Joyce Mims, who guided the YWCA World Service Council (WSC) for 22 years from 1989 to 2011, passed away September 15. As one of its steadfast members and longest chair, she led with sublime grace. In a WSC centennial tribute, Mary Ann Lundy described Joyce as “cordial and welcoming with her knowledge of everything YWCA”. Her tenacious dedication to the Council was instrumental in maintaining a strong presence during times when the national YWCA gave little support and had little connection with YWCAs around the world. For help she enlisted her husband (Bud) as her “secretary” and their home become a second office of WSC for many years.
While she was one of the most generous donors to the WSC over the years, Joyce’s fundraising efforts were considerable. Not only did she attract new members with her enthusiasm and storytelling, she nurtured members with thoughtful correspondence, both letters and postcards, in beautiful language. To receive mail from Joyce was like getting a gift. For instance, when she attended World YWCA meetings, she would take along her WSC membership list and send postcards from the host country to each WSC member. Her direct relationship to the World YWCA prompted communication about items of interest to members that resulted in financial commitments.
Joyce began her YWCA relationship while a student at the University of Texas where she credits Rosalie Oaks, Director of the YWCA at the university, for nurturing and training that led to unimaginable opportunities for travel and to learn about the world. Not only did she participate in a student study tour of Europe she went on the first USA student exchange visit to the USSR to several places where no Americans had been before. As a student she also attended the World Council in Mexico plus subsequent World Councils in Switzerland, Norway, Korea and Kenya.
From student to consummate YWCA leader, she chaired many committees including administering the USA-USSR exchange program for YWCA USA and serving as president of the Montclair YWCA and its Board of Trustees. She proclaimed that the YWCA has put her in extraordinary and unusual places such as Ukraine, the White House, China for the YWCA’s 100th anniversary, and the convention in Cleveland where attendees joined the protests in the streets – a time when people were willing to get out and take risks.
When asked about the future of the YWCA in 2020, she challenged the YWCA to let go of old norms and explore new ways to address the issues that have been unveiled by Covid and political division. Her exceptional legacy should inspire each of us to follow in her footsteps. The World Service Council of the YWCA USA is a model that the World YWCA is incorporating into its work, and hopefully, YWCAs in other countries will be encouraged to establish chapters in their YWCAs that support and link to YWCAs around the world.
Joyce would be proud of our new direction and invite us, as she always did “to walk cheerfully over the face of the earth, responding to that of God in everyone.”
In honor of her legacy, consider making a donation in memory of Joyce Mims on the World Service Council website www.ywcaworldservicecouncil.org or by mailing in the attached form.