The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

The Women’s Institute and The Family by Ethel Chapman The Editor has asked me to set down some of the recommendations in an address given at the Central Ontario Women‘s Institute convenâ€" tion, in case they might offer suggestions to Institutes planning their programs for the com- ing year. The address was based on how the Institute might serve the family in these pres- ent times â€" mothers, children, young people and the aging; and how this service could reach beyond Institute members to benefit family living throughout the community. Briefly, these are some of the recommenda- tious: Women’s Special Interests Education in the skills of homemnking is as important today as ever it was; but pro- grams must relate to present conditions. Fifty years ago women might be interested in a demonstration of making a ten-egg angel cake; today they want to know what they can do with mirtes and how a processed food rates in nutritiOn. At one time the Institutes crusadcd for labor savers in the home â€" running water, power washers, vacuum cleaners; now the problem is to know what to buy from the beâ€" wildering mass of appliances on the market and how to operate and take care of them, Demonstrations in making butter and cull- ing hens were a great help to farm women in the days when a great part of the family's needs came from the mother‘s “butter and egg money." Today the farm women like everyone else needs consumer education. Could the In- stitute provide some of this through a feature on “How to Get the Most from Your Dollar“? (There is a case on record of an Institute wom- an being approached by a group of young mothers, not Institute members. who asked it she could help them to learn more about the management of money. The woman went to work on it. got help from the Home Economâ€" ics Branch and no doubt from other sources such as the local bank; and we understand the study was very helpful. Extending homemak- ing education to women outside the Institute seems to be increasing through the work 01 lo- cal leaders in the Home Economics Branch projects.) In planning programs to meet the educationâ€" al interests of its members I submit that we need more for the mind. (1) Make a place for more discussion at meetings â€" not only to stimulate thinking but to give the women practice in expressing their WINTER 1969 Winners of the Adelaide Headless Entrance Io MOE» donuld Institute Scholarship Award [$400 each) with Dr. W. C. Winegard, President. University 0! Guelph. left to righl: Miss K. A. T. dc Marco, Ihornhill; Min 0. B. Lowe. Grovcnhursl; Miss N. J. Lorne, Sudbury; Miss W. A. Gilbert, Aurora is missing lrom lhis picture. views in u puhlic nit-cling, They will need this as they take part in community uttnirs ~â€" school meetings. church mcclings. dcpututions to municipal councils or other authorities. (3) For variety and intcrcst try “interviews.” that is. have at mcmhcr conduct an interview like a television interview with. my :I new (.‘u- nudian who might find it dillicuil lo prcpul‘c a speech in our language. or some of the older rcsidcuts ol' the community. or with :1 very busy person who hasn't time to prepare a speâ€" cial speech but who has inlormulion we need. Take more thought lor the cultural side of the program. Some suggestions wcrc: (I) ()n hooks: (let the local or county iihrur- ion to come to a meeting and hpr to plan 21 course of reading including biography. natural science. hooks uhoul (‘unudin philosophy or inspiralionul hooks. good fiction. using the heat ol holh the new books and the classics. (2) On music: Have singing. not only for rcâ€" luxzuion but try to get a qualified leader to help the women In make music and to learn to like good songs. (3) 0n art: Sometime during the year show the Canadian Artists series of films available from the National Film Board. (Information about films from the National Film Board is given later in this article.) 27