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How did AWARE get started here in the Kingston area?
A few words presented by convenor Joan Acott at the KINGSTON AWARE CONFERENCE 2006.
In
September of 1999, Joan Irwin & I met with Bishop Peter Mason &
the Diocesan Evangelism Committee headed up by Rev. Maude Parsons
Horst, to discuss AWARE and the reasons we wanted an AWARE Conference
here.
Permission was granted with the condition that we start no sooner than 2001 and that the Conference be self supporting. How ever the Diocese was willing to give us a grant of $1,000.00 as a deposit to secure a venue.
Maude contacted some one she felt was very capable of being Convenor. With the financial support of the AWARE Advisory Board, this person attended an AWARE Conference in Toronto.
A Year later, this person informed us she was not available to head up an AWARE Conference.
Maude had already asked Emma Marsh who said she would be delighted to be the speaker at our 1st AWARE Conference.
I remember well the afternoon in September 2001 sitting having coffee at Joan Irwin’s table.
I said we had already missed getting started for 2001 so we have to start now so that we can pull a committee together for the first meeting in January to prepare for a fall 2002 Conference.
I added we needed a Convenor and that I was not in the position to do it with my recording responsibilities. Little did I know then that when I’m surrounded by such an efficient team that it is possible.
I looked at Joan and said “we have to find some one and soon”
She said “I could do it” and then added “I don’t believe I said that”
I said I was willing to do the set-up and look after the facilities. (Little did I know how much work was involved for the initial set up).
Joan said “Yes, I could do that” and looked at George and said “Do you mind?”
George answered OK for 1 Year and Joan said yes only 1 year.
The biggest obstacle we faced was the venue. In late fall it was suggested we visit Camp IAWAH.
For those of you who don’t know--- with the exception of the Niagara AWARE, all are located in facilities surrounded by water.
When we arrived on a beautiful fall day, our first comment was “it is an AWARE location”.
We booked Camp IAWAH ; Joan & Maude put a committee together and the rest is history.
I might add that it was very interesting trying to plan an AWARE Conference
when over half of the Committee didn’t know what an AWARE Conference was about.
Some of them attended the Niagara Conference and some the Montreal Conference
so they at least had some idea about what an AWARE Conference should look like
before we actually had our first Conference.
Joan’s 1 year became 2 and she headed up the prayer ministry teams for 2 years.
Last year in December she informed me that she would not be helping this year.
Little did we know that she wouldn’t be with us this weekend.
Joan had been involved in AWARE since it’s beginning in 1986 in the Toronto Diocese.
Joan headed up and was part of Prayer Ministry Teams in both Toronto Conferences; in the Diocese of Niagara & Montreal, as well as here.
She led workshops in all these places, either on journaling or on the Holy Spirit.
As well, she was one of the keynote speakers along with Carmen Mason at the Montreal AWARE in 1993.
As well as her work with AWARE, Joan has been involved with the Bequia Mission in the Westwind islands and has done some ministry there. A few years ago she went with a team to Bermuda to do a mission. Joan was active in her church and spent hour each week counseling and praying with people.
I might add that Joan was the first person to ever pray with me.
For the AWARE Conference here, she not only let us meet for the first 3 years in her home for the planning meetings; she also had George walk over to the store to buy fresh strawberries. For those of you who don’t know, Lynda does not function well without strawberries!
Joan was like a mother hen. She just spread her wings and gathered you in. And that’s exactly what she did with us as a committee. She loved us & taught us how to love and care for one another as well as pray for one another. It was Joan who took the Committee and knit us into a team.
For that we will be forever grateful.
We give thanks for Joan’s life and all she did for AWARE.
AWARE has lost a great leader, friend and mentor. But we are left with a lot of precious memories.
I don’t know who God has for a greeter in heaven but I’m sure they’ve lost their job and been replaced by Joan.
I’m sure she’s standing there, just as she was at her home, or at AWARE, with that big smile of hers, arms out stretched saying “welcome”
We all have been fortunate and blessed to have known Joan.
And so it is with this in mind that the AWARE Team has named the bursary fund “THE JOAN IRWIN LIVING BURSARY FUND”
We used the word Living to describe the Bursary Fund as it will continue as long as the AWARE Conference does.
Joan was so thrilled about your response to the bursary fund.
In 5 years we have been able to give financial assistance to 79 women amounting to just under $10,000.00
Joan believed in the AWARE Conference – in what it stood for and was pleased that God was using AWARE to change people’s lives. She personally helped people financially so they could attend.
Let us continue on giving that assistance to those who otherwise could not afford to come to AWARE.
We now have a power point presentation done by Lynda Moore in
Celebration of our 5 th Anniversary and in thanksgiving for the life
and ministry of Joan Irwin.