1924 - Annual Convention Report

              A L B E R T A W O M E N ' S I N S T I T U T ES
descendants now t r a v e r s e the thoroughfare t h a t passes t h r o u g h the centre of this
l o v e l y o l d r e s t i n g place.
One c o u l d not help but notice t h e l e i s u r e l y a t t i t u d e of the people. Instead of
t h e r u s h a n d b u s t l e we are accustomed t o i n the West, I f o u n d t h a t business places
were not open for business before 9 o'clock. I had o c c a s i o n t o v i s i t one of
the stores s h o r t l y after 9 o ' c l o c k one m o r n i n g , a n d t o m y s u r p r i s e I f o u n d t h e e n t i re
staff congregated i n t h e centre of the g r o u n d floor of the store i n a n a n i m a t e d dis­cussion
of C h u r c h U n i o n.
T h e meetings were h e l d " O n t h e F l o o r of t h e H o u s e " i n t h e P a r l i a m e n t B u i l d i n gs
of N e w B r u n s w i c k , The b e a u t i f u l l i t t l e A s s e m b l y C h a m b e r resembles a c h u r ch
w i t h its galleries a n d G o t h i c w i n d o w s . On the w a l l s h a n g m a n y h i s t o r i c p a i n t i n g s.
T h e B u i l d i n g s front on a v e l v e t y tree- girt lawn o v e r l o o k i n g the b r o a d calm St.
J o h n R i v e r . No wonder " 0 C a n a d a " c o n t a i n s t h e l i n e " w h e r e l o r d l y rivers flow."
T o a t t e n d a W . I . C o n v e n t i o n as one of the e n t h u s i a s t i c audience was a n ex­perience
to w h i c h I l o o k e d f o r w a r d after the strenuous t i m e s of o u r 1923 C o n v e n t i o n .
H o w e v e r , the dates decreed otherwise. M r s . C a m e r o n of D a v i d s o n , S a s k a t c h e w a n,
R e c o r d i n g S e c r e t a r y of t h e F . W . I . C . was unable to be present. A l l t h e P r o v i n c i al
representatives are v e r y busy women, a n d no one was desirous o f t a k i n g o n another
task. It seemed ungracious to refuse to take over t h i s w o r k , so I agreed to do so.
T h i s necessitated my foregoing t h e social events a n d the drives p l a n n e d for the
delegates t h r o u g h t h a t b e a u t i f u l c o u n t r y . Let me refer y o u t o M r s . P r i c e ' s report
for a glimpse of the m a r i t i m e r u r a l landscape w i t h its w e a l t h of l i l a c a n d s n o w b a ll
bushes, its roses a n d apple blossoms.
I w o u l d l i k e t o t e l l y o u about a few, a v e r y few, of t h e m a n y o u t s t a n d i n g c h a r m ­i
n g women who were gathered at t i n s C o n v e n t i o n . I s h a l l not m e n t i o n M r s . T o d d ,
Past President, M r s . W a t t , D o m i n i o n P r e s i d e n t , nor D r . H e l e n M e M u r e h y , because
y o u k n o w t h em f r om their v i s i t s t o our C o n v e n t i o n s here i n A l b e r t a.
Let me tell y o u a word about M i s s A n n i e S t u a r t of G r a n d e P r e . N o v a S c o t i a,
F i r s t V i c e - P r e s i d e n t of the F . W . I . C . " W h e n people t h i n k of M i s s A n n i e Stuart,
t h e y wear a pleasant smile, for she is a pleasant subject to d w e l l u p o n , " s a y s a w r i t er
i n the C a n a d i a n F a r m e r . She is a b i g handsome woman, b r o a d of o u t l o o k , a n d large
of heart. She is v e r y o u t s p o k e n , w i t h the pleasantest k i n d of voice that has no
edges, a n d that leaves no s t i n g , a n d w h e n she t i l t s it is w i t h the w r o n g - d o i n g , not the
wrong- doer. Miss S t u a r t has an apple o r c h a r d of f o r t y acres, f r om w h i c h she ships
a n n u a l l y as m a n y as 3,000 barrels of B a l d w i n s a n d K i n g s . Before g o i n g i n t o the
apple business M i s s S t u a r t was for t w e n t y - o n e years the D e p u t y R e g i s t r a r of Deeds,
l o r her C o u n t y . Due to her experience there, a n d to her n a t u r a l desire to be of
h e l p to people, she has become an Investment B r o k e r , her s p e c i a l l y b e i n g t h e g i v i ng
of advice to women on t h e i r business affairs, and i n d i r e c t i n g t h e i r i n v e s t m e n ts
i n t o l u c r a t i v e channels. She is p a r t i c u l a r l y s t r o n g o n u r g i n g people t o m a k e t h e ir
w i l l s . Miss S t u a r t , by the way, is a c o u s i n of S i r R o b e r t B o r d e n . Miss S t u a r t ' s
report on C a n a d i a n i z a t i o n and N a t i o n a l E v e n t s was a masterpiece of b r e v i t y,
brightness a n d eloquence.
T h e n there is M i s s N u t t e r , Superintendent of W o m e n ' s I n s t i t u t e s for N ew
B r u n s w i c k , a n energetic a n d capable y o u n g w o m a n , eager to put the w o m e n to the
f r o n t to receive any honor, herself the u n o b t r u s i v e power b e h i n d , w h o sees to it
t h a t e v e r y t h i n g moves s m o o t h l y a n d efficiently. Miss N u t t e r ' s s i s t e r - i n - l aw h ad
just become S u p e r v i s o r of our Bassano G i r l s ' C l u b a v e r y short time before her
u n t i m e l y death.
M r s . O s m a n of H i l l s b o r o is the c h a r m i n g and dignified President of the N ew
B r u n s w i c k I n s t i t u t e s . Her k i n d l y welcome w i l l l o n g be r e m e m b e r e d b y the delegates.
D r . A . E . M a r t y of T o r o n t o , t h e first woman school i n s p e c t o r i n C a n a d a , was
one of the finest speakers at the C o n v e n t i o n . She is not the s t e r e o t y p e d " s c h o ol
m a ' a m , " but a w o m a n l y w o m a n , w i t h a great l o v e for c h i l d r e n , a n d a d e t e r m i n a t i on
t h a t a l l of t h em s h a l l h a v e the best possible chance i n life.
M i s s H e l e n M c D o u g a l l is the gracious S u p e r i n t e n d e n t of W o m e n ' s I n s t i t u t es
for N o v a S c o t i a . E v e r y three m o n t h s t h e y p u b l i s h a pamphlet c a l l e d t h e W . I . N . S.
w h i c h they r e g a r d as the fore- runner of a r e a l W . I . m a g a z i n e . I h a d the pleasure
of a t t e n d i n g the A n n u a l C o n v e n t i o n of the N o v a S c o t i a I n s t i t u t e s . They have
no P r o v i n c i a l P r e s i d e n t , so M i s s M c D o u g a l l presided at a l l the sessions." Miss
Z w i c k e r of M a h o n e B a y , one of the I n s t i t u t e women, is t h e i r v e r v efficient Secre­t
a r y . The C o n v e n t i o n w a s h e l d i n t h e A g r i c u l t u r a l C o l l e g e a t Truro", a n d c l o s e d w i t h
a banquet at w h i c h the staff of the C o l l e g e , a n d the federated v i s i t o r s w e r e the speak­ers.
At t h i s m e e t i n g I h a d the pleasure of m e e t i n g a sister of one of o u r A l b e r ta
" • o m e n s I n s t i t u t e s Secretaries. She was d e l i g h t e d w h e n she l e a r n e d that not o n lv
d i d I k n o w her sister, but h a d been a guest i n her home here i n S u n n y A l b e r t a . "