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

1712 President’s Comer Mrs. Harvey Noblitt, Presi- dent the Federated Women ’s institutes of On» tarr'o. Here we are well into a new year. Whether we stepped into it thinking ofit as going through a gate. standing at a door. or looking through a Window to a new space oftime. it is an opportunity and a challenge to contribute to the progress ol‘ the world according to our abilities and circumstances. We probably did not accomplish all our aims and objectives last year: some of them will have to be car- ried over and new ones added in 1974, But objectives and plans we must have or we will be like Stephen Leacock‘s man who got on a horse and rode OH in all directions. One of our first objectives in the W.l.. it seems to me. should be to recognize the value of our organiza- tion. l often wonder if we really realize the “pot of gold“ the W.l. really is. Some of you will remember the story oithe boy who lived on a mountain side. He worked hard helping his parents on their rocky farm. Often he paused to gaze in wonder as the sunrise flooded the valley and he vowed that. when his father gave him a day off. he would go and find the windows of gold on the houses down there. The rest ol‘the story is told in the poem: There is a legend that has often been told Of the boy who searched for THE WINDOWS OF GOLD: The beautiful windows he saw far away When he looked in the valley at sunrise each day. And he yearned to go down to the valley below But he lived on a mountain that was covered with snow And he knew it would be a difficult trek. But that was a journey he wanted to make. So he planned by day and he dreamed by night Of how he could reach THE GREAT. SHINING LIGHT , . . And one golden morning when dawn broke through And the valley sparkled with diamonds of dew ” He started to climb down the mountainside With THE WINDOWS OF GOLD as his goal and his gurde . . . He travelled all day and. weary and worn. With bleeding feet and clothes that were torn. He entered the peaceful valley town Just as the golden sun went down. But he seemed to have lost his “Guiding nght‘X The windows were dark that had once been bright. And hungry and tired and lonely and cold He cried “Won’t you show me the WINDOWS OF GOLD?" And a kind hand touched him and said. “Behind High on the mountain are the Windows of Oak!“ For the sun going down in a great golden’ ban Had burnished the windows of his cabin so small . V Then there is a Mexican story which goes like lllls‘ There once was a diamond in the glzzard iii 1. poorly feathered hen. It Fulfilled its mission oftt pltnd. ing wheel with resigned humility. It was accomWHW by stones from the ant hill and two or three [aim ~ l". glass. It earned a bad reputation because ofits hint. ness. The stone and the glass avoided it. The her i... blessed with good digestion because the facets in the diamond ground her food to perfection, Each i”. more cleaned and polished. the diamond PHIL-Id around within the gizzard. One day the kitchen maid began to prep». lhg chicken for the table. Full of hope. the diamond inc into the light and shone with all its inner hr the maid didn‘t even recognize it and let it run in my sewer to be re-covcred with grease and grime Our gold and our diamonds are right there m. structure and objectives of our W.l. and in each 3.. her of every Branch across the province, The in “in who. like the boy in The Golden Windows. tin he value in her organization will appreciate it at m much more l‘rom it than the one. who liketh l fan maid. does not recognize value when she sees i A second objective we might well set ourscli in try at all times to carry out the aims of thc ‘. it ,listed on page six of the Handbook, Perhaps it did help to read them over at the beginning of each .:t- ing along with the Mary Stewart Collect with ll‘ ‘L‘d in mind that the aims be implementEd with [UlL tr. understanding and kindness as suggested by it: il- lect. Even though we recognize the value ofouri ‘ll- zation and try to develop its ideals. our efforts to lhk’ the diamond in the chicken, go down the drain .. he lost l‘orcver if we fail to keep getting new menil» to carry on our work in the Future. The results - ht? membership drive have been excellent to date. It ng a membership convener is a splendid way to kt rc- minding us of our 20% objective. Perhaps Eutlt lli could. during the year. assume the personal d l.” getting one new member. How wonderful it wo ht if we could! As we go forth into 1974 let us face issues \\ i. n- lhusiasm. wisdom. tolerance. and most ol‘ all lh courage. In Sir Walter Raleigh's “Kenilworlh”. l. W Elizabeth gave Sir Walter a diamond ring with I wli he wrote on the window pane, “Fain would l - ill. but that I fear to fall". The Queen completed ll'ti plet thus: "If thy mind fail thee. do not climb at l - Let it never be said ofus that “our minds fail us”. we strive for better and greater accomplishments ll M Women's Institute. 4' Bernice B. Nwlitl The bookshop has a thousand books. All colors hues and tinges And every cover is a door That turns on magic hinges. Nancy Byrd Turner ! V- l