usually held on the weekend preceding Christmas Eve.

On the Saturday night when the actual Christmas Celebration is held, one rule is valid, and only valid for this one night of the whole year. The Christmas Celebration is open exclusively to our Subscribers and no guests are admitted. Two points are achieved by this rule. First, we want this Celebration to be an occasion to show our Subscribers our gratitude for their faith in The Circle and its aims. Secondly, by excluding guests for this one night we achieve the feeling that we are all one great family. Attendance on this exclusive night varies between 250 and 350 Subscribers from such far-away parts of the world as the United States and Canada, who have made it a habit to be present. Thus they are enabled to have a Christmas celebration amongst friends. This "exclusive to Subscribers" naturally makes checking on that night much easier, and enables those of us who do it, to partake in most of what the night holds. At the Christmas Party on Saturday night the whole space of the dance floor is taken up by tables, covered with white cloth and illuminated by candles. To the left and right of the stage are the great Christmas tree and the Colours of The Circle.

It cannot be denied that there is. partly, a different audience on that night. Very many of the close friends of The Circle turn up for this night. They very often are 'old couples' of long standing, happy in living together, and no longer in need of social amusement. Yet, on this night, they are eager to be with us all. Speaking personally, again, it is seeing those 'old couples' which gives one renewed strength to go on with the task we have all set ourselves. There is, after all, constancy, faithfulness, integrityand nothing helps better, than en-

countering these things in fellow human beings of one's own kind, at Christmas.

The Christmas Celebration is usually opened by Rolf giving a short speech of welcome to all present, followed by similar addresses in French and English. After these speeches, a varied programme follows in which a number of our Subscribers take part. Sacred music, the reading of poetry, and singing can be heard, and all join in singing the old beloved Christmas Carols. Last year, a well known Swiss Oratorio singer sang us "Lieder" by Schubert and Hugo Wolf, the words of which referred to friendship, and finished his recital by singing two beautiful Negro Spirituals. It is surprising to discover every Christmas anew, how many really gifted people are among our friends. Between these offerings, there is time for everybody to move around, and greet old friends, and slowly the time draws nearer for Rolf's annual Christmas Speech. I regret deeply that I am unable to quote verbatim from one of his Christmas Speeches. But it is a fact that Rolf never prepares these speeches. I know from long association with him, that this once, Rolf trusts his inspiration and, facing a large and happily relaxed audience. gives us, every year, the very best of all his speeches. At the end, he has a small table set up in front of him, and proceeds to a ceremony, dear to many of us.

To the memory of every Subscriber who has passed away in the course of the year and to the memory of friends, like the late Dr. Kinsey, Rolf lights a candle, saying words of grateful remembrance for those who have died, and whose memory will stay with us. One year there will be a candle for one of our oldest Subscribers, old in years and old as a Subscriber; next, a candle for a 27 year old Subscriber

7