The Young Women's Guild was formed under the auspices of the John Street United Church in Belleville, Ontario in 1931. Its aim was "to study and discuss current topics in the light of the principles of Jesus' teaching". Members prepared talks on topics of interest to members and a guest speaker was invited once a year to address the group. During the Depression they organized a School for Leisure in the church hall, as a place for people to meet and learn basic skills such as knitting, nutrition, carpentry, sewing, and bookkeeping.
The name of the organization was changed at the 29th March 1950 meeting to the Women's Guild.
The future of the Guild was discussed at a meeting held on 28th September 1998, when it was unanimously agreed that the Study Guild should cease to exist. The remaining funds of the organization were donated to Eastminster Church.
Published
Minutes, texts of talks and financial records of the Women's Study Guild, originally formed at the John Street United Church in Belleville, Ontario.
Donated by Carol Proctor (daughter of Lois Wishart) in September 2016. Additional materials were received from the same donor in May 2018.
Published
Nine files of minutes and news clippings relating to meetings of the Women's Study Guild:
1) 1936-1939
2) 1939-1944
3) 1945-1955
4) 1955-1959
5) 1959-1966
6) 1966-1972
7) 1973-1982
8) 1983-1989
9) 1990-1998
Published
Account book and lists of members. Nine cards with lists of presidents (1931-1981, updated to 1990) and members, perhaps made for the 50th anniversary celebrations in 1981.
Lois Wishart was a resident of Belleville, Ontario and an active volunteer in the community. She married George Wishart in Pointe-Fortune United Church on 5th June 1929 in Quebec. She was president of the Women's Study Guild in Belleville several times in the history of that organization and looked after the group's archives when it was disbanded.
Published
1) Texts of talks delivered by Lois Wishart at meetings of the Women's Study Guild. Topics include:
* Christmas carols
* The problem of farm surplusses
* Social security - bane or blessing
* Communications
* The problems of housing
* Crafts
* Libraries
* Women - yesterday and today
* The penal system
* World religions
* History of Belleville
2) Files on various topics discussed by the Guild:
1) Status of women in Canada, including 'Orders of the Minimum Wage Board regarding the Employment of Women in the Province of Ontario', 1929; 'The Rights of Women by Anne Francis, Behind the Headlines September 1950; 'Citizen's Forum, December 7th 1950, Equal Pay for Equal Work: Are Women Getting a Fair Deal?' published by the Canadian Association for Adult Education; circulars from the Canadian Committee on the Status of Women, 1954, 1956
2) Conservation, including clippings, 1950-1990
3) Notes on Lois Wishart's maternal grandmother, Louisa Mary Watson, born 1855 (written in 1967)
4) Notes for discussions on water, 1981-1989, including 1954 booklet on 'The St. Lawrence... River of Tomorrow' reprinted from February 1954 issue of Ontario Hydro News
Published
Press clippings relating to the Women's Study Guild.
Published
Photographs of women at a Women's Study Guild meeting.
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Banner celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Women's Study Guild, audio recordings of the 60th anniversary, with programmes and invitations for the event.
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Four published books:
1) 'John Wesley - Christian Citizen' by E. C. Urwin and Douglas Wollen (1937)
2) 'The Methodist - a Survey of the Christian Way in Two Centuries' by Henry Carter (1937)
3) 'Youth and Anti-Semitism' by W. W. Simpson (1938)
4) 'James Shaver Woodsworth, untypical Canadian' by Frank H. Underhill (1944)
Published
Typescript constitutions of the Women's Study Guild.
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Notes on the history of the Women's Study Guild and lists of the topics studied by the group between 1931 and 1990.
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Lists of members, with addresses and phone numbers for:
* 1936-1937
* 1965-1966
* 1976-1977
* 1980-1996
Published
Correspondence relating to three children sponsored by the Women's Study Guild through the Canadian Save the Children Fund.