The Story of the Alberta Women's Institute

              THE

STORY

OF

THE

ALBERTA

WOMEN'S

I'\iSTITUTES

August IS to 20 inclusive. The Gleichen Club acted as hostesses to the gathering which included some sixty delegates from Manitoba and Saskatchewan and twenty or more from other Alberta clubs. These together with officials from the Indian Affairs Branch, at Ottawa, and social \vorkers, and guest speakers, made about one hundred persons in all. The similarity between their organization and that of the A.W.I. was most striking. A well-planned program of reports from the various clubs and talks by speakers reminded one of the A.W.I. provincial cOllventions. The programme chairman was an Indian woman of considerable dignity. The official language was English and their dress and hejirstyling modern. The subjects discussed induded "Planning a Balanced Diet in Winter", "Sanitation", "Entertainment for Young People". and "Choosing a Wardrobe". The delegates wore identification badges stating the name of the place from which the member had come. Names such as Norway House. Fort Nelson, Frog Lake, etc. brought to mind events of early histo~y. Their club pins were large sjlver-colored maple leafs, with a bronze face of an Indian woman superimposed on it and beneath the head was the inscription, "For Home and Country". The3e Indian Women's Homemakers' Clubs, like our Institutes, had a moctest beginning and began under government supervision and Jike us. it may be expected that. they too, will some day be able to stand on their own. These women are our sisters and the A.W.I. might well be concerned with the underdeveloped women in our own province as weU as \V-iih those in other parts of th2 world. To that end Mrs. W. R. Ford. Coutts, district director of the south had a delegation of the Indian Homemakers visit the Annual District Conference in Calgar;. in 1954, and Mrs. 1'. H. Howes, Millet A.W.I. Vice-President and Mrs. S. Swainson, Red Deer, Director of District No.3 North, are making efforts to encourage the club at Hobbema and have them know that our similar organization desires to help them. ,
L

LINKS
.~

OF EMPIRE

DT B ac p e r Wm ( ~OC\Lberta HERiEhoutE menoimnletof theecor"dLinofs thef Emopireen"'s, ;l wt to ko

and what all

Institutes

of

those "Links" have meant not only to Alberta members, but to members of the Women's Institutes in all parts of the world? There has been an exchange of greetings from all parts of the worJd. of cordial welcome and social visits when members of our own Institutes \vere welcomed in distant lands. The Links of Empire are intended primarily to foster and cement cordial relations among the Dominions of the British Empire. and above all. to promote peace and harmony among all nations. Members of the Alberta Women's Institutes are helping greatly in the cause of
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