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Dates of creation area
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1929-1986, predominant 1929-1961 (Creation)
- Creator
- United Church of Canada. Woman's Association
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Physical description
3.6 m of textual records
8 photographs
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Administrative 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.
Custodial history
This material forms part of the General Council program of the United Church of Canada Archive.
Scope and content
Fonds consists of eight series: W.A. Dominion Council and subordinate bodies,1940-1962; Records of the Bay of Quinte Conference W.A., 1933-1961; Records of the Hamilton Conference W.A., 1940-1960; Records of the Toronto Conference W.A., 1933-1986; Records of the London Conference W.A., 1937-1963; Records of the Montreal – Ottawa Conference W.A., 1928-1962; Histories of the W.A., 1950-1961; Annual Conferences: United Church Women,1946-1962; Miscellaneous Documents, 1950-1962, and Photographs, 1936-[1953?].
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Associated materials
See related materials in the following fonds: See United Church of Canada United Church Women fonds (523) and Board of Women fonds (507) for successor files. For information on the union of the Association with the WMS, see Woman's Missionary Society fonds (505/1).
See also the following fonds: United Church of Canada Bay of Quinte Conference (Fonds 1000); United Church of Canada Lindsay Presbytery (Fonds 1005); United Church of Canada Guelph Presbytery (Fonds 1013); United Church of Canada Haldimand-Norfolk Presbytery (Fonds 1014); United Church of Canada Hamilton Presbytery (Fonds 1016); United Church of Canada Toronto West Presbytery (Fonds 1041).
See also local church records for Woman's Association records at the local level.