1937 - Convention Report

              24 ALBERTA WOMEN'S INSTITUTES
given of their time and talent so unstintingly during the past two years. Pre­paring
copy for publicity from the monthly reports is a real task, and we owe much
to our faithful reporters. So to Mrs. Charity P. Norton, of Coaldale, who has
reported for the Lethbridge Herald, and Mrs. M . A. Davies, Red Deer, who, each
week sent our news to Calgary Albertaii and Edmonton Journal, I extend sincere
thanks from the Council. We would have been most pleased to invite these
ladies to attend this Convention had our bank account been in better shape, and
it was with real disappointment that we had to forego the pleasure of their
presence here today.
Through the kindly interest of Her Excellency the Lady Tweedsmuir, a
travelling library system has been available to the Institutes. In this library there
are books of fiction, travel, history and biography.
At the present time parcels and boxes ranging in number from ten to fifty
books are at eighty different points in the province. Already several Institutes
have requested the second lot of books.
As those branches receiving books are expected to pay transportation
charges an effort has been made to arrange the placing of the boxes so that an
Institute need pay such charges only one way. I regret to say that some Branches
have neglected to follow the rules and so have paid both incoming and outgoing
charges. It was not intended that any Branch should have to do this.
We are all, I am sure, deeply grateful to Her Excellency for this very splendid
gift, and I hope the coming summer and winter may see even a larger number of
readers, as I believe it is Her Excellency's intention to forward several hundred
more books in the very near future, at which time the library service will probably
be extended to other organizations.
Through the kind introduction b}' Her Excellency of your President to the
President of the Oxfordshire Federation of Women's Institutes in England, an
exchange of correspondence has been arranged between Institutes in Alberta
and Institutes in Oxfordshire. I feel that much of real value will result from
this correspondence. At present eleven Alberta Institutes are participating in
the plan, and it is hoped more will begin shortly.
At the request of Her Excellency an article about our work was prepared for
and printed in the May issue of " Home and Country", the official organ of the
National Federation of Women's Institutes in England.
In these various ways Her Excellency has endeavored to assist us in our
work and to bring us into closer touch with the Motherland.
At its meeting in September last the Council asked Mrs. Montgomery and
Mrs. Rogers to act as a committee to write the history of Alberta Women's
Institutes. During the winter months these two ladies, veterans in Alberta
Institute work, gathered together the fragments that go to make our history
and have compiled them into a very fine piece of work, which is to be published
in booklet form.
It was the earnest desire of the Council that this booklet should have been
ready for distribution at this Convention, but to our regret the committee was
unable to get the copy ready for the Council's approval in time to have it printed
before the opening of our sessions.
To these two ladies I extend the Council's appreciation of their work and I
am looking forward to the day when our Institute story may be available for
Institute members.
As many of you know, the Alberta Council on Child and Family Welfare
bring their year's work to a climax during Easter week, when a series of daily
programs are presented, each dealing with some phase of the welfare of our
children.
Your President was given the honor of taking part in these programs in 1936
and 1937, and also was a guest each year at the banquet which culminated the
week's activities.