1930 - Annual Convention Report

              16 A L B E R T A W O M E N ' S I N S T I T U T ES
REPORT OF RECORDING SECRETARY
Mrs. J. N. Beaubier, Champion.
It is with pleasure that I present my first report as Recording Secretary
of the Alberta Women's Institutes.
In years gone by I have had the honor to serve you in many and varied
official capacities, so it is only with a feeling of strangeness in this newly
acquired position, and not by any means as a stranger, that I come to you.
Notwithstanding the fact that as an organization we do not favor indis­criminate
divorce, for the second time have we found it expedient to resort
to drastic measures, hoping thereby to facilitate the work of our Provincial
body. When the separation took place in the office of the Secretary- Treas­urer
and two offices appeared where only one flourished before, the attendant
duties were likewise cut in twain, and much the heavier share was alloted
to the Business Secretary- Treasurer, hence the ' brevity of this report.
Immediately following the close of the Convention in M a y 1929, a meeting
of the Council was held, and Conveners for the Standing Committees were
selected. The Conveners were at once notified of their respective appoint­ments
and asked to prepare and present to the President, for approval, an
outline of plans for the coming year's work, at the earliest possible date.
W i t h i n a very reasonable length of time this request was complied with and
outlines reached the Recording Secretary sufficiently early to be incorporated
in the Annual Report.
Right here I must sandwich in a word of commendation and appreciation
of these energetic Conveners for their promptness in thus co- operating and
making it possible to place the outlines in each W. I. so early in the year.
Owing to changes in the policies and government of the Alberta Women's
Institutes, the Constitution and By- Laws which have been in use since 1923,
were considered obsolete by the Council, and a committee consisting of M r s.
Beaubier and Mrs. Ferguson, was authorized to revise the fundamental laws
governing the Alberta Women's Institutes.
W i t h so short a time before Constituency Conferences were to begin and
the expense and inconvenience connected with a meeting, we were able to
arrange only one conference; consequently the work was not as satisfactory
as we i- i'iuld have wished. However our efforts resulted in the draft of the
tentative Constitution and By- Laws as printed in the Annual Report. We
hope you have given this due consideration and are prepared to make such
suggestions and criticisms as seem advisable when this order of business is
called during convention.
A i an early date letters of appreciation were sent to all who assisted in
making the convention a success, including the University people, the E d ­monton
Women's Institute, the speakers, musicians and others who in num­erous
ways contributed to our comfort and entertainment. Notes of regret
at the enforced absence of several members usually in attendance, and who
were detained because of illness, were also written.
The following letter, in response to the message sent by the Convention
to Miss Macmillan, was received too late for publication in the Annual
Report: