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Board Briefings November, 1 997 ( tomwail was the setting of the Federated Women's In- stitutes of Ontario first open annual meeting last November. After the presentation of flags and welcome by President Marg Ham's. all officers and commit“ tees presented their annual reports. These were followed by the elections and the installation of officers. Following dinner. the Board Directors. Executive and thirty guests at the Annual meeting enjoyed the McPhee Fashion Show presented by Board Direc- tor and Regional Vice-President Rosemary Moran. it Home 3 Country. Winter '97-98 INFORMATION ITEMS Election Results: Arthena Hecker of Richards Land- ing was elected President. Christine Reabum of Westmeath was elected President-Elect, Vifinniired Mann oi Listowel was elected Western Regional Vice- President Donna Willows of St. Pauls was elected Southern Regional Vice- President. Bev Coutts oi Stayner was elected memberlat-Iarge as Chair of the Finance Committee. Public Relations: Forty stations reported playing the iingle ap- proximately 2.300 times in an eight-month period. Members have commented that hearing the jingle has given them a sense oi recognition. The FWIO Web site is updated regularly. providing Women‘s Institute information on the Internet. Current news releases and Home & Country newsletters are included in the updates. Volunteer Opportunity: There is an immediate need fora person with web page authoring experi- ence. who pays attention to detail, to do the work requrred for the FWIO web site. This volunteer needs to have his/her own comâ€" puter and scanner and lnlemet access. A knowledge of HTML is required. Home & Country: As FWIO's pri- mary communications tool. the Home a Countrynewslelter is the most imponant vehicle in which to relay information to the member- ship. At the 1997. March Board meeting the Editorial Committee was asked to consider a number of items: Ithe inclusion of what was re- ferred to as an “FWIO Fact Sheet” so that all members are receiving the same information about provincial matters and is- sues: - the inclusion of advertising so as to offset the cost 0! producing the newsletter; and. - the distribution of the newsletter to individual members as op- posed to Branch Secretaries. The first suggestion was incor- porated in the Summer 1997 issue at the Home a Country as Board Briefings. lnion'nation and recommendations regarding the other two items is iorthcoming at the March 1998 Board meeting. Program Challenge: FWIO would like to remind you of the partner- ship agreements made with the following four groups: - Community Abuse Program of Rural Ontario (CAPRO) - Pharmaceutical Manuiaclurers Association of Canada (PMAC) - Osteoporosis Society of Canada (050) - Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBS P) These groups agreed to partner and work together with the Federated Women's Institutes of Ontario presenting educational programs throughout Ontario. Now. FWIO challenges you â€" the members. Branches. Districts and Areas - to initiate at least 100 programs in 1998 with each of these partners. Membership Challenge: Lorna McGrath. Membership Coordina- tor for FWIO. challenges each member to bring one new mem- ber into the Women's institute organization this coming year. For those members whose Branch has disbanded, consider joining another Branch near you or be- coming a Contributing Member. Call the Provincial Office or your Area Membership Organizer ior further details. Constitution Committee: This Committee is in the process of updating and rewriting the Women's institute Handbook. in- put irom all members is welcome Please send any suggestions to the Provincial Office. attention Constitution Committee. FWIO Tartan: The FWIO Tartan is selling welll Please order the FWIO Tartan based on the infor- mation as outlined on page 4 of the Fall 1997 Home a Country. The Tartan is also available from Rosemary Moran at (613)398- 8462 or Arthena Hacker at (705)2462377: Manitoba Flood Relief: Donna Russett reported that $10.000 had been sent by Ontario mem- bers to the Manitoba Flood Relief Fund. The money has been distributed by the Keystone Agricultural Producers to those in need. Centennial Committee: The Cenâ€" tennial Committee closed their books at the end of the 1996-97 Iiscal year. This Committee has presented a total of $13,186.79 to FWlOr Women’s Day at the Royal: Th 1997 winner of the Excellence Agriculture Award was present to Evelyn McCutcheon. She ex. hibited dairy goals for 28 years at the Royal and has worked tire. lesst at promotion displays telling the story of the goat indus- try. Mr. David Garrick. Chiel Executive Officer of the Royal. has promised wall space in the foyer where portraits of winners will be hung each year... a "wall of women." FWIO has two repre- sentatives who sit on the RAWF Board. Convention '97: Almost 800 peo- ple attended the iull Convention in June; 1,449 gobbled up the food at the Gage Park Outdoor Cele- bration. and 1 .960 sat down to the international Dinner at the Armouries. The Financial State- ment shows a profit, which will be divided between FWIC and FWIO in a 60 - 40 per cent split. Peggy Knapp. Chair of the Con- vention ’97 Planning Committee noted three distinct memories from the addresses given by the various speakers: - Find a way around “road blocks" until you reach your goals. 0 WI should be seeking allianc. with others to attain their goals. 0 We really have to understand something about modern tech- nology or we are not going to be able to talk to our grandchildren. Critical Change In Rural Ontario Conterence: President-Elect Arthena Hacker participated in discussions on rural issues con- cerning municipal iinance. health care, volunteerism, infrastructure, rural economic development and the rural voice at this fall confer- ence in Geneva Park. Speakers stressed that volunteerism is criti- cal in society today and that it is important to celebrate volunteers. Volunteers also need to be trained. It was noted that people today do not know how to volun- tear. it was also stressed that organi- zations need vision. innovation. leadership and courage to be in control of changes which are in- evitable. Members need to veins What we do and where we are going as an organization. Lite Membership Awarded: Donna Russett received a Provin- cial Life Membership Certifica and badge.