At the Unit 76 Convention discussion on children’s classes led to the suggestion that a report on the success of this activity in Londonderry be written for CommuNIque.
Year 2000 - A children’s class open to all was started by Michelle O’Mahony in the Creggan estate in Derry. It attracted on average about eight children every week, all from a Catholic background with the exception of Michelle’s son, Conor. This was a personal initiative of Michelle’s after her intensive yet rewarding Book 3 training in Sweden.
2003 - The Spiritual Assembly met with Michelle. The focus was on unity and the need to expand children’s classes. Everyone was encouraged to support Michelle’s initiative in whatever way they could.
2004 - Michelle moved house and unfortunately the class of four years in Creggan finished. Keith Munro had taken over Sarah Munro’s class in the Bahá'í Centre.
Although Michelle had moved, she tried to stay in touch with her class by collecting the children from Creggan each week and bringing them to her new home. Sadly this was not working so Michelle approached Keith with a suggestion, that they combine the few children they both had left in their classes and have one class in the Bahá'í Centre each week.
WOULD YOU BELIEVE IT! As it turned out, Keith was under pressure with other things and was happy to hand over full responsibility to Michelle. She was delighted, and got together with Mary Ward who had been helping Keith. They discussed ways of expanding the class and making it more enjoyable. It suddenly expanded from six to 13 children, six of them non-Bahá'í. As a result of these developments the Derry Bahá'í Centre was suddenly no longer big enough to accommodate the children's classes!
The lack of teachers was also resolved when seven unsuspecting Bahá'ís in the Derry community had finished Book 3 just one week before the new class was to begin! From this group Michelle was able to extract, with skilful manipulation, new teachers for the classes in rented accommodation in a city centre venue known as the ‘Junction’. There are now three separate classes for the different age groups and enough teachers to meet current needs..Involved in the school are Elizabeth Palin, Colin Palin, Mary Ward, Joan Catterson, Lawrence McMinn, Kevin Proudman and Erin O’Mahony.
Michelle O’Mahony, assisted by Adrian Temple
BACK TO CONTENTS PAGE