MUSCULAR Christianity was a concept that formed the basis of British public school education in the nineteenth century and still has much resonance today – the idea that good health is the basis of strong faith.

Sue Adeney, who is the Education Officer for Worcester Cathedral, came to talk to members of Lunch Box on Thursday, October 9 about her experiences as a volunteer at the 2012 Olympic Games; in spite of apocalyptic weather, the talk was well supported.

Sue emphasized the strong Christian influence behind the principles of the modern Olympic Games.

She spoke about Pierre de Coubertin, the Jesuit educated French aristocrat who is regarded as the father of the modern Olympic Games and who arranged the first games in Athens in 1896. He used the Games arranged by William Penny Brookes in Much Wenlock in 1850 as his model

He was deeply interested in education, and, in particular, on physical education and the role of sport in schooling. In 1883, he visited England for the first time, and studied the program of physical education instituted by Thomas Arnold at the Rugby School. At that time, the Games included such associated activities as the writing of poetry.

Sue complimented the organisers of the Games for attaching so much importance to the role of the volunteers with their distinctive uniforms, who carried meeting and greeting duties not only in the Games complex but throughout the capital at stations and other visitor attractions. She was a Games Paster, available to help visitors as and when required.

She mentioned specifically the groups of performers who entertained and reassured commuters whose daily pattern had been disrupted by the crowds attending the Games. They were the major ambassadors of British standards to the thousands of visitors who were attending the Games and, quite often, visiting the country for the first time.

It meant that the legacy of the Games was not just one of organizational excellence, but of a welcoming and relaxed country. The success of the Olympic Games was reflected in the recent Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

The next Lunch Box is on Thursday, October 23 when Robin Radley, from Chiks, will be giving us an update on the children’s homes in Kerala.

Refreshments from 12.30pm, talk starts at one-o-clock and lasts for half an hour

Bring your own lunch – all welcome – no charge.