freemen) Peter Tompkins
The Great Hall looked as resplendent as ever, thanks to our Beadle Stanley, with candlelit tables set for almost seventy diners. As the evening progressed and the gentle chatter gradually crescendoed into laughter, cheering and clapping as we got to know each other (maybe it was this that made the candles flicker?) it was clear that the spirit of good fellowship was very much among us.
After the Deputy Master had welcomed everyone to the Hall, Liveryman and current Guild Freeman Tim Evans gave an eloquent promotional address on the Wax Chandlers, which was followed by our two guest speakers: writer and broadcaster Bee Rowlatt and former government policy advisor Barbara Hearne who spoke about the life and times of Mary Woolstencraft and the campaign to memorialise her.
“Mary who…?” you may be wondering. She was only one of our greatest philosophers from the 18th century and considered the mother of feminism, fighting for human rights and education for all! As Bee reminded us, one of Mary Woolstencraft’s greatest assertions from her work A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792) was “I do not wish [women] to have power over men; but over themselves.”
It’s an inspiring statement and one that clearly chimed with everyone present and what we as Wax Chandlers aspire to with our Diversity Charter. Sadly for Mary, her views were too far ahead of her time and she was essentially “cancelled” in modern parlance. But her legacy is now very much alive and in 2020 the Woolstencraft Society’s dream to memorialise her was finally realised with a statue for Mary (notice not “of”) unveiled in Newington Green.
Bee Rowlatt delivering her address “Bringing human rights into young people’s lives – What Mary Wollstonecraft achieved in her short life and why it is so important right now”.
So why the title “Beyond the Flickering Candle”? That’s down to us and how we carry forward Mary’s legacy!
My thanks to the Master, Tim Evans and others within the Wax Chandlers’ Youth Diversity and Inclusiveness Group for bringing us all together and making the evening such a success.
Tim Maile
Deputy Master
3rd July 2024
Sillett Photography