History of the Bequia Mission: Creativity in the Face of Need

The idea that we could be of some useful assistance to people in St. Vincent the Grenadines germinated in the early 1970’s. Ron and June Armsrtrong, David and Nora Busby visited Bequia and visited Ron and June’s daughter Mary who was a CUSO volunteer at the Anglican High School. Mary was desperate to pay for some text books for the students. The Armstrongs and Busbys made these and other needs known to their Anglican parishioners and friends and the first donations to what was to become the Bequia Mission began.

The ties of mutual respect and support between the Canadians and the folks on the islands grew over the years and in 1981 the Mission was incorporated as a charity.

The By-Laws of the Bequia Mission Corporation: a summary

  1. The affairs of the corporation are managed by a Board of six Directors who are members of the corporation. Elections of Directors will take place at an annual meeting.
  2. A majority of the Directors present shall form a quorum and meetings can be called in any time and place with certain restrictions.
  3. The Officers of the Corporation shall consist of a President and Vice President, a Secretary and a Treasurer or a Secretary-Treasurer.
  4. Books and Records required by the By-Laws of the Corporation or by any applicable statute or law are regularly and properly kept.
  5. Membership of the Corporation is determined by resolution of the Board of Directors. Members may consider and transact any business at any meeting of the members.

The founding Directors of the Corporation included Ronald Edward Armstrong, Ruth June Armstrong, Rogers Henry McComb, Sally Roxborough McComb, Martin Edward Lustig, and Edith Barbara Lustig.

Highlights of Mission activity through the years taken from the official minutes:

1982: A living allowance of $150 per month for volunteers Scott Campbell and Sarah Milne, furniture and repairs for Harbour library and Southside Library, support for a school for the deaf, financial support for students.

1983: lighting for the elementary school in the Harbour, a study of the school curriculum by Kel Crossly portable incubator and eye testing instruments for the hospital, inauguration of the “Work Play Tours’, sponsorship of a teacher for lower Bay School.

1984: The work of Joanie from New York revealed that many physically handicapped young people were being hidden away and sometimes tied up so they could not wander. Plans were started to set up a Workshop for the Handicapped with a $19000 grant from the Muttart Foundation. Government of Ontario assisted with shipments of materials.

1985: Workshop and School for the handicapped opened. Canadian Armed forces shipped 4000 lbs of goods and materials for the Mission. A school for divers taught by Bob was started with the hope of reducing the number of young men suffering from the bends. First post secondary bursaries granted

1986: Fund raising for lab equipment for the hospital led by Dr. Eric Rogers. Subsidy for a Canadian teacher at the School for the Handicapped plus an expanded support for home visits, stroke program and transportation assistance.

1987: All schools on Bequia now have Mission sponsored students. All schools have been given copiers and supplies of paper. Support for the lewis Punnett Home for the elderly and infirm on St.Vincent has led to improvements in the building and better care.
The School for the Handicapped is now called Sunshine School and is supported by a local committee which raised $11000 e.c. Efforts are made to hire Camille Jacobs as Headmistress and have the government pay her salary. Funded by the Mission and taught by Brenda Rogers, three month mental health workshops for nursing students were praised by Dr. Frederick Ballantyne who said, “The Bequia Mission is an organization of national significance.” Dr. Eric Rogers is conducting clinics on Bequia and St. Vincent and trying to attract medical specialists to the islands.

1988: The Board authorized funds for the establishment of a clinic on the island of Mayreau with a population of 180 and no regular medical services. The government has agreed to pay the Head Teacher at Sunshine for two days a week. The Ontario Teacher’s Federation donated $2000 for the expenses of Jeanne Speller and Bob Weaver in their work at Lower Bay School.

1989: Eric Rogers is chairman of the Easter Regatta and Ron and June give out the prizes for the coconut boat races. Brenda is running the Occupational therapy and Rehabilitation program at the mental Hospital on St. Vincent. Bern Warren is involved visiting the sick, leading the teens Sabbath School and an eight day mission at Holy Cross Anglican Church. A Mammography machine has been donated by the Peterborough Ontario Hospital to the Kingstown General Hospital. Bev Kingsbury was thanked for her years of service as Treasurer and George Irwin was appointed to the position. Estimated income for the year was $92,000, expenditures $98,000.

1990: Danny Chambers is attending the School for the Blind in Brantford Ontario, David and Nora Busby are his guardians. Bequia Day is organized as a “Jump Up” with a steel band and a dance. The Bequia Mission is considered acceptable charitable credit for income tax purposes in the United States. Scholarship funds are increased due to excellent response from the students. The Pearl Clark Scholarship fund was established with a mandate to last ten years.

1991: A drop in centre for youth was well attended three days a week under the leadership of Bob and Helen Weaver. A new church and community Centre is completed at Sandy Bay on the north end of St. Vincent. Lower Bay school attendance is dwindling. A fund is established for Danny Chambers should he decide to continue education past an elementary level.

1992: The Bequia Mission is recognized as one of the ten major supporters of the new wing at the Kingstown Hospital. Occupational Therapy Program was initiated at Lewis Punnett Home. For the first time donations to the Mission were down. “The Diamonds” a music group of five teenagers supported by the Mission made a Canadian tour.

1993: The Bequia Gems, a singing group of five girls from Bequia visited Toronto and aroused interest in the Mission at their performances. Youth work on Bequia continues to show positive results. Money is raised locally for a new roof on the High School. Thirty four students were awarded scholarships for the coming year. Amos Hanson is supported in his theological studies in Toronto. The Weavers led a group of ten young people from Scarborough on a tour of the islands which featured a number of gospel meetings and a visit to the Lewis Punnett Home.

1994: The Weavers spend their winter stay at Sandy Bay working with the youth and providing food to the needy. The local government agrees to provide land for a new Sunshine School. Ron Armstrong and David Busby are killed in an airplane crash on St. Vincent.

1995: June expressed her gratitude to many who assisted in keeping the Mission running. Marg and Joe Foster continued with the Drop in Centre and assisted June with correspondence. The Burns of Calgary made a large donation to be used for eye care on Union. A wonderful concert was held in Ron’s memory including young people from Sandy Bay and all the denominations on Bequia. George and Doris Mercer spent two months in Bequia focusing on visits to the Lewis Punnett Home.

1996: A survey of the pre-schools on Bequia discovered that there were four schools with about thirty students in each school. A list of needs was compiled for inclusion in Mission shipments from Canada and cash donations were made. The Workshop for the Handicapped was disbanded. Shelley Herder implemented teacher training for pre schools on Grenada and distributed crafts and supplies.

1997: Funds for the equipping and furnishing of a New Sunshine School have been approved through the efforts of Jack Hugget of the Gravenhurst Rotary club and await the construction of the school. Brenda arranged for George Varney from Penetanguishene to carry out workshops on non violent management techniques with 118 police officers, correctional and health care workers. Graham Wilson suggested that the Mission include local people in long range planning and on an advisory board. June Armstrong died on …………….

1998: Ray Derksen on leave from his position as Principal in Waboden Manitoba taught Computers to both staff and students at the Anglican High School. Pat Butcher spent three weeks on Bequia taking photos of the sponsored students and updating computers at the High Schools and Sunshine School.

1999: Support for High School students now includes over 200 students based on financial need. Sponsors donate $200 per student and receive report cards and notes of thanks from their sponsored student. Liz Thomas of Spring on Bequia is responsible for distributing the funds and taking photos of the students. Greg Thomas is now the representative of the Mission on the Board of sunshine School and Chairman. A container of equipment and furnishings funded through Jack Hugget and the Gravenhurst Rotary Club is shipped for the new Sunshine School.

2000: Sixty refurbished computers are delivered to the High Schools on Bequia and Union Island thanks to the work of Ted Crabtree, the generosity of the Royal Bank and the technical expertise of Jack Millage of Lakefield. Medical assistance was provided for surgery, vision care and antibiotics. Sponsored High School students number 73 on Bequia and 76 on Union. Jack Herder, Mission Vice president and Amos Hanson set up computers in Sunshine School. Jack motivates the Mission Board to allocate funds for a new workshop on the lower level of Sunshine.

2001- 2002: In March Ruth and Pat Butcher deliver to Bequia the beautiful drawstring bags containing personal care items for new mothers and seniors that have been created by the women’s auxiliaries in Lakefield and St. David’s in Orillia. Sandra and Gerry Bird join the Mission and move to Bequia from August 01 until August 02, as representatives of the Mission. Gerry assists at the High School with Science projects and sets up the new shop at Sunshine as well as accompanying Sandra and Liz on their visits to the homes of our sponsored students. Sandra inaugurates an individualized life skills program and a community outreach program at Sunshine School. The Birds initiate a senior’s lunch program on Bequia and bring Mission assistance to Sister Zita at her Bread of Life home and St. Benedict’s orphanage. Rhelda and Jim Stockall and Faye Marwood who have helped the community health nurse care for seniors at Paget Farm for many years return to Bequia.

2003: Loxi Street who started shipping thousands of items for children and seniors on Bequia and St. Vincent as soon as she returned from her visit with Sandra and Gerry continued to build on her shipping project. Medical emergencies with a number of life saving surgeries made a call on Mission resources and our donors responded generously. The Bequia Mission Local Management Committee was officially constituted to assist the Canadian Board in the allocation of its aid to those in need on the island. The student sponsorship program has ended and requests for assistance are made to the local committee.

2004: The Ontario Teacher’s Federation which has made many contributions to the efforts of the Mission over the years provided financial support for new science equipment at the High School on Bequia, teacher training at Sunshine School and computer supplies for the High School on Union Island. Gerry and Sandra Bird returned to Bequia for the third time during their March Break with ten students from Lakefield College School to deliver tons of supplies shipped earlier by sea and to visit the many groups supported by the mission.

2005: The Bird’s work play tour take some of the residents of the Lewis Punnett Home for a bus trip and a picnic as well as their delivery duties. Liberty Lodge also gets some fresh paint from the students. The Bequia Mission Local Management committee hosts a Bequia Mission appreciation day in the Harbour on Bequia. Prayers of Remembrance are offered for the founders of the Mission, Ron and June Armstrong.

2009: An ambitious combination of "Board Members" and friends tackle a housing reconstruction project and deliver goods and supplies either purchased by or donated by mission members and friends. Calling it "The Bequia Mission Outreach Project 2009" a renewed enthusiasm for "Work Play Holidays" was established. Visit the "Bequia Outreach Project 2009" blog for an archived daily log of activities.