Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
The first organization of Woman's Associations dates from Church Union in 1925, but prior to that time the Methodist Ladies' Aid Society had some formal organization in Toronto, beginning in 1913. The purpose of the organization was to deepen the spiritual life of the women of the Church and to promote a programme of Christian fellowship and service, personal evangelism and stewardship. This was defined as assistance to the local minister, visitation, the promotion of Christian education in the home, Sunday School, and general oversight of the furnishing of the manse.
The Association was at first a local and Presbyterial body, the Toronto Conference being the first to organize a Conference-wide Council in 1936. The Dominion Council of the Woman's Association was organized in 1940, as a national voice for the body, but it was not until 1953 that the Council had a full-time Executive Secretary. The Dominion Council was made up of officers (a President, Vice Presidents, Secretaries and a Treasurer), Chairpersons of standing committees, and representatives from the Conference Woman's Associations, along with the Moderator and Secretary of General Council and representatives from several of the Boards of the United Church. Over time committees on Christian citizenship, Christian education, stewardship, devotions, leadership, literature and other areas were developed. It also published The Bulletin, a quarterly report to the membership, from 1954.
The first suggestion that it join with the Women’s Missionary Society in the formation of a unified body of women in the church was made in 1943.
In 1956 the Dominion Council cooperated in the work of the Commission to Study Women's Work in the Church and in 1961-1962 it was dissolved (By this time there were 6,322 associations across the country with 214,000 members). This was part of larger restructuring which also saw the demise of the Woman's Missionary Society, and the creation of The United Church Women as the new organization for all.