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The purpose of the UCW is to unite all women of the Congregation for the total mission of the Church and to provide a medium through which they may express their loyalty and devotion to Jesus Christ in Christian Witness, Study, Fellowship and Service.
The UCW is a very active organization where women can join with others in fellowship, mission and shared interests in the growing role of women in the world. Membership is open to all and new members are welcome at any time. Meetings are held the 4th Wednesday of each month in the Memorial Hall.
Meetings Meetings are held the 4th Wednesday of each month at 12 noon in the Memorial Hall. Bring a Bag Lunch, enjoy a special guest speaker or presentation and fellowship. Annual Events March: Bakeless Bake Sale Instead of baking, the price of the goods is collected. Easy for everyone! October: The Mitten Tree for the Snowsuit Fund November & December: United Church Calendar sales The Well and Men’s Mission: Donations may be left in the Chapel room. Used postage stamps: The UCW collects used postage stamps for the Bible Society. Proceeds are used to buy Bibles throughout the world. Please save stamps with 1/4 inch around the stamp, place in an envelope marked Stamps and leave in the Narthex. Ongoing Activities
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A Bit of History
by Wendy Peters
Hospitality and Outreach have been the guiding principles for the ladies of MacKay over many years. In recent years the organization has morphed through name changes. The first group of organized women was called the Ladies Aid and, initially formed as a fundraising group, fulfilled the promise of their name by helping the poor and volunteering their time in hospitals. Jean Crawford, still an active member of the UCW, shares her memories of that time. “Money was made by holding Thanksgiving dinners, Anniversary dinners with two or three sittings! and annual teas, such as the Lilac Tea held on the manse grounds and the Shamrock Tea. The Ladies Aid excelled at the church picnics at Hearts Desire on the banks of the Jock River. The ten yard tablecloths were spread on the grass and laden with goodies. In those days the church kitchen was in today’s choir room but half the size.”
In 1925, when the Ladies Aid became the Women’s Association, only the name changed. Jean remembers, ”When the Memorial Hall was being built the Women’s Association supplied lunches and afternoon snacks for the men painting the interior. At that time there was no kitchen, everything was prepared at home and one time the food was hauled to the church on a toboggan due to a heavy snowstorm”. The present women’s organization called the United Church Women (UCW) was constituted in 1962 with the amalgamation of the Women’s Missionary Society and the Women’s Association. Marjorie Wells remembers, ”A very popular fund-raiser was an evening put together by the son of Eleanor Bates-Dunn. He and his reporter friends presented an evening called Talking Politics where the audience was encouraged to ask questions about the politics of the day.” There were two UCW units in the church at that time – The Marianne Cameron Unit and the Clara Anderson Unit. Each had their own membership and outreach projects. In recent years it was decided to amalgamate the units to reflect the changing times. Every President of the UCW has put their own personal stamp on their term of office. There have been excursions to the National Art Gallery to see the Dead Sea Scrolls and a visit to Government House. Increasingly over the years the focus has been on hospitality and outreach speakers, all to great effect. The ladies of MacKay are creative and hardworking, driven by their unparalleled devotion to the church they love. They up-date and replenish the kitchen, provide Bibles for baptisms, fill the Mitten Tree for the Snowsuit Fund, provide lunches for High Horizons (a MacKay-sponsored group for physically challenged adults), place Bibles in the church in memory of UCW members and cater funeral receptions and special dinners. Over the years thousands of dollars have been donated to community organizations across the city such as: St. Mary’s Home for Unwed Mothers (where the UCW has financed a room), Habitat for Humanity, Water Can, the School Breakfast Program, Operation Go Home, the Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health and many more. Currently, pending the availability of land for building, the UCW has expressed interest in a Cornerstone project that will care and house the older “street women”. As we all get older we become more vulnerable and the women who live on the streets are particularly at risk. If the project goes ahead the UCW would assist in furnishing a room and provide companionship for the occupant. All of the above organizations have sent speakers to our meetings and the interest they generate with questions and answers has been wide-ranging. The UCW meets at 12 noon every 4th Wednesday of the month in the Memorial Hall. After a brown bag lunch, the meeting starts at 12:30 pm. Each member places a donation in envelopes provided and a tax receipt acknowledging the donations is provided at year’s end. This past year Dr. John has attended our meetings which has been very much appreciated. Notices of meetings are in the Church Bulletin – everyone is welcome – we’d love to see you!
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