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SELF-PROFILE: By Nelda Morrison I was born and raised in .Beamsville, Ontario. and farmed with my husband, John, after we married in 1950. Even though rais- ing three sons and farm work filled my days. my yearning to have a loom of my own didn’t go away. My mother wove with linen quite extensively as a young girl: it was the custom then to make a dowry, by hand if possible. I had discov- ered as :1 young girl that weaving was an exciting. fulfilling craft. This conviction was reinforced afâ€" ter taking a short course in weaving in 1968. However, I did find time to join the Union Branch of the Women’s Institute in 195T As well as having held most Branch offices, I was President of the Lincoln District in the early 19705 and of the Hamilton Area in the late 19705. After moving to Utterson in the Muskoka Distict in 1982. Ijoined Falkenburg WI. Even after my move to Bracebridge four years later, I remained with this Branch. After they disbanded. however. I joined the South Macauley WI. I try to be as active as time allows. parA ticipating at Branch and District level and attending provincial and national conventions when possi» ble. Following the loss of my husband in 1988, [purchased my first loom. I felt life had a new purpose. I im- mersed myself in weaving books and periodicals and took short courseson weaving andseminars in basketry. In June of 1994. I ap- preached the FWIO President at that time. Donna Russett. express- ing my wish to design and weave a tartan to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the WI. 10 Home at Country. Winter 1996-97 Designing 8. Weaving the FWIO Tartan I began the project in January 1996. By the end of February the colours began to fit together. I warped my loom and began to weave. I was pleased with the re- sults. A sample was taken to the Spring Board meeting of the FWIO. In orderto registerthe tartan with the proper authorities, a letter of approval was sent from the FWIO Provincial Office with the tartan sample to the Scottish Tartans Authority in Pitlochry, Scotland The Certificate of Regis- tration and a sample of the original tartan was presented to the FWIO Board of Directors at the August meeting. The Federated Women's Instiâ€" tutes of Ontario Tartan will be commercially woven and made available to members throughout Ontario. It is my hope that in 1997 members will proudly wear articles made from the new Tartan to Con- vention ‘97 celebrations commemorating the 100th anniver- sary of the Women’s Institutes. Nelda Morrison is the designer and weaver of the Federated Warnen'r lnsriluler of Ontario Tartan. She is currently a member oftlie South Macaulay WI in the Mutkaku South District. Volunteering in the ’90s By Karen Hewett ictionan'es define avclun- teer as one who offers a service or a duty of his or her own free will. Volunteer work is given freely. and in most cases is unpaid. involving time and talent instead ol money. But volunteer work does have a measurable dol- lar value and it does contribute substantially to lhe Gross National Product. Most people have to work to make a living. When they offer their free time and unpaid la- bour, theircnoices tell us what matters most in their commuâ€" nities. Informal volunteer work goes on daily as people occasionally help friends and neighbours. There are volun- teers who respond to a crisis. such as a flood or fire. and offer help. But most volunteer work is carried out within the structure of an agency or or- ganization At any one time in North America. roughly one in four individuals give time and energy to volunteer work. Why do people volunteer? - to help others - to help a cause they believe in - to do something they like - to develop their ability to relate to and care for others - to do work that benefits their children, family and friends - to improve and give something back to their community v to feel they have accomplished something - to achieve personal growth a to meet people and find new lriends - to use their skills in a new a to learn new skills 0 to gain work experience I to demonstrate commitment related to career goals - to get out of the house a to change the status quo - to stay involved and active - to experience dilterent lilo-styles u to build sell-confidence - to fulfill a tradition - to be a role model for their children Why do organizations use volunteers? - to serve as policy makers. advisers. fund raisers and support providers - to gain community input a to gain additional human resources - to gain additional expertise I to act as a conduit to other groups - to access contacts in the corporate world - to save money r to assist in fund raising How do you calculate Ithe value oi volunteer time? - use the minimum hourly wage 0 use an estimated national average - use the average per capita income a use the average wage a use the wage for equivalent work - use the estimated worth of clients This article, wrinzn by Karen Hewett, was reprinted from The Sampler. Lambmn County Museum. 0:1. 1996.