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Make adigital Videotape for the future, with members explaining particular family mementoes. Do you usually hold a Branch potluck meal or dinner? Get all your members to make special recipes from the pre- vious century and bring copies of the recipes to share. Putthem together into a millennium cookbook. Education Set aside one meeting for follow-up to the literacy video each Branch re- ceived from FWIC last fall. FWIC is distributing a second video and an information kit to all Branches on lit- eracy issues. There are suggestions for positive action in your communities to help people with reading difficulties deal with financial institutions and utilities. Health Issues Plan to hold at least one meeting with one of the FWIO Health partners See the Fall 1997 Home & Countn' (pages 8 and 9) for information on the first four partners, or call the Health Coordinator Kelly Marshall at 519~ 336-3056. For an excellent list of additional health ideas, see the Home & Country, 1999 Fall edition (page 11), or visit the FWIO web site at www.fwio.on.ca leadership Development Study the new FWIO Handbook. Plan a meeting to go through the Handbook and point out the changes. Invite your Provincial Advisory Councillor (PAC) to lead the discussion. Public Speaking » an old leadership skill for a new century. Sponsor a pub» lic speaking contest for your members or your local school? Take a spring meeting to plant a public garden to mark the millennium. Spell WI or Women‘s Institute in flowers! Sponsor a Pitch-In-Canada event dur» ing their May 1 to 7 “Clean up of the Century" to beautify your community for the millennium Contact Pitch-In Canada at Box 45011, Ocean Park ‘ (thrust tusnrurrs - ; so A Good Idea! The Public Relations Officers in Lambton North, Centre and South Districts prepared display boards for use at focal fairs, meetings and work- shops. The main feature of the display is a large map of Lambt‘on County outlining the Districts and pin pointan the Branches by name. A pam- phlet accompanied the display locating and listing all Branches and providing District contact names and phone numbers. RPO. White Rock BC V4A 9L1. Phone: 604-290-0498. Email: pitchâ€" in@PlTCH»IN.ca or check out their web site at wwwpitchâ€"inca I Put out a millennium challenge to businesses and homes in your commu- nity to beautify their properties. Take before and after pictures. Plan an end of summer meeting to walk or drive around and judge the entries. Offer plaques for prizes donated by the WI (which can hang in winning business entries and advertise the WI for years to come). FWIO/FWIC/ACWW I The Federated Women‘s Institutes of Canada (FWIC) will be holding their national convention in Brandon. Man» itoba. in June, 2000. Plan a meeting to learn more about FWIC and Manitoba. I The Associated Country Women of the World (ACWW) will be holding its conference in Hamilton, Ontario. in 2001. Plan a meeting to study an ACWW member country. Can some- one in your community provide a slide show? Does your library have a travel video? Check with your travel agent! I Write to ACWW to get the address of a WI Branch in another country. Write to that Branch and offer to exchange a photo album about your Branch and your community for an album about theirs. Plan an end of year meeting to discuss what you have learned. Be- come year 2000 pen pals. Iweedsmuir History Meetings Many Branches also hold one meeting to update or display their Tweedsmuir Histories. Here are some ideas for those meetings: I Make a time capsule of 10 items that symbolize your Branch. village or area. The Canadian Conservation In» stitute has a “CCI Note" on how to make Time Capsules. To order this information call 613â€"998â€"3721, ext. 250, or email cci-icc_publicaâ€" tions@pch.gc.ca I Make a special Tweedsmuir album surveying the state of your community in the year 2000, including population statistics, churches. businesses. volun- teer organizations, key community members, etc. Make one copy for your Branch records and another for your local historical society. This is a great way to take stock of the present and look for ways to help your community in the future. I Pick a key heritage site in your com- munity from the last century and visit it and learn about its history. I Plan a walking or drivmg tour together with your local historical society to see exceptional examples of historical or- chitecture in your community. The ideas here are designed to use at your monthly meetings. You may also have additional activities planned on other days to mark “The New Millen- nium." Put them all in your Branch program. Make sure your printed proâ€" gram tells your members and your community that the W1 is a dynamic orâ€" ganization, soundly grounded in the past century and eagerly looking forward to the next! This information was compiled by Jane Cooper, Chair, and other members of the Program/Project Preparation Committee. Home 8. Country, Winter "99-2000 9