/ < I) Ode to Rosina I want to thank Princess Elizabeth WI for the opportunity to honour and remember Rosina Morris. She is a wonderful example of leaving one WI family and being welcomed and feeling right at home with another WI family. Rosina, in my humble opinion was a perfect WI member: 'A goodly think it is to meet in friendship circle bright'. Her home was always open and welcoming especially for the WI. She hosted many meetings including the 55th Anniversary of the Brooksdale WI when 5 charter members were able to attend. How ?tting that she lived in the house where the ?rst Brooksdale WI meeting was held. Rosina joined Brooksdale WI in 1947 and became a Life Member in March 1976. She held the executive positions of President, Secretary and Treasurer. She wrote many thought-?lled mottos, shared past events at our monthly meetings pertaining to the current date and was always there to wash dishes and make a cup of tea. Brooksdale WI catered to the Zorra Caledonian St. Andrew's banquet known to many as the 'Haggis Supper' for 25 years. Rosina became known as the 'haggis connoisseur' as she spent many days ahead of this event purchasing, preparing, and steaming the haggis. And then steaming the haggis again on the day of the banquet. This is a real treat for all Scotsmen. 'Keep us 0 Lord from pettiness. Let us be large in thought in word and deed. ' Rosina never spoke an unkind word of anyone nor did she criticize. In our many hours together she always told stories about others in a positive light. Each week I would give Rosina two hours of my time to type for the Tweedsmuir History books. She would have everything written in ?ne penmanship for me to type. I would in turn bring photos for her to put into the books. I always left feeling that we had accomplished something and were on top of recording our local history. When she decided to turn the position of curator over to me, I thought that I would 'just take home the books.' Little did I know that she had boxes and boxes of uncharted history. I ?lled my car trunk twice! I was over-whelmed ---- not once did she ask for more of my time to get through this daunting task. Often she would start a fascinating story and I would ask her to write it down. She would have it completed for the next week. Our Tweedsmuirs are ?lled with her wonderful written stories. Rosina loved history. She was BWI Tweedsmuir curator for many years. She encouraged many farm histories and house logs to be written. She prodded WI members to record their histories at every meeting and to keep them updated. Rosina visited neighbours and acquaintances searching out history that needed to be recorded. She was sincerely interested in her family and community history.