Identity area
Type of entity
Corporate body
Authorized form of name
Anglican Church Women. Diocese of New Westminster Board
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
1904-
History
The Woman's Auxiliary of the Diocese of New Westminster was organized in 1904 as the New Westminster Branch of the Woman's Auxiliary to the Missionary Society of the Church of England in Canada. Before the establishment of the first Diocesan Woman's Auxiliary Board, there were five branches in existence in the Diocese. Until 1947, the Woman's Auxiliary Board was auxiliary to the Missionary Society. In 1947, it became auxiliary to the whole of the Anglican Church of Canada (then called the Church of England in Canada). Following proposed amendments to the Constitution (June 1963), the society changed its name to "Woman's Auxiliary of the Anglican Church of Canada, Diocese of New Westminster" (1966). The role of the Woman's Auxiliary includes: the supporting of missionaries, fundraising for charities, direct involvement for charitable programs (such as clothing for arctic communities), and the running of Christian children's groups (similar to Girl Guides). In the 1960's and 1970's, missions work scaled back, and the children's groups were disbanded. Involvement in charities and social issues still continues, as well as interest in feminist issues. As mentioned in the 1963 constitution, the Woman's Auxiliary Board also assist the parishes "to enlist the interest and active participation of women and girls in the missionary, educational and social work of the Church". The Diocesan divisions of the Woman's Auxiliary were initially represented by a national board. This body was replaced in 1973/1974 by the national Women's Unit, which was integrated into the national church as a whole. The National Women's Unit was disbanded in the early 1990, leaving Diocesan divisions to manage their own inter-divisional co-ordination. Within the administrative structure of the Diocese of New Westminster, the Woman's Auxiliary has its own board, and functions with a certain degree of independence. It does, however, report to the Diocesan Programme Committee and it must report annually to the Diocesan Synod. The board is composed of the Directors (President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer), chairs of standing committees and other elected officers. The Diocesan Woman's Auxiliary board co-ordinates, to a limited degree, the parish Women's Auxiliary groups. The latter are grouped in six geographical areas. Diocesan-level meetings are held in these areas on a rotational basis. Monthly area meetings were originally held separately from the monthly general meetings, but the two were combined in the early 1990.