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The President’s Corner Mrs. Harvey NObli", President the Feder- ated Women's Insti- Iutes of Ontario. By the time this issue of Home and Country comes off the press I will have had the pleas- ure of meeting many of you at Conventions, and I am looking forward to that, but today: "It’s a glorious day with the sun overhead And the maples off yonder in cardinal red, And the elm spilling gold on the floor of the world And the sumac ablaze as the picture‘s unâ€" furled. Oh, poor little genius known as man Work us such wonders as this if you can!" We certainly cannot hope to compete with nature in carrying out her great plan, but we as Women‘s Institute members can do a great deal in performing “Wonders” in our pro- grams as we step into the next 25 years of Women‘s Institute work. I trust you have put all your ingenuity to work in an attempt to reach your 20% in- crease in membership. Was it really so diffiâ€" cult once you made it a project? If we have reached our objective we have brought our membership up only to its former level. It must continue to increase in proportion to the increase in the population. The more new members we get in this province the more we will help the Federated Women's Institutes of Canada in its membership drive as well. We will have to make sure we replace every mem- ber we lose as the years go by and add at least one more each year just “to stay where we are." To this end I would suggest We have a membership converter in each of our Branches whose duty will be to seek out new members at all times, bring them to the first few meetings, introduce them and make them feel welcome. 4 As we begin our Fall meetings we will to make our new members feel happy . they have joined us. They probably have ., knowledge of the Women’s Institute but m outset they need to become acquainted wit. . objectives and its structure. We will t' them to know that when they pay their , , they become a part of an organization i million members from all parts of the m. « An organization which because of its lines of communication and contacts wit] United Nations is privileged to help man in a very effective way. They will need to be made aware 04 publications of the various components 0' organizalion â€" of Home and Countr- the Federated Women‘s Institutes of Om of Federated NeWs of the Federated Wei. Institutes of Canada. and of the Con woman of the Associated Countrywot-nc. the World, and of the fact that when the.» read we get a complete picture of the acti of the whole organization. It might be hot too, if at each meeting the Public Relu Officer had a display of regular Women stitute periodicals. newspaper clippings. excerpts from her reading of Women's I tute material throughout the month. What impressions will you want your members to take home with them from first meetings? Their first impressions probably be the most lasting so y0u will ' them to be pleasant ones. As they repeat Ode with you will they feel it was a gt thing to meet with you, and was it i “Friendship’s circle bright”? Will they c any unkind words or see any envy displ Will you really show by your words and program that you are working for the go- all mankind? They will recognize the Mary Stewart lect as a beautiful and powerful prayer. \‘ be very clear that its message is rel’l throughout the meeting where there 1 room for fault finding, or self seeking, f0i tiness or prejudice? This is, I think, mosr portant. There is probably nothing that deter a new member as much as finding have “two faces”; two standards: one we one we live. We need to show that we a: least making an honest attempt to live u our ideals. Will your new members go home fer they have learned something new? Will I: be given a Handbook and find themselve< get to read it because they realize that u good member they need to be familiar witl contents? Will they catch your enthusiasm the worth of your organization and for value of the program you have? Will they that you are all working on HOME AND COUN i someti" ‘l‘ll Wilt 'i'lE it e il ll tl