1939 - Convention Report

              - 12 A L B E R T A WOMEN'S INSTITUTES
benefit, yourself, out of working- with the girls, while at the same time you
hope that you are helping them. So much for the Supervisors.
It is surprising how well the girls adapt themselves to the business end
of the Club work. They carry on in a manner that would do credit to any
woman's organization. They have their papers on interesting topics. Here
are some taken a random from late reports: " Brains Tell Character, Beauty
from a New Angle, A Hint for the Blues, Pulp and Paper Making in Canada,
etc." We have been told that the Girls' Clubs had their beginning in
lectures and demonstrations in Home Nursing and First Aid, and that after
the door to this knowledge had been opened to them, they refused to let it
close again, and now their work embraces many branches that enlarge and
enhance home- making. Their activities are many and varied. There are
sports contests, desig- ned to help the young- girls to be fit physically.
There are the Short Story and Public Speaking Contests, which should
inspire more and more study and intellectual effort, thus developing- the
cultural side of life, and thus inculcating- a desire to keep abreast of the
times and never lag behind in the knowledge of the vital matters of interest
to the world. Of course, all this knowledge can be obtained;— more easily
than it could have been a few years ago; with the use of the radio, facts on
every subject under the sun, it seems, spring out of the air for the listening
ear, and our girls have that listening ear. Their Club work makes them
alert and keen.
They have a display of handicraft held at the annual Convention at
Olds, here the exhibit this year was worthy of any woman's organization.
The same members of the staff of the School of Agriculture at Olds, have
been the judges of the handicraft each year, and this year they said that
they had noted a great improvement in the work done for these exhibits, and
that this time the exhibits quite excelled those of former years. The prize
is given to the Club having the most number of points, thus welding more
firmly the bonds that unite the members into Club unit, not working for
individual glory, but for the glory of their Club. Art is included in this
handicraft exhibit, thus giving an outlet for the girls' aesthetic tastes.
The girls have all kinds of demonstrations at their meetings— it has
been a source of great pleasure to me to see how many have their delegates
give similar demonstrations in their own Clubs, this is as it should be, for the
annual Convention, while it is the objective for which the Clubs strive in all
their contests, plans to give them infoimation, and suggestions that will
help make their Club interesting and profitable. The demonstrations have
been the making of fibre, chenille and ribbon flowers, batiking, cooking,
magic from bottles and jars, etc., things that could be used both for the home
and for bazaars.
Nature Study has its place on the girls' programme, it is always given
a boost through the lectures given by Mr. Kemp, of the Agricultural School,
and by the tours through the grounds, and in former years in hikes through
places of scenic beauty like Jasper and Banff.
We try to foster " Citizenship" by opening meetings with the flag salute—
we hope that so far, our flag has stood for freedom— it is our flag, it is
their flag, we hope it will be their children's flag, and their children's
children's flag, the flag of the free, the hope of the oppressed.
' Tis only an old hit of bunting
' Tis only an old colored rag;
But many have died for its honour,
And shed their life's blood for the flag.