1939 - Convention Report

              ] 2 A L B E R T A WOMEN'S INSTITUTES
Mrs. F. W. Yeats, of Stony Plain, then favored the assembly with two
enjoyable solos, " The Mood" and " The Blacksmith." Mrs. R. M. Oatway
was the accompanist.
Mrs. H . McGregor, President of the F. W. I. C. then addressed the delegates.
She stated that our chief endeavor at this time should be t o keep a happy and
contented home and community, for a discontentd one is a centre for " isms."
Continuing, Mrs. McGregor said, " In a crisis such as this, the Red Cross
organization, international in character and world renowned will be given
prominence and much of our work will go through this channel, but we must
not lose sight of our own organization for there will be a reconstructive
period."
Mrs. Lynch Staunton moved, seconded by Mrs. Bell that a vote of thanks
be extended. Mrs. McGregor and a hearty applause followed.
Community singing under the leadership of Mrs. A. Wotherspoon was
enjoyed at this time.
Mrs. Elizabeth Bailey Price, Vancouver, B. C., Publicity Director of the
F. W. I. C., was the next speaker, taking as her subject, " Pan- Pacific Friend­ship."
She said, " Women weave an understanding from the things they hold
in common, forgetting their differences and women have a greater glory
than men, for theirs is the way of the common touch. Common things link
the people together." The speaker urged the fostering and ' maintaining of
peace between Canada and the United States.
On motion of Mrs. Bell, seconded by Mrs. Fulcher, the meeting adjourned.
WEDNESDAY EVENING
Mrs. Alfred Watt, London, England, President of the Associated Country
Women of the World, and Mrs. Wm. Stewart, Peace River, President of the
Alberta Women's Institutes, were after- dinner speakers on Wednesday
evening at a dinner given by members of the A. W. I, in honor of delegates to
the Federated Convention. Mrs. M. L . Thompson, Vice- President, presided.
Mrs. Watt, in her interesting- address, said, " Canada's great gift to the
world is the W. I. movement. It will always be a great bliss to me, to
remember that the Women's Institute came from Canada and now we are
fortunate indeed, in having the W. I. with us, for we can use it as a war
service and prepare to meet any need the Government may demand of us.
Let me urge you to build up your own organization at this time, and use it
as a medium of information, co- operation, education and greatest of all,
home and community building. We do not have to join any other
organization but hold ourselves in readiness for needs which might arise."
Having visited Institutes in every part of the world, Mrs. Watt had a
story to tell of the great work which country women are doing. She paid
tribute to the small bodies of pioneer women working across vast countries,
whose courage, fortitude and strength can only bring admiration.
She mentioned the work in Ceylon carried on by dark skinned women, in
Palestine where Jewish women are doing wonderful agricultural work, in
Germany and in the Baltic countries where a people so eager to work out
their own destiny are about to be crushed again. As far back as 1937, when
she visited Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, a dark shadow lay across the
peaceful life of these small countries. Even then there was a feeling among
the people, that at any time, one of their larger neighbors would crowd in
on them.
Mrs. Stewart in relating her experiences on the ill- fated Athenia
and later, the City of Flint, carried her listeners with her, step by step,