New Book on Alec Harris

Front page of Psychic News today:

THE complete and unabridged biography of the renowned materialisation medium Alec Harris has been published for the first time.

An abridged version of the manuscript was published in 1980 under the title They Walked Among Us.

A proposal was submitted to the JV Trust (see separate post), which gives financial assistance to worthy causes relating to Spiritualism.

The Trustees agreed that the publication of the full version of the manuscript is long overdue, and that consequently the Trust would underwrite the costs of publication,

‘Alec Harris – The full story of his remarkable physical mediumship’ (253 pages) is available from PN Books by post priced at £9.99, plus £2.40 postage and packing UK, £3.25 Europe and £5.55 rest of the world.

The JV Trust was created by Roy and Christine Wandless whom I knew very well and had many conversations with them at Stansted Hall when they regularly attended weeks run by Gordon Higginson. They were one of the few couples I met who had known Arthur Findlay.

They often discussed their intention to set up a trust named after two of their children who had preceded them to the Spirit World. In fact all their children suffered from the same condition which took them all to the Spirit World before their parents.

The JV Trust was endowed with at least £8,000,000 (eight million pounds) and is managed by four trustees and a solicitor.

The income from investments and bank accounts is used to finance significant activities including the annual JV Trust Weeks' held at the Arthur Findlay College at Stansted Hall, Stansted Mountfitchett, Essex, the centre of the Spiritualist National Union.

These events include a number of healing sessions in the programme and lectures directed to widen the knowledge and the influence of Spiritualists.

It is known that financial assistance is available to persons of limited means.

In addition, contributions are made to the Bursary Fund of the Ministers Administration Committee, to assist the training and advancement of potential Ministers and Officiants. Training programmes are wide-ranging and include `Basic Media Training'.

At its regular quarterly meetings and at ad hoc meetings in-between, the trustees consider a large number of wide-ranging requests from churches within the Spiritualists National Union and this has been especially important over recent years to assist churches with their compliance with the new disability legislation in relation to access to buildings and facilities therein.

Applications for financial assistance from individuals are also considered on a regular basis.

The trustees and the trust solicitor are always available by letter and /or telephone to give information and advice.

Churches are informed that in order for any request for financial help to be considered, they must supply accounts for the last three years audited or signed off, together with competitive estimates for the works proposed.

The trustees' consideration of all requests is carried out on a stringent basis and if appropriate, requests are refused, particularly if it is clear that other resources are available.

The trustees feel that regard must properly be given at all times to the most urgent requests.

The cost of the 'JV Weeks' is met by the trust but, in addition, 'Reunion Weeks' are also organised for people who have previously attended and wish to do so again.

These are self-funding, but the J V Trust sponsors the cost of the tutors.

The trustees see their role as `Encouragers' and work with the President and other Officers of the Spiritualists National Union.

The trustees in the year ended 5 April 2006 gave financial assistance to churches and individuals totalling £28,162. In addition £305,354 was donated to the Arthur Findlay College itself, primarily for the maintenance and refurbishment of the fabric of the Hall, it being the place very close to the hearts of the late Mr & Mrs Wandless, who were regular visitors and participants in activities there.

Particular projects at the Hall to date financed by the trust have been a new roof a substantial donation to a new main drive, replacement of the many windows, construction of the new boundary wall and the establishment and ongoing support of a market garden project on the site, including the payment of the wages of the workers employed there.

Substantial grants have been given, over the years, to the Arthur Findlay College for maintaining the fabric of the building

The latest published accounts show that the total income for 2007 and 2008 totalled £644,264.00 and expenditure in the same period totalled £252,696.00.

This is taken from Chapter 12:

When Christmas came around each year we held our Christmas circles. One year we were asked to give a circle at a place approximately a hundred miles away from Johannesburg. We agreed to the request provided those attending the séance brought the toys to decorate the tree, which after the Spirit children had their fun playing with them, would be distributed among underprivileged children, bringing to them all the love which the Spirits had instilled into the toys during the circle.

There were present fifty sitters, doctors, lawyers, and many well known people of the district, and a great number of lovely toys were provided. The little Spirit children of all ages had a wonderful time playing with them excitedly around the tree. I had stipulated that no toy guns were to be among the toys as the bangs caused by these could distress the medium.

At some stage during the proceedings I could feel someone fiddling under my chair, and when I enquired, “What are you doing under there?” The red light of a torch flashed on to reveal Ginger in the process of extracting a toy gun from under my seat. Where it had come from I have no idea for it was not there when we prepared the room. But there it was, and Ginger ran around having enormous fun firing the gun and shining the red torch alternately. In the dull red beam of light from the torch we could see six or seven little Spirit children around the tree, all busily and noisily blowing bugles, beating drums, playing mouth organs, winding up or pushing along whining mechanical toy trucks and cars, or pulling crackers and throwing streamers. Besides the unknown Spirit children, quite a few loved ones also materialised or spoke through the trumpet or cone.

Suddenly a small voice piped up right beside me. “I want to speak to my Mummy and Daddy,” it said. “Darling,” I replied, “you know where they are, you can see them plainly, can’t you?” A moment’s pause followed, then the child whispered, “Yes.” “Well then, dear,” I said, “you go over and speak to them. It will make them very happy.”

I saw the trumpet float over to the other side of the room and come to rest in front of a man and woman. We could then hear the same little voice pleading; “Please Daddy you must not cry any more. I am all right now.” There was an audible intake of breath from the man; it could have been a sob. “Oh please, Daddy, don’t cry,” went on the little child, “I am here beside you.” The child had now materialised beside his parents. “Feel my head and face Daddy; it is quite better now.”

The man put out his hand and felt the tiny head, and then the face. He said something to the child which was inaudible to the rest of us in a voice choked with emotion, and I knew that he was quietly crying. “Don’t cry any more Daddy. I want you to be happy,” pleaded the little one again, and then the child was gone. It was a heart-rending incident always to be remembered.

Afterwards I heard from this man the tragic story. He had gone into his car one morning before work, unaware that the little fellow had followed him to the garage. He had reversed out of the garage, running the vehicle over the child who could not be seen from his position in the driving seat, and his little son was crushed to death. Terrible injuries had been inflicted on the little boy’s head and face, and the horror of these, and the fact that he had caused them, had remained to torment the poor father night and day until he was but a shadow of his former self through his unbearable guilt and grief.

As he spoke to me he actually smiled and said that he felt better than he had done since the accident. Speaking to his little son had been the most wonderful thing that had ever happened to him and he felt that this would help him to face up to life again. The incident was all the more convincing because we knew nothing of this tragedy.

In this extract Louie writes about her guide White Wing:

White Wing, aware of my fears, always materialised early in the circle. He would stand towering above us, his feathered headdress almost level with the top of the cabinet; a tall magnificent figure draped in white ectoplasmic robes. Slowly he would turn from side to side, then completely around, so that all could see that he was fully formed in every detail. Then he would put out his arms to me saying, “Come, Faithful!”

As I stood in front of him I barely reached up to his chest, so tall was he. I could so clearly discern his Red Indian features as I gazed up into his face, the high cheek bones in a lean face clean-cut jaw, and prominent aquiline nose, altogether a strong face. Then he would turn me around to face the sitters.

As I stood there with my back to him, he would raise both his arms high so that the folds of his robe would hang from his arms like two huge white wings. Then he would enfold me, so that only my head could be seen against his chest above the folds and drapes of his white robe, his own dark magnificent head above mine, surmounted by the impressive Indian Chieftain’s headdress with feathers trailing down his back to the floor.

I cannot put into words my feelings at these times. I felt inexpressibly close to this Guide of mine, and trusted in him implicitly as he said in his deep and resonant voice, “Faithful, White Wing here to help you.”
Through the years he remained a pillar of strength to me, always imparting sound advice. He always urged us to reach for the highest, to strive to develop our spiritual rather than our psychic gifts.

To illustrate the meaning of this entreaty, I remember how he uttered these memorable words: “White Wing say the ‘phenomena’ of what you call Spiritualism is the ‘Door’: the ‘philosophy’ is the ‘Hall’: but we want you to come into the ‘Dining Room’ and partake of the ‘Food’ the Great White Spirit has prepared for you. So many people are content to remain at the ‘Door’. The Master Jesus attracted multitudes by performing miracles, but when they were gathered around Him He preached to them of Spirit. So we come to demonstrate phenomena, but we expect you to go forward, to search, to learn more of the Great White Spirit.”