Central Readers' Board

Includes records generated by the Board's foundation and its operational activities. Also includes meeting papers, photographs and artefacts.

The office of Reader was revived by the Bishops at the Convocations in 1866, and diocesan Readers' boards began to come into existence around 1880. There was, however, no central body established until the idea was proposed in the Reader magazine in 1907, with the new body meeting for the first time on 9th May 1908.

The 1921 revision of the Regulations of the Convocations recommended the setting up of a Central Readers' Board to "co-ordinate the organisation in the Dioceses, and to maintain and develop the work of Readers generally, under the authority of the Archbishops and Bishops." The consititution was approved, and the Board formally established with each diocese to be represented by two members, one of whom must be a lay man. Membership of the Board was voluntary, and its work was financed by contributions from diocesan Readers' boards and individual private subscriptions.

The Central Readers' Board provided opportunities for members to meet and discuss common work and problems, and aimed to develop consensus and guidance on matters concerning Readers. The Board administered several different training courses for prospective Readers; the General Readers' Examination, equivalent to the General Ordination Examination for the ordained ministry; and three Continuation Courses, available only to Readers, the fulfillment of which earned the candidate the Archbishops' Diploma for Readers. The Board administered these courses, but the bulk of the work was undertaken by diocesan boards who ran study groups and weekend courses.

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