1931 - Annual Convention

              18 A L B E R T A W O M E N ' S I N S T I T U T ES
At ihe earliest possible date, letters of appreciation were written to a ll
who assisted in making the convention so successful, including the Calgary
W. I., the special speakers, musicians and entertainers; also to the newspapers
for the splendid publicity they gave us. Messages of regret went to a large
number of absent members, and resolutions dealt with by the convention were
forwarded to their respective destinations. A total of fifty- three letters went
forward in connection with this division of the work.
Without doubt the most exacting and perhaps the most interesting task
f a l l i n g to the Recording Secretary is that of c o m p i l i n g and editing the Annual
Report. Days and days were spent at this w o r k ; I leave you to judge the
results, providing you have taken the trouble to look the book over. A l l
manuscripts were in hand, edited and ready for the printer early in July,
excepting two delayed reports, which caused postponement of publication
u n t i l August. It is unfortunate that the Report containing the outlines for the
year's work does not reach the constituency conveners before the conferences
begin.
My sincere thanks arc herewith extended to those speakers and conveners
l o r the nearly perfect manuscripts handed to me so promptly and their adher­ence
to space limitations.
A new departure in connection with the last issue was that of including
advertisements. The suggestion was presented at the Council meeting as a
means of reducing the expense of printing. Financially the venture proved
quite satisfactory, netting the organization around $ 140.00, about one- half of
the expense of publishing.
M r - . Short of Edmonton. Mrs. Grevett of Calgary, M r s . Snclson of Leth-bridge.
and Mrs. Rogers of Fort Saskatchewan, assisted in soliciting the
advertisements, and to them belongs the glory.
The time was short, plans indefinite, and arrangements incomplete owing
to the suddenness of the inspiration, hence the degree of success was rather
an agreeable surprise, all things considered. I think the experiment worth
repeating under more favorable circumstances.
The committee in charge of the railway refund— Mrs. Regan. M r s . Roberts
and Mrs. Grevett— were paid a tribute of commendation by the Council for
the splendid manner in which the business was conducted with the minimum
of confusion and interruption in the Convention.
On February 24th and 25th. 1931. the Council met in Edmonton to plan
the program for this convention, and to dispose of whatever items of business
might arise.
The a d v i s a b i l i t y of l i m i t i n g reports to be printed in the Annual Report to
1500 words was discussed. As this plan worked out so satisfactorily last
year, it was thought best to continue it.
A letter signed by the President and the Secretary of the South Alberta
B r a n c h of the Dominion Social Service C o u n c i l , asking the co- operation of
the Women's Institutes in providing adequate protection for female help going
i n t o rural districts, was given consideration. The Recording Secretary was
instructed to express our willingness to co- operate in every possible way in
this effort, with the understanding that any information given be held in
confidence. Also that we assume no financial responsibility.
The Council was unanimous in recommending that each convener of a
Standing Committee prepare at least two papers on some phase of her work