1931 - Annual Convention

              MINUTES OF T H E S E V E N T E E N T H A N N U A L CONVENTION OF
A L B E R T A WOMEN'S INSTITUTES
Mrs. J . N. Beaubier, Champion, Recording Secretary.
Tuesday Evening, May I9th, 1931.
Formal Opening of Convention, 7.30 p. m.
The Seventeenth Annual Convention of A l b e r t a Women's Institutes opened
i n the Arts B u i l d i n g of the U n i v e r s i t y of A l b e r t a on Tuesday evening, when
Convocation H a l l was crowded with approximately three hundred delegates
and a large number of visitors.
M r s . H . J . Montgomery, P r o v i n c i a l President, presided, assisted by M r s.
A. H . Rogers, V i c e - P r e s i d e n t . Others occupying seats o n the platform were:
H i s H o n o r Lieutenant- Governor W a l s h , Premier T. E . Brownlee, H i s Worship.
M a y o r James M . Douglas, Rev. Bro. Rogation, S. S. C., Rector of St. Joseph's
College, M r s . W . Huyck, Past President A . W . I . , and Mrs. J. N . Beaubier,
Past President and R e c o r d i n g Secretary.
The session opened promptly at 7.30 o'clock, with O ! Canada, followed by
the Invocation and Creed led by M r s . J . L. Scott of K i n s e l l a.
The delegates were greeted by H i s H o n o r W . L . W a l s h , the newly appointed
Lieutenant- Governor of A l b e r t a , this being his first official address. His
Honor admitted that his acquaintance with the A l b e r t a Women's Institutes
was somewhat limited and his only know- ledge of the organization had been
gleaned from reading a copy of the A n n u a l Report, which some one had been
k i n d enough to hand h i m ; he expressed his admiration for the work done by
the Institutes and marvelled at the scope of their efforts. His Honor wondered
if possibly they did not attempt too much; if it might not be better to con­centrate
on the things most w o r t h while than to undertake so many subjects.
He urged all present to continue diligently and enthusiastically the work of
Canadianization and to b r i n g to the new Canadian a true conception of B r i t i sh
ideals and citizenship.
Honorable J. E . Brownlee, Premier of A l b e r t a, in extending the welcome
of the P r o v i n c i a l Government, stated that this year above all others there
is great need of the work of such organizations as the Women's Institutes,
and expressed his hope that in the future they would stand fast to t see that
the policies of the future decades w i l l not be as i l l - b a l a n c e d as those of the
past have proven. He touched briefly on some of the problems of the P r o v i n c e;
unemployment, communism and immigration, stating that one of the greatest
needs of today is the preservation of a proper psychology, of a proper outlook
on life, of sanity of judgment. " We are suffering today from ill- considered
and false land settlement and immigration Dolicies of the past; and in form­i
n g new ones we must consider them carefully and avoid past mistakes," he
declared.
Mayor James W . Douglas extended a cordial welcome to the delegates on
behalf of the city of Edmonton.
M r s . F. A . Nye, President of the Edmonton Women's Institute, brought
heartv greetings to the visitors and presented the executive and convention
w i t h two beautiful baskets of flowers, which graced the p l a t f o rm during the
session, adding their beauty and fragrance to the surroundings.
M r s . C a r l Brunner, President of the Shepherd W. I., and a new Canadian,
r e p l i e d in a v e r y w i t t y and clever manner to the addresses of welcome. See
Page 65.