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The late, grea that have declared th I ‘ We do not believe the WI ts terminally lion could use a shot in the arm to keep it we and strength. For that reason, we have prepared a spy today. Our diagnosis is that the W1 is as in proving the Wl’s image in 1986. New WI branch born in Greenwor Some branches of the Women‘s In; stitutes may be dying out. but new ones continue to be born. This is the story of the conception and birth of one of the province’s youngest WI branches â€" Greenwood WI in North Renfrew District. Sharon Cotnam is generally re garded as the “founding mother” of Greenwood WI. [1 was she who organized the first membership drive and planted the seeds from which the new branch was to grow. Greenwood. explains Mrs. Cotnam. is a little community. just east of Pembroke. which belongs to Pemv broke Township. The nearest WI branch was the Pleasant View WI â€" a group Mrs. Cotnam says she had admired from a distance for many years. “I had never belonged to 3. WI * but I always read the accounts of their meetings in the newspaper and thought the Pleasant View WI was a worthwhile group,“ Mrs. Cotnam explains. With a dairy farmer husband and four active children to keep her hop» ping. Mrs. Cotnam hadn‘t felt she had enough time to devote to the WI until last year when the youngest settled into high school and the oldest was at university, Mrs. Cotnam was at a fork in the road. and she knew there were two things she wanted to do. One was to start her own business. an antique and crafts shop called The Calico Cat. The other goal was to join the ranks of the Women’s Institutes. Special Report Ann Hauprich When Mrs. Cotnam mentioned to her motherâ€"in-law, Marjorie. a long- time member of Pleasant View WI. that she was interested in joining the group, something unexpected hap‘ pened. “I was told Pleasant View WI would be happy to have me â€" but that I might feel out of place because most of the members were so much older than I,” recalls Mrs. Cotnam. It was then that the two women first began discussing the possibility of getting a new branch off the ground. “I always thought very highly of the Pleasant View WI. and I didn‘t want to take anything away from their group, so I conferred with some of their members to find out how they would feel about having a new branch so nearby. . .as it turned out, most of them were excited about the idea, and they were very supportive,“ Mrs. Cotnam says. In October 1984. Mrs. Cotnam phoned “a few friends" and bounced the idea off of them. When the wo- men she contacted reacted positively, Mrs. Cotnam set about the task of arranging an information night at her home. Roughly a month later, the meeting took place with then district president 1 Mark Twain once complained that the reports of his death had been greatly exaggerated. Well. we at Home & Country fee I the same way about recent press reports e Women’s Institutes to be on their death bed. ' ill â€"â€" but we do think the organiza‘ It and to help it grow in numbers ecial report on the state of the WI brant. capable and full of promise as ever â€" but the organization is suffering from an image problem. And. we think we have a remedy! We hope this special report. prepared by Ann Hauprich. will help you see lh _ on the following pages will generate pas: Home & Country interim Editor e W] in a new light ‘ and that the stories tive discussions and ideas for imâ€" Caryl Yokale and district set-i Viola Krause on hand to an information and anstver quc posed by the 12 or 14 women tendance. Interest in forming the new I intensified and by the time I augural meeting was held on Jr 15. 1985. there were 19 charter bers. By September, the bran mushroomed to about 25 ladic it is reportedly still growing! Once the election of offiCL taken place, with Elaine He- being sworn in as presiden Greenwood WI began planr activities. According to Mrs. Hennessi of the members of the new brat married women in their 205 at who have schoolâ€"age or prcr children. It was. then. not Surprisi' one of the branch‘s first projc to organize a giant yard sale I money for playground equipr a nearby park. “We took in $350. at the sale and damn of it to Pleasant View Park, Mrs. Hennessy. Another project that’s captt interest of the Greenwood George Mathieson Park, situ a waterfront property that mated to the township in recen Greenwood WI members it provide the new park with tables and flowers in 1986. Mrs. Hennessy is delightt the Greenwood WI. She say~ vides members with a chance ' N 4 g T). HE ‘lls it! _t in Si 'Lli ltll’ lit 'he is on m [o nit tilll tIiO- itcri