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Winston Churchill said in 1940, in a speech to the House of
Commons:
We don't
live in the past, but we do learn from the past! A sense of
history--a sense
of our past--is vital to our becoming a whole person. Conversely, a sense of
the history of Miss Sallie Stuart, our Founder, is vital to our wholeness as
Episcopal Church Women. Miss Sallie pushed the past into the present and the
present into the
future, with her Visions, Hopes &
Realities. Her devotion to God's
work was deep
and lifelong.
In 1872, the
National Woman's Auxiliary to the
Board of Missions was established, and Missionary Societies were organized throughout Virginia by Miss Sallie Stuart
and others. Building on this, the
National Woman's Auxiliary was
formed. (As an aside,
the UTO was founded in 1889 and known then as the United Offering. It paid the
salaries for many of these women missionaries, since these Missionary
Societies had no money for this purpose.)
In 1888, Miss Sallie was horrified to learn that Virginia was one of just
seven Diocese to
have no Woman's Auxiliary, the
precursor of our ECW. Miss Sallie, along with
Miss Louise Taylor of Norfolk, visited the Bishop of the Diocese of Virginia
in person,
and asked if they
could call a meeting to form a Diocesan Woman's
Auxiliary, using
the many already organized mission branches. The Bishop was
quoted as saying, "The time is not ripe for organized woman's work."
Well, Miss Sallie and Miss Louise quickly changed that!
And in 1892, the Woman's
Auxiliary of the Diocese of Virginia was formed. Two years later, our Diocese
split into two
Dioceses, and Miss Sallie Stuart, on demand from all the Auxiliaries, became
President, Secretary and Treasurer for life, until her death in 1916. This
demand, in
fact, was put in the first constitution!
What a lady Miss Sallie was! She forged forward, organizing branches in
Parishes and
Missions. In 1910 alone, there were 85 Branches of Adult Women; 46 Junior
Branches with over 1,000 young girls; and 500 Little Helpers (baby branches).
Very little grass
grew under
Miss Sallie's feet. Miss Sallie was
a genteel, forceful, dynamic woman. Her
lifelong motto
was
"A Joy in Service!"
This is duplicated on our Episcopal Church Women's
banner, which was designed by Jeanette Berkeley and Virginia Sales. Joy in Service
is Miss Sallie's legacy to
us, as is her black onyx cross, which is worn by every new Diocesan ECW
President during her tenure.
Miss Sallie Stuart is buried on Wilkes Street in the old cemetery of Christ
Church, Alexandria. Our Episcopal Church has been, is now, and will be forever
full of Miss Sallies!
Anna
Lou Flynn, our
current Diocesan President wears it today.
May God bless
the Episcopal Church
May God bless
the Episcopal Church Women and
May God bless
all of the Miss Sallies...past, present and for all times!
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Episcopal Church Women
