History Supplement of the Alberta Women's Institute

              HISTORY

SUPPLEMENT

OF THE

ALBERTA

WOMEN'S

INSTITUTE

that I have bared my agonies, I hope that I will be forgiven for the sins of omission. Besides being elected President of A.W.I., the highlight of 1965 was attending the 11th Triennial Conference of the Associated Country Women ofthe World in Dublin, Ireland. Warm hospitality, co-operation and fellowship were apparent at every turn as the program unfolded under the theme "Working Together". 1966 brought the 50th anniversary of Women's Franchise in Alberta, and A.W.I. joined with the Council of Women and other grou ps to cele brate Women's Franchise Week. A portrait of Ro berta MacAdams, an early W.I. organizer and a nursing sister of the First World War, who was elected to represent the Armed Forces in the Alberta Legislature following the enfranchisement of women, was presented to the Alberta Legislature by Mrs. C. R. Wood, M.L.A. An Alberta Council on Aging was formed and I was invited to serve on the Council. Two women from Guyana, Miss Enid Abrahams and Mrs. Isa King were guests of A.W.I. for the month of July on a UNESCO Study Tour. They visited the Legislature, were received by His Honor, Lieut. Gov. J. W. Grant MacEwan, attended Alberta Women's Week at OIds, also the Girl's Club Conference at OIds. They were billeted in members homes and spoke to women's groups, visited hospitals, travelled through oil fields and agricultural country. Haying was in progress and they found it very difficult to believe that in a few months the fields would be covered with snow, and the cattle would eat that dry stuff. Mrs. L. McMillan, Citizenship and Education Convener and I attended a two and one-half day workshop with Indian people from five reservations in the St. Paul District. An invitation was extended to the Native Women to attend our Provincial Convention in 1967. They accepted the invitation, were inspired and formed their own Native Women's Organization. I was invited to address their first annual meeting, and their second annual meeting. Another year I was asked to assist with the election of officers. A.W.I. joined with other agricultural organizations, like the Alberta Wheat Pool, United Grain Growers', Farmers' Union and FWUA, F.U. & C.D.A., Alberta Federation of Agriculture and others to form the Alberta Agricultural Centennial Committee. Projects undertaken over a three year period were: 1. A film - We Just Take It All For Granted 2. A book - Furrows, Faith and Fellowship, a history of the Farmer's Union Movement in Alberta 3. A Cairn - located at the Red Deer Junior College Grounds honoring the Agriculture Industry 4. Highway and Campsite Hospitality 5. Youth Exchange Program 6. Make Alberta Beautiful - Clean up, Paint up, Beautify. Centennial Year brought many invitations to attend celebrations and dedications of centennial projects. There were Branch 24