AWI President's Newsletters

              A recommendation was made t h a t the F e d e r a t e d Women's I n s t i t u t e s of
C a n a d a study and i n a c t a l l w a t e r prob1 e m s - c o n s e r v a t i o n , p u r i f i c a t i on
and p r o t e c t i o n at t h i r 1985 C o n c e n t i o n , London, O n t a r i o .
We have been f o r t u n a t e to have r e p r e s e n t a t i o n on many B o a r d s , C o u n i ls
and C o m m i t t e e s . Some b e i n g A g r i c u 1 t u r e , E d u c a t i o n and R u r a l E x t e n s i on
A d v i s o r y Committee R e p o r t ; C a n a d i a n Red C r o s s ; C a n c e r S o c i e t y ; A l b e r ta
A s s o c i a t i o n For C o n t i n u i n g E d u c a t i o n ; O u t d o o r s U n l i t t e r e d ; Symposium on
R u r a l Deve1opment; Proposed A l b e r t a C o u n c i l on Women's A f f a i r s ; Committee
on R e s e a r c h on women i n t h e W o r k f o r c e ; E n v i r o n m e n t a I P r o t e c t i o n S t u d y Group
and input to t h e D i s c u s i o n P a p e r on B a t e r e d Women.
B e s i d e s the e d u c a t i o n a l programs b r a n c h e s are v e r y a c t i v e i n t h e i r
c o m m u n i t i e s a s s i s t i n g w i t h p u b l i c f u n c t i o n s , c o n t r i b u t i n g to h o s p i t a l s ,
S e n i o r C i t i z e n homes, h i s t o r y books, p i c n i c s , community h a l l s , c a r e of
many r u r a l c e m e t a r i e s , g i v e to C h i l d r e n ' s H o s p i t a l s , R e t a r t e d s c h o o l s and
homes, G i v e c l o t h i n g to U n i t a r i a n S e r v i c e s . One a d v e n t u r e i n s p i r e d by
M r s . Mary McLeay and I r v i n e W. I. g a t h e r e d over two t o n o f l i t t l e soap b a rs
f r o m h o t e l s f o r U n i t a r i a n S e r v i c e s i n t h e l a t e 70' s. Bake s a l e s , r a f f l e s,
b i n g o ' s , c a r d p a r t i e s and s u p p e r s to name a few means o f e n t e r t a i n m e n t .
A l b e r t a Women's I n s t i t u t e i s t h e o n l y I n s t i t u t e i n C a n a d a t h a t has
G i r l s C l u b s m a i n l y s p o n s o r e d by t h e so c a l l e d " Mother", branch I n s t i t u t e.
The g i r l s l e a r n c r a f t s , sewing, l e a d e r s h i p , and p u b l i c s p e a k i n g , e t c .
They have an A c h e i v e m e n t Day and an a n n u a l C o n v e n t i o n f i l l e d w i t h f un
and l e a r n i n g . The g i r l s l e a r n to c o - o p e r a t e i n d o i n g p r o j e c t s t o - g e t h e r,
t o s h a r e t h e i r know l e d g e w i t h one a n o t h e r and l i s t e n to what o t h e r s have
t o s a y.
" To reach the p o r t of H e a v e n we must s a i l sometimes w i t h the w i n d and
sometimes a g a i n s t i t - but s a i l we must, and not d r i f t nor l i e a t a n c h o r ."
The e n t i r e program o f A l b e r t a Women's I n s t i t u t e s i s aimed at m a k i ng
our o r g a n i z a t i o n a v i t a l f o r c e i n t h i s ever c h a n g i n g w o r l d . We must c h a rt
our c o u r s e to t a k e advantage of t h o s e w i n d s , and s a i l on to a c h i e v e o ur
o b j e c t i v e s , ( Q u o t e , 1985 C o n v e n t i o n , P r e s i d e n t K a t h r y n H a b b e r f e i 1 d ' s a d d r e s s!
" P a s t ! P r e s e n t ! and F u t u r e ! , i s t h e H i s t o r y of t h e A l b e r t a Women's
I n s t i t u t e as we move w i t h the " Winds of Change".
The s t o r y of the A l b e r t a Women's I n s t i t u t e s i n A l b e r t a w o u l d not be
c o m p l e t e w i t h o u t a t r i b u t e to t h e men of r u r a l A l b e r t a who, s i n c e t he
b e g i n n i n g - , have so n o b l y c o n t r i b u t e d t h e i r p a r t , not o n l y i n the e a r l y
days when r i v e r s had t o be f o r d e d , mud- holes c r o s s e d , s l i p p e r y and snow-f
i l l e d roads t r a v e l l e d , but who i n l a t e r times have g i v e n t i m e , l a b o r and
money to a s s i s t in t h e many s p l e n d e d p r o j e c t s s p o n s o r e d by the Women's
I n s t i t u t e s .
A few h i g h l i g h t s of I n s t i t u t e work i n A l b e r t a i n t h e p a s t s e v e n t y -
s i x y e a r s f o r p r e s e n t a t i o n by M r s . B e r n i e ( Nora) S e p t , W a l s h , A l b e r t a,
at the " T e n t h A n n u a l H o u s e w i v e s C o n f e r e n c e , W a t e r t o n Lakes N a t i o n a l P a r k.
O c t o b e r 1- 3, 1985.
A d d r e s s of P r o v i n c i a l O f f i c e:
A l b e r t a Women's I n s t i t u t es
6604 - 82 Avenue
Edmonton, A l b e r t a . T6B 0E7 Page 7.