1924 - Annual Convention Report

              T E N T H A N N U A L C O N V E N T I ON 13
T H E S E C R E T A R Y - T R E A S U R E R ' S R E P O R T.
M a d a m P r e s i d e n t a n d L a d i e s:
I n s u b m i t t i n g the f o l l o w i n g , m a y I s a y t h a t I consider i t t h e most i m p o r t a nt
a n d v i t a l r e p o r t t h a t w i l l come before t h i s C o n v e n t i o n . I t r u s t t h a t every B r a n ch
S e c r e t a r y w i l l see t h a t i t i s r e a d a n d discussed b y her B r a n c h at a n e a r l y date.
Y o u w i l l p a r d o n the r e p e t i t i o n o f p a r t s o f f o r m e r reports I a m sure, w h e n y o u
remember the c h a n g i n g personnel of o u r B r a n c h Secretaries a n d the number of new
branches t h a t s p r i n g u p y e a r after year. Former r e p o r t s are not a v a i l a b l e f o r t h em
a n d i n f o r m a t i o n m u s t be w i t h i n easy reach.
W h y do we need a P r o v i n c i a l F u n d?
I n 1922, w h e n t h e G o v e r n m e n t d i s c o n t i n u e d t h e p r a c t i c e o f p a y i n g the r a i l w ay
fare of one delegate f r om each I n s t i t u t e t o t h e a n n u a l C o n v e n t i o n , i t became apparent
t h a t s o m e t h i n g must be done t o b r i n g these w o m e n t o the C o n v e n t i o n i n some other
w a y . There are m a n y I n s t i t u t e s i n the o u t l y i n g p a r t s of our P r o v i n c e w i t h small
m e m b e r s h i p , because of the scant p o p u l a t i o n , who w o u l d never be able to be re­presented
unless t h e fare of t h e i r delegates were p a i d . Our P r o v i n c i a l F u n d scheme
was f o r m u l a t e d b y w h i c h each I n s t i t u t e pays at the rate of 50 cents per member.
T h i s is r e c k o n e d on the m e m b e r s h i p at the end of the calendar year and is t h en
due and p a y a b l e . It s h o u l d not be necessary to w a i t for a l e t t e r a s k i n g f o r t h is
money.. E v e r y I n s t i t u t e s h o u l d see t h a t the mone3r is o n h a n d and t h a t i t is sent
p r o m p t l y w h e n due. This w i l l save y o u r p r o v i n c i a l officers a deal of w o r r y .
H o w T H E M O N E Y IS U S E D .
T h e first charge on the F u n d is the r a i l w a y fare of one delegate f r om each
B r a n c h I n s t i t u t e to the a n n u a l C o n v e n t i o n . Last year we p a i d $ 1,430.5S for this
purpose a n d l e n t $ 75.04 t o the G i r l s ' C l u b . We also p a y o u r D o m i n i o n dues of
$ 400.00 per year. A l b e r t a has a l r e a d y p a i d i t s w a y i n the F e d e r a t e d W o m e n ' s
I n s t i t u t e s of C a n a d a and must not falter now. Postage, stationery, telegrams,
telephone, p u b l i e i t } ' a n d i n c i d e n t a l s f o r t h e C o n v e n t i o n m u s t be p a i d . T h i s year
t h e D e p a r t m e n t d e c l i n e d to send the P r o v i n c i a l P r e s i d e n t to the S o u t h e r n C o n ­ference.
She was also asked t o a t t e n d the L a w C o m m i t t e e of the L o c a l C o u n c il
of W o m e n as M r s . M o n t g o m e r y c o u l d not go. Again she was asked to a t t e n d a
conference w i t h the R e d C r o s s . It was i m p e r a t i v e t h a t she s h o u l d be present at
a l l these meetings and she went at her o w n expense. When the E x e c u t i v e met it
was u n a n i m o u s l y agreed to r e f u n d these expenses o u t of o u r F u n d.
M E M B E R S H I P .
T h e r e has been some decrease i n t h e m e m b e r s h i p of t h e A . W . I , d u r i n g t h e past
y e a r . This is largel}' d u e to one of t w o reasons. One i s the e m i g r a t i o n f r om this
P r o v i n c e o f . m a n y of o u r best I n s t i t u t e members a n d w o r k e r s ; the o t h e r is the l a ck
of p e r s o n a l v i s i t s f r om our P r o v i n c i a l officers. For three years none of t h em have
v i s i t e d B r a n c h I n s t i t u t e s t o l e a r n at first h a n d of t h e i r a c t i v i t i e s , n o r h a v e t h e y been
a b l e t o g o w i t h a w o r d o f encouragement to a n y t h a t were f a l t e r i n g n o r t o o r g a n i ze
n ew B r a n c h e s . Most of o u r n ew I n s t i t u t e s have been organized b y m a i l t h r o u gh
some o l d t i m e I n s t i t u t e w o m a n who has m o v e d to the new d i s t r i c t . Our C o n ­s
t i t u e n c y Conveners have s t r u g g l e d b r a v e l y w i t h t h i s p r o b l em of o r g a n i z i n g new
B r a n c h e s but t h e y are a l l of t h em busy women w i t h life jobs of c a r i n g for home
a n d f a m i l y — t h e best j o b i n t h e w o r l d — b u t n o t p a i d f o r i n c o i n o f t h e r e a l m . We
c a n not expect t h em to bear the cost of o r g a n i z a t i o n and almost a l l C o n s t i t u e n c i es
are n o w p a y i n g the l i m i t i n t o t h e i r C o n s t i t u e n c y F u n d . Then h ow is t h i s w o rk
t o be done? Are we to s t a n d b y a n d see our o r g a n i z a t i o n l a n g u i s h a n d die w h i le
we g i v e o u r m o n e y to assist a l l a n d s u n d r y o t h e r o r g a n i z a t i o n s ? We must s t r i v e for
l a r g e r m e m b e r s h i p a n d a greater n u m b e r of branches w h i c h w i l l r e s u l t i n a larger
P r o v i n c i a l F u n d w i t h w h i c h to meet these v e r y necessary expenditures.
T H E E X E C U T I V E.
T h e members of t h e E x e c u t i v e g i v e of t h e i r t i m e , t h e i r t a l e n t s a n d t h e i r energy
i n the service of the W o m e n ' s I n s t i t u t e s and p r o v i s i o n s h o u l d be made whereby
t h e y s h o u l d n o t be p e r s o n a l l y o u t of p o c k e t thereby. Otherwise o n l y women of
means w i l l be able t o h o l d office. This w o u l d be a serious c o n d i t i o n .
I t has been felt b y m a n y t h a t v i s i t s t o t h e B r a n c h I n s t i t u t e s b y P r o v i n c i al
officers w o u l d be of m u c h v a l u e . T h i s y e a r we s h o u l d e n d e a v o r t o s e n d o u r P r e s i d e nt
t o as m a n y B r a n c h e s as p o s s i b l e.