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Mrs. Adelaide Hoodless. Co- Founder Mrs. E. D. Smith.fit‘st President Mr. Erland Lee. 07- Founder Mrs. Wm. Todd . first F WIO President Women’s Institutes E ighty-F ive Years Later February 19, [897 was a da)‘ that made history. One hundred and one women and one man. Mr. Lee. were the neu'stnukcrs at the turn of the Century. February I9. I982. will mark the 85th Atittii‘l‘l‘J'ut‘)’ Qi'titefonnding Qf'therht'st Women's Institute in the world. The family was the (ore-reasonforfhnndtng Women 's Institutes. and remains so. to this day. Women's Institute members for the last 85 years have stood hr the L'UIIl'(‘fil of strengthening the family unit and encouraged Women to go beyond their homes attdfarnts to help one another think as individuals. The formation oflnt‘ol hratn‘ht’s qtnc'ici)‘ same-hailed in Ontario and it wasn't long before the work spread into other Prol'im‘es in the Dominion Men have played an important role itt the Women's institute. espet'ially. in the first thtrt)‘ years. Although it is questionable {fatty WI members would hare enjoyed the benefits of the orgattiuttion over the last 85 years without the support it] their husbands. itt Ontario. bark (is far as i896. Mr. Erland Lee heard Atleiuide Hood/est speak. and herein lies the key to tittfilttt'tticttitttt of Women's Institutes. Just as the fantin unit. had at the turn of the t'entury. depended on the mother ant/father for guidance. the Women's institute would not have been or‘ganiu'd without a woman (Adelaide Hondiess). who had a desire to tell the t'titttttllllili_\‘ ahtntt her prohiem and t'ottt'ern, and a gentleman (Eriand Lee). who rerogrn’aui the importance of the situation and eneottrc'tged a gathering of women. where she would have a receptive uudi'eru'e. In our 85th year. Ontario Wis are t’nt'ouragtng tnetnhers of FH’IC and the Constituent Sm'ieties belonging to that group. to recognize and llL'L'l'j'H the tart. that the first WI in the world had (‘Uiftttttiflt’rfi Mrs. Hoodiess and Erianti Lee. This will he on the agenda at the [982 National Convention and Ontario members are hopeful bias will out shade the derision. With the formation of Brant‘hes throughout Canada. it was inerttahie that the Women's Institutes were desttnedjor overseas. The Ontario burn and edm LIIL’ll Madge Robertson. moved to British Columbia. married Alfred Holt. and he- (‘flITiC a dedicated member of the Metehosin WI. After his death. she and her sorts moved to England just bejore World War i. After war was deviat't‘tl. Mrs. Walt could see that rural women. if organized. L‘Ultld [liar an important part in planting garden piotsfrorn with h the vegetables maid feed the lot at residents. With the assistanee oftwo influential men. a W] was organiu'ci in Fiattiltit‘. Wales. in I9i5. The Federated Women's Institutes of Ontario have spatniteuclmi pro/arts. such as. assuming ownership ot‘the EI'Iand Lee ( Museum) Home. where history was made when the original Constitution was written. Thousands of dollars have been invested in the edueationai protects for the \‘onth. not only in Ontario. httt overseas. too. Assisting women in thirdAworid ('nnntries has been hevond (fins lion, an itnporlantfat'el ofthe WI work. where strong support was given. ninth: with other ConstituentSocieties. to the, savociatetiCountrr H'otnen ot'the World. prajet'ts. Now in t9la’2. where do we stand as an organimtion in our rumntttrtityf’ History will retard. in the beginning. the WI and the Church. were the organiza- tionai strengths in rural areas of Ontario. Today. we mmpete with a host of other local organizations. as well as leisureiiittte attit'itii's. sttt'h as we’ve never experienced before. Our role has lJfi't‘l’ltiiC’ more difficult. so i! het'omes nutrh more important to define our goals and ohjertires: We cherish the past. but we cannot live on previous at't'ontpiisinnents. All those important rules we have played over the past 85 years were not in rain. However. iii the [980's our reasansfor being. our nbjet'tivesfltr (‘.l'I.Yi[’tl['[’. must be motivated toward the needs of the present-day woman. A re-thit’tking of direction and a re-tlt‘jittittg ofstructttre may he the answer. @MOaf/‘WZAJ