1932 Convention Report

              E I G H T E E N T H A N N U A L REPORT
Lady Chatterjee, wife of the head of the Indian delegation to the Imperial
Conference, who accompanied her husband to Ottawa, in conversation with
a press representative last week, lauded the work of the Women's Institutes
in " her country where she said the women were coming out from their former
seclusion and taking a lively interest in their country's affairs.
We in Canada have 2535 branches with 69,300 members. Are we not
proud to be able to say we are a part of this great body?
Plans have already been discussed for the next convention and it was
decided to have a handicraft exhibit at that time, particulars of which may
be found on page 00. This will be under the supervision of Mrs. J. Maegregor
Smith, who has kindly consented to fill out Mrs. Gossip's term of office.
Owing to the demands of other work, Mrs. Gossip wished to be relieved of
the Convenership of Household Economics.
There are still a few Institutes not sending their monthly reports. I
know the secretaries are busy women but please try to find time to report to
your Constituency Convener, Mrs. J . F. Price, and myself, in order that we
may keep in touch with the work you are doing.
With best wishes for the success and prosperity of your Institutes, I
re main,
Yours faithfully,
A D E L A I D E MONTGOMERY,
Provincial President.
PUBLICITY SECRETARY'S REPORT
Mrs. J. F. Price, Convener.
If I were to suggest a . publicity slogan for those who report branch news
of the Alberta Women's Institutes, I would say " Names are News." If
secretaries remembered that alone— the names of the people who took part,
and what they did, then at least 75% of the copy would be the k i n d news­papers
want.
The much talked of depression has not yet taken away our publicity
media. Three publications— the Calgary Herald, the Edmonton Journal and
the Lethbridge Herald continue to publish our copy— the two former using
it regularly in their farm weekly papers—" The Alberta Farmer" and the
" Alberta Farm Journal," and the Lethbridge Herald in the weekly magazine
section. I also send some of the " highlights of our work" for use in the
quarterly W. I. papers of other provinces.
Publicity " Do's" and " Don'ts"
Following is a set of directions in preparing reports for newspapers:
1. Write plainly, and in case of names, where typewriter is not used, print
' them.
2. In using names, use " Miss" or " Mrs." with initials. In case of " Mrs."
use husband's initials, as that is the name known in the community.
3. Make copy brief as possible, to the point, writing as you would tell the
story of the meeting to one who was not there.
4. Write the most important thing first.