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the women's INSTITUTE Memmo “For Home and Country" At a convention held at Guelph, the subject of a motto was discussed and several members were asked to submit a suitable one. Mrs. Adelaide Hoodless and Miss Urie Watson, Dean of Macdonald Institute, were ch0sen to be the judges. Laura Rose Stephen relates that, as she sat in the parlor of her mother‘s home at 25 Glasgow St., Guelph that evening, she penned four words "For Home and Country? Later it was the decision of the Judges that these four words be our motto. This was in 1902. Since then our motto has been universally adOpted. THE WOMEN'S INSTITUTE PIN OB BADGE In February 1903 a committee was appointed to arrange for an emblematic pin for Institute mem- bers. Again Laura Bose Stephen provided the idea. She drew a sketch frOm a signet ring which she wore and said,"If we could have the initials of our Institute, O.w.I., in the centre, it would be fine?. The maple leaves were not included. This sketch was sent to Ryrie's who made two or three .designs. FrOm these our badge was selected and so we have our Institute'pin, - a small oval in blue and gold with a small maple leaf at each end and the words of our motto engraved on the oval band- ing. This little pin was the forerunner of the others and should be worn above them. THE WOMEN'S INSTITUTE COLOURS Blue and Gold The origin of the w.I. colours is related by Laura Rose Stephen, first lecturer and organizer for the w.I., appointed by the Department of Agriculture. She tells how a few dozen delegates to the w.I. Convention at Guelph in the early days of the organization gathered in a classroom at the Ontario Agricultural College to discuss the matter of colours for the Women's Institute. The Conventions were held at Guelph, known as the Royal City because Guelph was the family name of Queen Victoria. For this reason, purple and gold, the royal colours, symbolizing loyalty and royalty, were chosen for the Women's Institute. Through the years it was found that the purple colour was difficult to obtain in ribbon or papeg so often blue had to be substituted and the purple was gradually replaced by blue; now blue and Sold are accepted as the official colours of the Women's Institutes in Ontario. The dark blue of the cornflower is considered the nearest shade in blue. THE INSTITUTE ODE The author and origin of the Ode are not known. It has been reported that it was used by the "Sons of Temperance" Lodge in Stroud, Simcoe County in the late seventies. The correct form is one stanza of eight lines. It is sung to the tune of "Auld Lang Syne". HOME AND COUNTRY The first edition of Howe and Country appeared in May,l933. It was a four page bulletin. IN§TITUTE GRACE This was 00mp08ed by Mrs. Clara Lintell of City View and Merivale Institute. The tune is "Old Hundred"o It was submitted to the Provincial Board by the Ottawa Area for consideration at the annual meeting November, 1950. The Board rec0mmended that this Grace be used at Women's Institute functions. THE STEW T COLLECT . Mary Stewart, author of the Collect, was born in 1876 in Ohio, moved with her parents to Color- 0 when quite young. This prayer was written by Mary Stewart when she was principal of a High ad 01 in Longmont, Colorado, her first position after she graduated frOm Cellege. She was a member Saba women‘s Club in which the dissension and lack of co-Operation grieved her. She pondered over of a d finally composed the collect or prayer which she showed to the Club President who was so it aged with it she began using it as a regular prayero PleaIn 1904 Mary Stewart offered it for publication. It was first printed in the "Delineator", a n'5 magazine pOpular at that time. Miss Stewart called it a "Collect for Club WOmen". Since NOE: it has been adOpted throughout the world by English-speaking women. th IO