Episcopal Church Women: The First Hundred Years part 7

Historically speaking, the Depression began in 1929, but its impact was not felt in the Midwest until the thirties. Then the Auxiliary, like every other organization, had financial trouble. For instance, in 1931, it sent only $7000 to the UTO Ingathering at the Denver Triennial and had only $694 in Budget and Dues. That $694, however, was enough to cover the basic scholarship fund, yearbook, library, and general expense. The picture, nevertheless, was not all bleak; indeed, at that time, there were two very bright spots. First, the attendance at annual and semiannual meetings was really large, even though they were frequently held out-state “so that people everywhere have a chance to go.” Excellent people, supplied by the Speakers’ Bureau, addressed them. Second, living in a sea of want—as everyone did—seems to have developed a true sense of compassion in Auxiliary members, so that Box Work was at an all-time high. In 1932–1933, for instance, only two parishes in the entire Diocese failed to send away a Box. One hundred and seventy Boxes in all went to four foreign countries and fourteen states as well as to Diocesan sites such as Sheltering Arms, Birch Coolie, Church Home, etc. Speaking of Boxes—most of the clothing in them was made at home, of material supplied by a local Auxiliary to a member. Sometimes, though, a parish group would be so hard-pressed that it could not afford to buy material. Then, Supply would send some from its shelves. Sometimes, though, Supply could not send anything, even though it was in stock, because it did not have money for parcel post.

Areas of work, other than Supply, also flourished. CPC once again widened its angle of vision and sent print to Poor Farms, Tuberculosis Sanitariums, Orphanages, Transient and Government Camps as well as to missionaries, and the Committee for Isolated and Shut-ins, in the person of its Secretary, made 212 calls, wrote 456 letters, and took 70 bouquets of flowers, from her own garden, to invalids.

In the second half of the decade, people were better off. In recounting her 1936–1937 work, the librarian stated: “The library has not served quite as many people . . . as when . . . times were hard.” As a sign of recovery, perhaps, $1,173.00 was sent for Budget and Dues, and $10,012.17 in Blue Box money was forwarded to the UTO Ingathering at the Triennial in Seattle.

At the same time, Miss Densmore (that industrious and imaginative woman!) moved from CPC to the Department of Education. There, after a preliminary survey of Episcopalians, she developed packets for study on twenty-eight different subjects. Sixty packets were ordered the first year. Later, she undertook a Church in the Home project and developed a Sunday School by correspondence. This eventually became a joint project with the Diocese and seems to have faded when it was no longer one-to-one.

At approximately the same time, the Chairman of Social Services noted: “The purpose . . . of this committee . . . is to serve by directing Christian thinking into fields of Civic Obligation and Social Responsibility.” The Auxiliary, never an organization to stop with philosophy, immediately translated this into action, embarking on a program (among others) of providing layettes for unwed, young mothers whose parents presumably had a reluctant welcome for an illegitimate child (as yet there were no federal programs). They also shared in the first migrant program in the state.

Deaneries in this and the following decades were highly successful. Not only were they liaison between Diocesan Board and parish, but they also offered local units considerable help in programming. The meetings of deaneries themselves were popular. For instance, in 1938, more than a hundred people attended the deanery picnic at St. Mary’s, Basswood Grove.

By the 1940s, economic conditions in the country had generally improved. As for the Auxiliary, its Budget and Dues had increased almost 50% since 1933, although returns were still low. UTO (Diocese of Minnesota) was now able to send $14,478.50 to the Kansas City Triennial; deaneries funded representatives to Carleton Conferences and to the School of Missions; the Girls’ Friendly Society now organized chapters in Minnesota, and six Minnesota women had gone into the mission field—one of them as Chief of Staff at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, Shanghai.