Ladies Long Lunch Celebrates 50 Years of Women at Johns

A special Ladies Long Lunch brought together women and supporters from across the John's community to celebrate five decades of women at Johns and look ahead to the next 50 years.

There was something special about seeing generations of women connected by the same place, gathered together around one table.

The Ladies Long Lunch was held at the newly renovated and recently reopened University House, providing a fitting setting for a celebration of 50 Years of Women at John XXIII College and the College’s 5 for the Next 50 initiative.

More than a lunch, the event was an opportunity to reflect on the women who have shaped Johns, celebrate the women who are part of the community today, and consider what kind of community we want to build for those who come next.

CELEBRATING THE WOMEN WHO CAME BEFORE

College President Penny Friend welcomed guests and reflected on the responsibility of the current generation to continue the work begun by the women who first made their home at Johns 50 years ago.

Penny spoke about the importance of creating a culture where women feel supported, heard and celebrated, not because they have had to prove themselves, but simply because they belong.

“Fifty years ago, the women who first walked into Johns built the culture we’re proud of today,” Penny said. “And now, it’s our turn.”

For Penny, the 5 for the Next 50 initiative is about turning that responsibility into action. The initiative brings together five areas of focus, including advocacy, fundraising, service and legacy, with the goal of ensuring that Johns continues to move forward and that women across the community know that “this community has her back”.

LEARNING FROM THOSE WHO HAVE LED

Guests also heard from former College President Zoe Reeve, who returned to Johns as the event’s guest speaker.

Zoe was a resident from 2019 to 2021 and served as College President in 2021. Her reflections centred on the everyday experiences of being a woman at Johns and the lessons from those experiences that have stayed with her long after leaving College.

She spoke about the importance of showing up for one another, the strength of the informal networks women build at College, backing yourself and the women around you, and the importance of women seeing themselves represented in leadership.

For Zoe, these moments may seem small, but their impact can last well beyond a student's time at College.

“Johns showed me how the smallest tokens of support, empowerment and community can have the longest lasting and most far-reaching effect.”

She also reflected honestly on the fact that Johns has not always been an easy place to be a woman, acknowledging the work of women who have challenged the College to become a better community. She encouraged the women of today to continue that work, while reminding everyone that meaningful change does not always come from grand gestures.

LOOKING TO THE NEXT 50 YEARS

The heart of the lunch was not simply looking back. It was looking forward.

The 5 for the Next 50 initiative asks the Johns community to think about what the next generation of women should inherit and what each of us can do to help create it.

That means continuing to build a community where women support one another, celebrate one another's achievements, speak up when it matters and know they belong.

It is also a reminder that the connections formed at Johns do not end when a student leaves College. The stories, friendships, confidence and sense of community continue into the years beyond, part of the lifelong community that connects generations of Johns women.

As Zoe reflected in her speech, the people we meet at College stay with us.

“Rely on your network, build each other up and embody the tireless support, energy and guts of the Johns women that have passed through these halls.”

The Ladies Long Lunch was a celebration of where that story has come from and an invitation to help shape where it goes next.