The Story of the Alberta Women's Institute

              THE

STORY

OF

THE

ALBERTA

WOMEN'S

INSTITuTES

At this convention the booklets, "Conducting the W.I. Meeting". compiled by Mrs. C. R. Wood, M.L.A, were distributed. Printed leaflets on organizing a W.I. branch by Mrs. W. R. Ford, and a brochure prepared! by the Council were also distributed. The outstanding feature of this convention was the visit of Mrs. R. Sayre, the A.C.W.W. president, from Ackworth, Iowa. Her addresses were stimulating and challenging to the delegates and brought a broader view of the world neighborhood in which we live. Having won the Handicraft Shield given by Mrs. MacGregor-Smith three years in succession, the Fort Saskatchewan W.I. presented the A. \V.I. with another shield to be used for the handicraft competitions in future. 'Vhen in Toronto in 1952, Mrs. McGorman interested the Salada Tea Company in providing cash prizes for quilts shown in the handicraft exhibit at the provincial convention. At the 1953 convention Ridgewood W.I., of Red Deer, won the $50.00 first prize for appliqued quilts and .:Jew Dayton for the patchwork quilts. The following names were added to the Book of Remembrance: \Irs. "v. F. Durston, Gleichen; Mrs. Matilda Almira Upcott, Haddock; :\[1's. Sarah Sinclair, Medicine Hat; Mrs. Mattie Pearl Clark, Warspite; ~Irs. H. J. Montgomery, Wetaskiwin; lVII's. F. G. Grevett, Calgary; Mrs. .Tohn A. Sangster, Conjuring Creek; Mrs. Philip McLeay, Irvine; Mrs. George F. Roper, Rosedale; Mrs. Barbara Hess, Mannville; lVII's. Maria Bates _",-mance. Plans were made to have Mrs. J. I. Jones, district director, present a life rnembership in the A.W.I. to Mrs. E. E. Morton, who was ill in hospitaL "\Irs. A H. Rogers made a plea for support of the Arthritic and Hheumatism Society and asked members of W.I. branches to give support to this worthwhile society. It was agreed that the A.W.I. Fund be continued and that branches study and help the work of the _-\.rthribc Society. Mrs. S. Lefsrud, of Viking, was elected A.W.I. president and she and ~lrs. T. H. Howes, the F.W.I.C. representative for the AW.L attended the F.W.I.C. Board meeting in Toronto in 1953, following the A.C.W.W. Conference. Alberta Women's Institutes were represented at the A.C\'vT.W. Conference by lVII's. S. Lefsrud, Mrs. T. H Howes, }Irs. M. L. Thompson, Mrs. C. R. Wood, lVLL.A., and Mrs. D. W. Patterson, as v,7e11as Mrs. A. B. McGorman, who was convener for press and publicity for the Federated Women's Institutes of Canada in planning for the conference of the Associated Country Women of the World. }Irs. A. :McIlroy had been named an alternative delegate. The year 1953 was an important year in the life of our movement. For the first time, the conference of the Associated Country Women of the World was held on Canadian soil where the organization was born in J.897. One of the highlights of the conference held August 12-23 was the visit made by the 1,000 delegates from 26 countries, to Stoney Creek where the first W.I. in the world was organized. Three -31-