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Scottish Women’s Rural Institutes and Their Plans to Welcome A.C.W.W. Visitors Women of the World always focuses in- terest on the country women's organization in the hostess country, so with the meeting to be held in Edinburgh this coming August, we are ulready hearing a good deal about the Scottish Women's Rural Institutes. 1‘ CONFERENCE of the Associated Country Institutes were first organized in Scotland in 3917. Now there are 1184 branches with a mem- iership Of about 68.000 women living on farms ind in small towns and villages. Miss Isabel Horn if the Scottish Home and Country magazine ex- ilains that the majority of country women in the parser populated Highlands and the scattered ommunities in the Border country still live rather \Dlated lives and the monthly night at “the Rural“ as the SWRI is affectionately nicknamed) is a telightful “get together" over a cup of tea. It tiso provides an opportunity for an exchange of -.leas on a variety of subjects from handicrafts to trama and from housewifery to international hairs. The Scottish Women‘s Rural Institutes give a nod deal of attention to needlework and crafts. Working closely with the handicrafts section of he Housewives’ Guild they learn the fine arts of mbroidery, tapestry. knitting. smacking. quilting. Badge of the Scottish Women's Rural institutes. It takes the form at an old "Luckenbouth." heuri»shnped brooch, originally a charm to ward off evil and later in the days of Mary. QUEED of Scots, given as a love taken. it is surmounted by a crown, the points bearing the letters SWRI. Across the heart is the motto "For Home and Country". baskctry. rugmaking. leatherwork. upholstery. china and glass painting. pottery and metal work. Stress is laid on the traditional angle and ever) effort is made to preserve in certain areas crafts peculiar to that area‘ such as pillow-lace making in the North East and the knitting of fishermcn's jerseys in the East Coast villages. But the interests of these Institutes are not entirely ‘dontestic.‘ At the present time there is a demand for classes in parliamentary procedure and public speaking, it seems that the Women‘s institutes of Scotland and of our own country have a great deal in common. “For the past year." Isabel Horn reports. “in- stitutes throughout Scotland have been preparing to welcome their guests from other country wom- en's organizations all over the world. They are busy making arrangements for the delegates during the conference. planning entertainment for them at intervals while the conference is in progress. and hospitality in the different parts of the coun- try they may visit after the conference is over. A very special part of the. conference programme will he Scotland‘s Day. when a pageant of Scot- land will be presented by members. While the visiting delegates are in Scotland, Scottish housewives will give them an opportunity Edinburgh Castle, the Scott Monument and Princes Street. JUMMER 1959 23