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& The Women‘s Institute â€"(>) n‘s Institute i@g A forum to discover and stimulate leadership x 4 Eommmoramarenerpermnmmmmmmmmmmmmmmremmaen t the opportunity for women to exâ€" By LYNN JONES Ll MEL‘GHT change information, but a forum Whigâ€"Standard Staff Writer ummmmnenmummnmmcemmermonpromencmmemmm . {OT ANY WOMAD, however obscure, hm esn m o se > pn and unsophisticated, benign _ to state her views on any topic, exâ€" The Women‘s Institute motto â€" _ and selfless in everything its memâ€" . cept party politics, and have those For Home and Country â€" is as POâ€" _ bers stand for. They are, nevertheâ€" views heard and seriously considâ€" tent for its members today as it was _ jess, surprisingly effective in what _ ered. when the WI was founded nearly _ they set out to achieve. Perhaps One person who speaks for all 84 years ago. 7 one of the reasons for the passionâ€" â€" WI members and everything the Although the dominant mood of _ ate unworldliness of the WI is that _ movement stands for is Mrs. Vera the Sixties and Seventies has been _ it is has stuck remarkably close to Collings, of R R 7, Napanée. She is liberalism and the strident, 48â€" _ its original design. provincial board director for the manding c 4. of the ‘women‘s ‘The WI was founded on Feb.19, _ Kingston area, which embraces the movement‘, th@WI is b'y far the naâ€" _ 1897, by Adelaide Hoodless, born on _ counties of Leeds, Frontenac, Lenâ€" tion‘s largest women‘s organizaâ€" a farm near St. George, in Brant . nox and Addington. § tion, with more paid up memberâ€" County in 1910. She had been Vera joined the Victoria II Woâ€" ship than political parties. : shocked by the death of a child as a _ men‘s Institute along with her In Ontario, there are 1,224 branâ€" â€" result of ignorance and lack ofthyâ€" _ mother, Mary Graham, in 1945, ches, with 28,064 members and _ giene and she was determined to _ when they lived in Selby. One look 3,189 life members. Natlonal‘ly, spend the rest of her life educating _ at the five main principles of the there are 2,576 branches with _ women specifically as homeâ€"makâ€" _ WI was enough to convince Vera 51,021 members. _ ers and citizens. she should join the WI. Yet despite this enormous net~ She also, with incredible foreâ€" "These principles,"" she said, work, the Women‘s Institute reâ€" _ sight, saw the potential of an orâ€" . "were aimed at helping women acâ€" mains almost maddeningly homesâ€" _ ganization that provided, not only _ quire sound and approved homeâ€" â€" making skills; helping to discover; _ our topic â€" either a speaker or a Practically every WI branch has to stimulate and develop leaderâ€" â€" project." â€" . s $ its Tweedsmuir history â€" a compiâ€" ship; helping to identify and resolve These projects take in agriculâ€" _ lation of historic events in each the needs and problems in the comâ€" _ ture and Canadian industries, citiâ€" community. Lady Tweedsmuir was munity; helping to promote the use _ zenship and world affairs, educaâ€" the wife of the governorâ€"general of of available resource materials and _ tion and cultural activities and Canada (1936) and was an active helping to develop better informed, standing committees. worker in the WI in Britain. happier and more useful citizens. Through the WI," Vera says, As the 54th annual convention of The wisdom of the WI is firstâ€" _ "resolutions are presented to differâ€" â€" the Kingston area of the Women‘s principle wisdom, derived from _ ent levels of government. The WI is Institute will be held in Napanee practical domestic considerations _ vitally concerned about its country. Thursday and Friday, I would like and priorities. In conjunction with _ Observe our motto! If something is to offer a tip of the hat to these the ministry of agriculture, short _ needed in the community and the _ WOMen, for nostalgic reasons. courses in the art of making jam . need is there, the WI goes to I remember, in Britain, during and bread, knitting, sewing and . work." f the last war, the ministry of agriâ€" canning are given. > . One project Vera is proud the WI culture inviting the WI to organize For junior members, there are threw its support behind was the _ 2 COâ€"Operative fruit preservation courses in etiquette and table manâ€" . county hospital in Napanee. Funds scheme to use surplus fruit. It was ners, among others. F were raised and finally the project _ the WI who found the solution to Vera belongs to Maple Ridge becamea reality. the shortage of vitamin C when citâ€" Women‘s Institute, which has a Another project dear to the heart _ TUS fruits were scarce. The memâ€" membership of 35. A former branch of Vera and her colleagues are the bers collected enormous quantities president is Mrs. Martha Bielish, â€" provincialâ€" and district scholarships of rose hips. € now a senator in Ottawa. The curâ€" â€" awarded across the province for I also remember the first thing I rent president is Mrs. Emmie Oddie. _ girls wishing to enter university. saw on cold, draughty, bombed out Vera outlined the format of a On the local level, the highlight _ Tailway stations while on my way typical WI meeting. Meetings are is the annual presentation of the: _ t0 MY RAF station â€" the gleaming held once a month, she said, and Annie G. Haggerty scholarship, tea urn, and behind it, tirelessly tap each meeting opens with the singâ€" honoring the memory of the Napaâ€" _ turning, the splendid volunteeer ing of the institute ode. nee resident who rose to internaâ€" _ WOmen, from the Women‘s Instiâ€" "There‘s always a roll call," Vera tional prominence as an outstandâ€" tute. adds, "and then we proceed with _ in€ WI leader. â€" God bless, you ladies! o | Oc._\' \Derâ€" \*/'480 | I |