Collection at the war memorial?

[Jamiefraserskilt]

I attended the war memorial event today. Presented by the local church crew. Lots of people that did not attend the services in church but wanted to pay their respects. So church person, finishing up, starts the collection plate amongst the crowd. Aibu to think this was a bit crass?

Depends. The collection plate at our service was going to the royal British legion. So maybe the donations at your event were also going to rbl.

There's also the question of whether the war memorial was on church property. Our old village had the memorial in the graveyard. Tbh I would have felt more rude pitching up to stand at the memorial and not having attended the service in that instance. But I appreciate everyone is allowed to have their own views.

Not on church property and no specific charity mentioned.
Round here, lots skip the church bit and just go to the wreath laying.

As long as the collection was going to be donated to the Legion then don't see the problem.

That's just it. No specific charity was mentioned. If it was rbl then they would have said so.

Ours was for the Royal British Legion.

A collection is an opportunity to give, if you wish.
If you don't wish, then don't give.
However, it isn't crass to give people the opportunity to give, if they wish to.
I do think that it should be clear, before any collection, what it is for.

If it was rbl then they would have said so

Or maybe not. Maybe they assumed everyone knew as that is what they always do.
As I said in my first post, I think all collections should make it clear what they are for, but if they didn't say as opposed to you not hearing / noticing then I don't think you can presume anything.

Sounds like the usual town ones then. I don't know tbh. I don't think I've ever been to a town one where the plate has been passed around (probably for fear of someone pinching it) but I suppose it's no worse than standing outside a supermarket shaking a tin, and Remembrance Day is possibly one of the RBL's biggest incomes so as long as I knew where the money was going, I wouldn't think it crass.

If it is going to the RBL, maybe this was announced earlier on, during the church service, and they didn’t think to say it again.

Maybe. However, there were around 30 from the church service and over 100 at the memorial.

I went to the wreath laying in our village and the memorial is in the church grounds by the old graveyard. There was no collection outside. Whilst everyone is welcome to go to the church service you cannot get in due to the groups of beavers, army cadets, navy cadets etc.

Heligan was open day today for a donation to RBL.

Organisers of event hold a collection.

Pretty damn normal.

If you think it could be done better, you can volunteer to become involved with the running of the event with the aim of taking over and setting a tone you find more appropriate. Or just set up a new event.

Really viper?
Where in my post do I say I could do better?
I merely wondered if I was being unreasonable to think a non specific collection at a war memorial was crass. Clearly yes, from your reaction.

YANBU

I would have asked who the beneficiary of the collection was to be. Pretty sure if all above board that you'd have got a straight answer.

Tonight, I have asked "those in the know" where the collection was going. Two were not sure and one said "remembrance charities" which is what I thought I heard.
RBL were represented and there were poppies being sold both standard paper,
pins and hand made, all marked up for RBL. So seems odd none of them simply said RBL. Perhaps they will split between RBL and veterans associations? Who knows?

At yesterday's collection the scouts were going round with the official RBL collection tins so it was pretty obvious what the collection was for.

We have a woman vicar, and I loved that she added in women and womenkind into every part of the service where it just said men and mankind

Or people insteand of mankind

Could it have been to help pay for the service? Locally our outside rememberence services have to find funds to close the road, there is also the pa system, booklets etc, though they are often donated.

There may have been an announcement during the service that there would be a collection of RBL and not being st the service, you woukdnt know.

I’m not Church of England, my DH and his best friend are both not Christian but we went to the service Sunday and wreath laying out respect this for the event. (I’m not even British).

Think it’s a bit shameful really to complain. As PP, it’s optional to give.

Doing a collection like that at a war memorial is pretty dodgy ground. For charity collections in public places you usually need a licence from the council. All RBL poppy sellers have little ID tags on them. I personally wouldn't give money to a collection if I didn't know where it was going.

Yes, OP, really.

Because complaining about crass elements at your Remembrance Service and you think it could/should have been different.

If you want different, make it so.

Unless of course you really do see now why others think you are BU.

I don't think you are unreasonable. People ought to be allowed to pay their respects without being approached to give money.

There are plenty of opportunities to give money to all manner of causes. It's not exactly difficult to find a way to give to a charity of your choosing. Leave war memorials alone.

Well I don't think it was crass to hold a collection, however it should be made clear what the collection is for. Saying that, I have never been to a remembrance service that has held a collection unless it was inside a church and part of their normal Sunday service.