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PRESENTATION OF CITATION FOR 1976 ALUMNUS OF HONOUR AT THE HOMECOMING OF THE UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH ALUMNI ASSOCIATION T0 MISS HELEN M. McKERCHER by Mr. Peter Anderson President U. of G. Alumni Ass’n Helen May McKercher has, throughout her workâ€" ,ng life. charted an unwavering course that involved \Bl'VlCC to people. Her simple. straightforward philoso» Emy. “Take people from where they are to as far as may can go,“ has been her formula for a distinguished Lll'CCl' in Home Economics Extension. During that career her name became a household .tord with Ontario farm families. She has been de- -:ribed as “Diplomat,” “Untirirtg Leader.“ “Tower of tirength,” “Subtle But Firm Director,” “Champion of .v'omen's Rights" and most importantly to her;“A ‘ nend.” Born October 4. I91 I. Miss McKercher, comes rom a Huron County farm near Seaforth. After gradâ€" rating from Macdonald Institute in 1930, she interned .u dietetics at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto ind the Ottawa Civic Hospital. In 1931 she joined the '.Vomen’s Institute Branch of the Ontario Department 4’ Agriculture and was Home Economist for the L'ounties of Wellington. Dufi'erin. Middlesex and :’erth. In 1943 she enlisted in the Women’s Royal Cana- .lian Naval Service as one of four dietitians acting as IdVISOl’S on food preparation for all Canadian naval .hips and establishments. Responsible for feeding 20.000 men. she performed a feat that has possible merit for inclusion in the Guinness Book of Records. Discharged as a Lieutenant in 1945. Miss \leKercher returned to the Department ongriculture .15 County Home Economist for Welland. Lincoln and Haldimand. A year later she enrolled at Cornell Uni- versity. where she completed her B.Sc. degree in Foods and Nutrition and her M.Sc. in Extension Edu- cation. In 1948 she returned to the Ontario Depart- ment of Agriculture and spent two years as Supervisor of Home Economics Education. In 1951 Miss McKercher joined the Canada Department of Fish- eries where she became Chief of Consumer Services. She returned to the Ontario Department of Agri- culture as Director of the Home Economics Branch in 1956. After 20 years in this capacity she will retire this month with a proud total of 36 years of service to On tario people. Miss McKercher is Honorary President of the Fedâ€" erated Women’s Institutes of Ontario and an Honor- dry Life Member of the Canadian Society of Rural Extension; a Life Member of the Associated Country Women of the World, and the Macdonald Institute Alumni Association: Past President of the Canadian Agricultural Extension Council. and a member of the Ontario and Canadian Dietetic Associations and the Canadian and Toronto Home Economics Associations. In I967 she was awarded the Centennial Medal in rec- ognition of valuable service to the nation. She was a founding member of the Alma Mater Fund’s Century Club and has served as Class Agent and Editor of her Class newsletter. Miss McKercher receiving citation from President Peter Anderson, University of Guelph Alumni Associ- ation. Ready for a day at the Erland Lee Home. , “at: 2-1 Jr Fifi Final dictation to secretary Margaret Roberts. 13