1939 - Convention Report

              78 A L B E R T A WOMEN'S INSTITUTES
A committee of twelve, divided into three groups, made a year's pro­gramme
from the answers and the theme of the next Convention was " How
to Build Up a W. I. Programme." The result has been that the Institutes are
now " Educational Groups in action." It showed that there was a great
deal of talent in their own Branches, much of it lying idle and undiscovered,
now this is being brought to the fore. Time has been spent in Local Leader
Groups on such subjects as Family and Health, Beautification of the Home,
Foods and Health, Clothing and Kitchen Improvement. They have 157
Branches in Manitoba.
Mrs. J . R. Near, Pinkham, Saskatchewan, stated that a new develop­ment
had taken place in the Province where 11 Homemakers' Clubs have
been organized on Indian Reserves under the Department. The Prairie
Library was much appreciated and tribute was paid to Lady Tweedsmuir.
The speaker said that they choose a theme for each Convention and that
there were 331 in attendance at their last Convention. Many papers and
discussions have been held in the study of Rural Sanitation. In 1936 a
Fruit Growing project was started and in 1938 they started the Holiday
Courses, similar to our Farm Women's Week. Homemakers' Clubs have
been working 28 years in Saskatchewan and there are 416 Clubs now with
a membership of 4,000, all trying to meet the needs of their women as
they see them, but are not restricted to a programme of uniformity.
Mrs. H. H . Pitts, Nelson, British Columbia, stated that Institutes had
been busy in that Province, sponsoring the Boy Scout Movement, Pig Clubs,
Poultry Clubs, Garden Clubs, Better Garden Contests, Bulb Shows, Daffo­dil
Shows, Manual Training Centres for boys, Sewing and Cooking Classes
for the girls, and now were organizing Youth Training Schools. A Handi­craft
Display featured weaving and spinning, demonstrated by women from
Sweden, Czeeho- Slovakia and Canada. Straw hats were made from oat
straw and the Victoria Weavers' Guild showed 25 patterns and 24 different
types of looms. One great work of the Institutes in B. C. is that of using
the Mary Davidson Fund for needy children with defective vision. This
fund of $ 2,000 was given for their work and it has been carried on for two
years. Each case is investigated thoroughly. Numerous minor operations
have been attended to and 98 pairs of glasses given. There are 174 Insti­tutes
in B. C. with 4,275 members, and hard times have stimulated rather
than retarded W. I. work in this Province.
REMINDERS
Please note that
1. Mrs. H . J . Montgomery, Wetaskiwin, is in charge of the Loan Collection.
Five cents to cover postage should be sent with application and specify
titles of papers wanted.
2. Mrs. R. E . Wood, Stony Plain, has the Monthly and Annual Report Forms,
and Organization Forms for New Branches, for distribution free. The
Handbook, 25c; Creeds, 10c per dozen; Song Sheets, 25c per dozen;
Minute Book or Cash Book at $ 1 each are to be had also.
3. Mrs. H . J . Montgomery, Wetaskiwin, has the Story of Alberta Women's
Institutes, for sale at 25c per copy plus 5c postage; Alberta Women's
Institute Pins at 45c each, and the Federated Women's Institute of Canada
Pins at 75c each.
4. Send subscriptions to C A N A D I A N HOME A N D C O U N T R Y to Mrs. H . A .
Dunham, Circulation Dept., Canadian Home and Country, Havelock, New
Brunswick. The rate is 25c per year.