Women have played a vital role in the history of St. John’s beginning with Mrs. Frances Church, who was the driving force behind the small group of hardy souls who were the founders of this parish. In Nick Zeigler’s book, Refugees and Remnants, he notes that in 1882 the Ladies Aid Society approached the Vestry for "official sanction for their efforts to build a new church" and that in 1883 they "took on the task of making extensive repairs to the current building," never losing sight of their major goal - a new church in a more suitable location. And indeed they were able to contribute $1,200 - a sizable sum - toward the construction of the present-day St. John’s Church.
Today’s ECW is the direct descendant of that Ladies Aid Society. Their stated purpose is: "to unite the women of St. John’s Episcopal Church in a program of worship, study, service, fellowship, and opportunities for development of ministries which will deepen and strengthen their own spiritual lives and lead them into service for the Church – in the parish, the community, the diocese, the nation, and the world."
Following in the footsteps of their forbears, they have been quite good at raising the necessary funds to meet these goals - but not quite so good at record-keeping. Therefore, the account that follows will be for the most part a personal recollection by a lifetime, long-time member of the parish and those of her mother before her. It is hoped that others who have special recollections of ECW events will contribute them from time to time or make corrections as needed.
My earliest recollection is of my mother’s membership in the St. Agnes Guild -forerunner of our current chapters. During Lent, the members would meet in someone’s home to sew and make aprons for sale for use by the cooks and maids of parish members. Today, the Marie Gregory Chapter makes aprons for sale - for use of parish members who are doing kitchen duty during parish events and fundraisers!
At another time, the St. Agnes ladies served lunch to the Lion’s Club weekly while their regular meeting place was undergoing renovations. The Lions enjoyed it so much that they stayed on for almost a year. The ladies had one idea about how to use the funds from this endeavor and Mr. Poynor had another. Mr. Poynor won!
By the time I came home to teach in 1948, the St. Agnes Guild was no more and there were a number of chapters: the Marie Gregory and Wilmer Poynor chapters met in the morning, St. Anne’s and Bishop Howe in the afternoon, and the Harold Thomas and Business Women at night. Later additions were to be the Joseph Horn, Stephen Skardon, and Mamie Poynor chapters. For many years, the chapter served as the Altar Guild and Flower Deliverers, taking duty a month at a time on a rotating basis. The combined chapters formed the Women’s Auxiliary, which met monthly in the Parish House.
In the late 40’s, the Wilmer Poynor Chapter - with Peg McEachin as the driving force - undertook a plant sale on quite a large scale. The closest large nursery was the Simons Nursery (owned and operated by the grandson of our founder Simons Lucas) in Charleston. So, Peg drove to Charleston, pulling a large trailer behind her car. Several ladies, whom Peg said didn’t care to be seen in "that car with the trailer," followed behind. They brought back a load of azaleas and camellias that sold out in a flash, made a tidy profit for the chapter and their projects, and almost more importantly, began the beautification of Florence. After a year or two of this, Charlie Womack brought the plants in for them and the Womack Nursery came into being - and Florence came into full bloom.
There seems always to have been an affinity between the women of St. John’s and flowers, because for many years the Pansy Sale was the big fundraiser for the year. Who can forget those freezing cold days (it always seemed to be freezing cold with a steady wind or rain on Pansy Sale Day) out at the Florence Mall. This was before you could buy the lovely big blooming plants that we have today, and ours were seedlings in packs of 50 or 100 - yellow, blue, or mixed. They came all the way from Tifton, Georgia, which was quite a haul as Bubber and Meredith Hickey would surely attest to, as they drove the U-Haul to Tifton and back. The plants looked mighty small and insignificant when planted and stayed that way during the fall and early winter months, but oh what a riot of bloom they were come spring.
The Bazaar also came to St. John’s in the late 40’s or early 50’s. The first one was called "Christmas Windows" and featured then as now, lovely hand-made items and delectable edibles. An elegant turkey dinner was served at noon and the men served barbecue in the evening. Once, the men even put on a fashion show themselves, modeling fashionable (?) evening gowns. I can recall the Reverend Louis Haskell saying that the important thing about bazaars was not the money they raised but the fellowship and sense of family in the parish that they created. Subsequent bazaars and fundraisers like the Oyster Roast, Silent Auction, and the Frog and Hog have proved this true time and time again.
To their credit, the more senior members of the ECW have always welcomed younger women, and have been more than happy to see them take on the leadership roles. It was these young women who taught us "old folks" that you have to spend money to make money, and under their aegis we have consistently made more money and been able to do more and more for the parish and for missions at home and abroad.
From all that’s been said it might seem that fundraising is all that the ECW does. Not so! Pastoral care is one of the most important committees of the ECW. In 1999, under the leadership of Rebecca Knobeloch, six teams were formed with each team having responsibility for two consecutive months of the year. It is their responsibility to take meals to members who have been hospitalized and to prepare and often serve a meal at the time of bereavement. We have served lunch on the day of a funeral to as few as 6 and as many as 60. It is, I think, one of the most appreciated things that we do. In addition, Pastoral Care sees that each shut-in is visited on a regular basis.
Over the years, the Spiritual Life Committee has organized quiet days, prayer breakfasts, and seminars - one of the most notable being a two-day event when Susan Yates, clergy wife, and outstanding lay woman spoke to the women of St. John’s and other churches who were mothers of young children, and finally to the entire parish. Her topic was "The Seasons of Our Lives."
Recent fall and spring salad suppers have done much to foster fellowship and service among the women of St. John’s. Each features a speaker from a local agency (House of Hope, Center Day School, Lighthouse Ministries, Pee Dee Coalition, Manna House, etc.) and members bring items needed by that particular agency.
The ECW and its Hospitality Committee have long been known for the lovely receptions they host. They have ranged from receptions for ordinations, dedications, and the bishop and new confirmands to a particularly lovely wedding reception for our beloved sexton, Joe Chaplin.
By one name or another there has always been an ECW committee that has seen to it that funds were allocated to make our church and parish halls lovely both inside and out. Us "long-timers" remember when the Poynor Room was a bare room with cement block walls and linoleum floor and the most ordinary and uncomfortable folding chairs. The ECW transformed it not once but twice into the charming and useful room it is today. They have taken bare patches of grass outside and within a week had a landscaped, blooming garden. And while we were doing such nice things for ourselves, we saw to it that people who had no heat in winter got stoves, and that those who were hungry got food.
Today there are only two chapters - the Marie Gregory and the Mamie Poynor - and the Auxiliary has been replaced by the ECW Board, but the spirit remains the same. We pray together, work together, and play together – all to the Glory of God and for the good and welfare of our parish, our community, and the world.
Betty-Ann Darby
