TriennialTODAYWEDNESDAY, JULY 11, 2012

CRAINE HOUSE: Offering a Safe, Controlled Environment

By Laura Orcutt, Diocese of Utah

Michael Cook, the president of the board for the John P. Craine House in Indianapolis, spoke to the ECW Tri-ennial 5K participants, and explained how the beginnings of a small project to allow incarcerated women to live out the remainder of their sentences in a way closer to the life-style you and I enjoy provides for a healthier society.

The John P. Craine House program serves non-violent female of-fenders with young children. It offers residential, court-ordered housing in a safe, controlled environment. They can even live with their children and receive beneficial services to put their lives back on the right track.

Cook revealed some statistics from the results of the Craine House. While the average inmate in the US is 66% more likely to go back to prison,

the probability is less than 20% for a woman who leaves the Craine House. A service such as this not only as-sists in restoring the individual back to society, thus benefit-ing the immediate society, it also has a longevity effect in that 70% of the children of women felons in the US are more likely to have

a felon in their life while the children of the Craine House will most likely not.

Economically, solutions such as this are also very appealing. It costs $50,000 per year to house an incar-cerated person and $200,000 per to house a youth. It costs

$13,000 a year for a house a woman to include her children at the Craine House.

For more information, go to crainehouse.org.

GFS Sets Standards forYOUNG GIRLS

The Girls’ Friendly Society (GFS) is particular-ly relevant to this 2012 ECW Triennial theme “Many Paths, One Journey.” GFS is definitely one of those many paths on the same journey to spiritual growth and development. The Episcopal Church Women’s (ECW) mission states a desire to empower women to do Christ’s ministry in the world.” GFS/USA is another route to the same goal.

The organization empowers women to do Christ’s minis-try by working with young girls and young women ages 5 to 21, through worship, study, service, and fellow-ship. The goal is helping to develop young women who are committed to continuing on their spiritual journey into adulthood, sharing their gifts with GFS, and other organiza-tions that take Christ’s mission to the world. It is a big world, and every path is valuable if we hope to extend Christ’s ministry.

GFS’ presence at the convention is in-tended to reveal its path, not as an alterna-tive, but as an additional opportunity.

All are invited to going the GFS path.

—Llyn Evan Carter, GFS/USA National President

Susan MacPherson is the wife of Rt Rev Bruce MacPherson. They have been mar-ried for 53 years.

MacPherson works tirelessly in her ef-forts for ECW. She has given her efforts to the housing and car-ing for evacuees from Hurricane Katrina, and later those who suffered loss during Hurricane Rita at her parish’s church Camp Hardtner and Conference Center in Pollock. Afterwards, cleaning the

camp, after the evacu-ees moved on.

MacPherson lived at the camp during the time of the hurricanes to help coordinate the relief efforts--offering care and understanding for the victims of the disas-ter. She event saw to it that a horse was kept in one of the lodges.

She is considered by her church community to be a special woman,

who is worthy of the honor of Distin-guished Woman.

The Distinguished Woman Award (formerly known as the Honored Woman Award)* is presented at each Episcopal Church Women’s (ECW) triennial meeting to a woman in the Episcopal Church whose life and involvement in the secular community best reflects “her Christian values.” As part of this time-honored ceremony, diocesan delegates from each province

FROM PROVINCE VII:Susan MacPherson, Diocese of

Western Louisiana

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*The Distinguished Woman Awards were presented on Saturday, July 7. Coverage of this event can be found in issue No. 4 of Triennial Today.

HONORING the Distinguished Women of the Church

*The Distinguished Woman Awards were presented on Saturday, July 7. Coverage of this event can be found in issue No. 4 of Triennial Today.

are asked to submit the name of a woman who represents these qualities.

Triennial Today continues its spotlight on honored women from each of the nine provinces of the Church. This issue focuses on Province VII and Province VIII.

FROM PROVINCE VIII:Marie Greatorex, Diocese of Los AngelesMarie Greatorex, Diocese of Los Angeles, was baptized at St Paul’s Episcopal Church in New Jersey. In 1946, she married Steve Greatorex, the choir director of St. Peter’s Church in Plymouth, Connecticut.

In 1958, Steve and Marie Greatorex moved to California. There, Greator-ex returned to school to receive an RN and worked as a pediatric nurse before switching to post-anesthesia care. She was president of the Post Anesthesia Nurses (PANAC), direc-tor to the American Society of Post Anesthesia Nurses (ASPAN), and editor of the convention newsletter.

At St John the Divine in Costa Mesa, Greatorex has been involved in choir,

ECW, Daughters of the King, Girls’ Friendly Society, and has served on the vestry. She is a key member of the ECW diocesan communications team.

Rev Barbara Stewart, Greatorex’s rector, calls her the “heart of St. John’s” and her parish, to show their esteem, held a “spring fling” in her honor. She continues to demonstrate the traits of a Dis-tinguished Woman in all aspects of her life.

HONORING the Distinguished Women of the Church

Tell Us About Your ECW Triennial experience:Reported by Laura Orcutt, Diocese of Utah

I was one of those people who got sick. I was lucky and only sick for 1 day, but I have had to rest in the afternoon. But overall, very good. The keynoters were excellent, but too long. — Cai Armstrong, CPC

Too spread out, worship is way over there, and the Exhibit Hall over there and we are in the outer darkness. But I do understand it is financial. Workshops have been great. — Grace Steiner, Diocese of Mississippi

(Hall would like to see more discussion on bv how to improve local ECWs. When she became President, the board was dysfunctional, now more than 50 women attend a diocesan meeting She has set up a network among the Province IV women, and hopes the network will be useful.)— Mary Ann Hall, Diocese of Central Gulf Coast

Nice to get together and feel you are part of something bigger than a parish or dioceses. The workshops are good--they’re my favorite part. I am al-ways looking to steal an idea or ministry. We are rebuilding, so it is great to steal ideas from others. — Deb Wiles, Diocese of Pittsburgh

It was a great opportunity to get to know people from other places, and to see things they are doing. There were interesting speakers. I have come away with “3 Cs” -- courage - to try things that are new; connection - to include other people, increase the participation; and commitment - to stick with it even if we are moving slowly. — Leila Mizer, Diocese of South West Florida

(Piety had written an article for Triennial Today in 03,

and it is still on line in the archives.) The meeting was ‘goodish.’

The best part is meeting all the women and connecting with other dioceses.

— Evelyn Piety, Diocese of West Tennessee

Tell Us About Your ECW Triennial experience:

Inspired. The joy of feeling we are one big family.— Rae Armstrong, Visitor, Virgin Island

I feel truly honored by being your Distinguished Woman (for The Diocese of Utah) by each and everyone of you. Thank you.— Diane Lowe, Distinguished Woman Honoree, The Diocese of Utah

(Hall would like to see more discussion on bv how to improve local ECWs. When she became President, the board was dysfunctional, now more than 50 women attend a diocesan meeting She has set up a network among the Province IV women, and hopes the network will be useful.)— Mary Ann Hall, Diocese of Central Gulf Coast

It was a great opportunity to get to know people from other places, and to see things they are doing. There were interesting speakers. I have come away with “3 Cs” -- courage - to try things that are new; connection - to include other people, increase the participation; and commitment - to stick with it even if we are moving slowly. — Leila Mizer, Diocese of South West Florida

We (ECW) have plenty of opportunity for the young women to be involved. Offer a bible study once a week where we as young busy women--who are often mothers and often have career--have the opportunity to gather to-gether to read scripture and digest it, go back home to apply it in our lives, and then return to share, read further, digest deeper, and the cycle of enrich-ment repeats. — Suzanne Miller, ECW Delegate, Good Shepherd, The

Diocese of Utah

The run (5K run for the Craine House) was great. It was uplifting, joyous, and spiritual. We should definitely do this again (at next General Con-vention/Triennial). — Beth Ferguson, alternate Delegate, General Convention,

St James, The Diocese of Utah

A Morning of Ministries and Meeting the New ECW Board

Among the ministries represented were:

Diocese of Missouri: Hot Meals for the Homeless Diocese of Chicago: Women of the ELCA/Gather MagazineDiocese of Masschusetts: Support for food pantry, military families, Beijing Circle study, Hispanic caregivers, MGH chaplaincy eventDiocese of New York: Social justiceDiocese of Louisiana: five different ministriesDiocese of Connecticutt: White Envelope programDiocese of Northwest Pennsylvania: parish and diocesan projectsDiocese of Bethlehem Pennsylvania: School uniforms for Sudan; generatorDiocese of Chicago: Parish and ministry brocuresDiocese of Mississippi: Children at Risk; Global scholarship; Panama scholarship/liasonDiocese of Los Angeles: Girls Friendly Society/USADiocese of Oklahoma: Angel Tree ProjectDiocese of Pittsburgh: Christmas boxes for Pittsburgh Rivers Diocese of Upper South Carolina: Diocesan ECW Triofold of women’s projects: World Mission Project, National Mis-sion Project, Childrens Assistance Fund, Diocesan Mission Project—Michael’s WayDiocese of North Carolina: ECW Bicentinnial of NC, 5-year multimedia initiative to collect historyDiocese of Colorado: ECW conference of dioceseDiocese of Ohio: Flower pensDiocese of Ohio: Dresses for Haiti; comfort pillows for sur-

As the Episcopal Church Women met on Wednesday morning, the plenary room was the site of the 2012 ECW Share Fair, which featured tabletop displays of ECW and United Thank Offering outreach programs from dioceses around the country.

A Morning of Ministries and Meeting the New ECW Board

gery patients; bra collection for pre- and post-surgery mastec-tomy patientsDiocese of Utah: Food BandDiocese of St Thomas, Virgin Islands: Cathedral Church of All Saints Outreach Ministriies

Following the Share Fair, the new board members of the ECW were introduced and presented to the room of attendees. The new board includes:

Nancy Crawford, PresidentShirley Greiman, VP of Program Christine Budzowski, VP for Information & Communication

Lisa Towle, Secretary Kathy Mank, TreasurerDeborah Gardiner, Member at Large - Social Justice Linda Guest, Province I Rep Ginger Lief, Province II Rep Dottie Arthur, Province III Rep Kathy Gosselin, Province IV Rep Connie Ott, Province V Rep Mari-Lou Triebenbach, Province VI Rep Lonnie Isaak , Province VII Rep Louise Aloy, Province VIII Rep Connie Skidmore, Parliamentarian

Following the presentation of the board members, the meeting was adjourned.

As the Episcopal Church Women met on Wednesday morning, the plenary room was the site of the 2012 ECW Share Fair, which featured tabletop displays of ECW and United Thank Offering outreach programs from dioceses around the country.

Triennial TODAY was written, edited, and designed by Rogena Schuyler-Silverman and Cristina Paraiso. For the duration of the conference, the office for Triennial Today is located in the Senate 1 Suite, on the 2nd floor of the Westin. If you would like to contribute an article, review, or offer unique insight into the event, please contact TMeditor@ecwnational.org.