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As recorded by the Greenbank Women's Institute:

I think that must be how the Ladies Aid had its beginning - a simple case of need, or as they say now, supply and demand - only when the demand arose the ladies aid supplied.

Record books cannot be located but these items were noted in church minutes and local news.

May 11, 1917 - The Ladies Aid met at the home of Mrs. T.E. Cragg last week and the following officers were elected for the year.

President - Mrs. Wm. Real
Vice President - Mrs. Geo. Lee
Secretary - Mrs. F. McKague
Assist. Sec. - Mrs. Lou. O'Neill
Treas. - Mrs. T.E. Cragg

Feb. 11, 1927 - The Ladies Aid was given permission to remove carpets and other fittings from the Presbyterian Church.

April 4, 1928 - The delegation from the Ladies Aid reported they were ready to proceed with the decorating of the interior of the church as soon as the board gets the church shingled.

March 24, 1930 - The Ladies Aid was given charge of repairs on the inside of the parsonage

In 1937 the Ladies Bible Class was organized in the Sunday School and became known as the Fidelis Class in 1939. Somewhere along the way the Ladies Aid became the Women's Association, probably at the time of the church union or shortly after. The members always kept busy thinking up new ways of making money to pay the bills. In 1935 they had a copper contest where the losers had to entertain the winners. $6.50 and $6.52 was collected. At a fowl supper that year the admission was 40 cents and 20 cents.

The coal oil stoves that were used for heating water for tea and washing dishes as well as for warming food were rather inefficient for fowl suppers, so in 1938 a large Happy Thought six lid wood stove with large oven, warming oven and reservoir was purchased for $5.00 and set up in the wood room. It did the job of a couple of oil stoves and needless to say made the room extremely warm too.

In the past the groups vied with each other to see who could serve the fanciest lunch at the meetings. More often it was almost a full course meal. In 1941 it was decided to serve only three items of food and not to set tables.

In 1942 Mrs. Cecil Phair read a telegram appealing to the ladies to cooperate with the government in the rationing of sugar. We did by serving only one piece of pie at socials. During the war years the ladies did a lot of knitting and packed many boxes for the boys and girls overseas and those serving in camps at home.

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Presbyterian Church
c. 1878
Greenbank, Reach Twp., Ontario, Canada

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Emma Cragg and her two sisters
c. 1910
Greenbank, Reach Twp., Ontario, Canada

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Mrs. William Real (Minnie)
c. 1910
Greenbank, Reach Twp., Ontario, Canada