1924 - Annual Convention Report

              Ml) A L B E R T A W O M E N ' S I N S T I T U T ES
t h e p r e v i o u s year, a n increase of 104 per cent. Of t h i s i m m i g r a t i o n 72,919 or just
about one- half of t h e t o t a l were B r i t i s h . In t h e e a r l y p a r t of t h e year l r n r n i g r a t i on
f r om the U n i t e d States showed a decrease, but the last four months recorded a
greater movement f r om that c o u n t r y t h a n i n the same period the year before.
Increase of i m m i g r a t i o n f r om a l l the chief sources of d e s i r a b l e settlers is a n t i c i p a t ed
d u r i n g the year 1924.
R E P O R T O F H O M E E C O N O M I C S C O M M I T T E E .
M a d a m President a n d M e m b e r s of the A l b e r t a W o m e n ' s I n s t i t u t e s:
I w i s h to t a k e t h i s o p p o r t u n i t y to t h a n k the C o n v e n e r s of H o m e E c o n o m i es
C o m m i t t e e s for t h e i r i n t e r e s t and c o - o p e r a t i o n i n the w o r k we have u n d e r t a k en
t h i s year. Y G U have been s p l e n d i d . We h a v e o u r feet on the first r u n g of the
l a d d e r , n ow let us keep o n going.
M r s . P o r t e r , C o n v e n e r of C h i l d Welfare, agreed w i t h me t h a t t h e n u t r i t i o n part
of H o m e E c o n o m i c s s h o u l d b e g i n w i t h the school age c h i l d . For t h i s r e a s o n I have
n o t answered y o u r q u e s t i o n s a b o u t babies' m i l k , b a b y c l i n i c s , e t c . , b u t h a v e referred
y o u to the C h i l d Welfare C o n v e n e r . The s a y i n g so p r e v a l e n t at present, that
" t h e undernourished c h i l d gets far less a t t e n t i o n t h a n the average a u t o m o b i l e"
is not t r u e of W . I . c h i l d r e n . We are awake t o t h e fact t h a t t h e r e are u n d e r n o u r i s h ed
c h i l d r e n .
H o w d i d w c d i s c o v e r t h i s ? Twelve schools f o u n d it o u t b y w e i g h i n g a n d measur­i
n g each c h i l d . Twelve schools a p p l i e d for c h a r t s a n d tags, there s h o u l d h a v e been
112, but t h a t is t h e first step.
F o u r t e e n I n s t i t u t e s w r o t e me about m a k i n g N u t r i t i o n C h a r t s , w i t h the p i c t u r es
f r om magazines, of C h i l d r e n ' s F r i e n d s a n d C h i l d r e n ' s F o e s .
T w o new letters, w i t h suggestions for c o m m i t t e e w o r k , h a v e been sent d u r i ng
the year to each I n s t i t u t e . I have w r i t t e n n i n e t y letters, a n d sent 10 p a r c e l s of
m a t e r i a l b y request.
E a c h I n s t i t u t e has been sent a " M e a l P l a n " a n d a H e a l t h B u l l e t i n on " V i t a -
m i n e s , " each i n i t s e l f b e i n g enough m a t e r i a l for a good m e e t i n g o n N u t r i t i o n.
D u r i n g the E d m o n t o n E x h i b i t i o n last J u l y the H o m e E c o n o m i c s C o m m i t t e e
c o - o p e r a t i n g w i t h the B o a r d of H e a l t h u n d e r t o o k to w e i g h a n d measure the c h i l d r en
between the ages of s i x a n d s i x t e e n w h o came i n t o t h e W o m e n ' s I n s t i t u t e B u i l d i n g.
We s u p p l i e d b o t t l e s of m i l k w i t h straws, at cost. D u r i n g the five days of t h e fair
over 600 c h i l d r e n were weighed a n d measured and each r e c e i v e d a c a r d s h o w i ng
h i s or her weight a n d h e i g h t r e c o r d , a n d the n u m b e r of p o u n d s over o r u n d e r correct
weight for t h e age. M a n y were s u r p r i s e d t o k n o w t h e i r c h i l d r e n were u n d e r weight,
a n d i n most cases i t was f o u n d t h a t the c h i l d was not r e c e i v i n g a sufficient q u a n t i fy
of m i l k a n d was e a t i n g v e r y f ew vegetables.
A model t o w n was made s h o w i n g a m i n a t u r e t r a i n r u n n i n g t h r o u g h villages
w i t h a p p r o p r i a t e names s u g g e s t i n g p o i n t s t o be r e m e m b e r e d i n c o n n e c t i o n w i t h good
h e a l t h such as: M i l k y W a y , O a t m e a l o , L o n g Sleep T u n n e l , T o o t h b r u s h T o w n,
B a k e d P o t a t o H i l l , B a t h t u b v i l l e , D r i n k w a t e r , P l a y M e a d o w s , F r u i t v a l e.
One t h o u s a n d c h i l d r e n saw a n d asked questions a b o u t the E x h i b i t . Can y ou
n o t d o s o m e t h i n g l i k e t h i s a t y o u r s u m m e r fair.
I do not feel that the C o n v e n e r of H o m e E c o n o m i c s i n each I n s t i t u t e s h o u l d be
chosen not o n l y for the l e a d e r s h i p of her C o m m i t t e e b u t for her q u a l i f i c a t i o n s as
a l o c a l leader. She s h o u l d , i n conference w i t h t h e women i n t h e I n s t i t u t e a n d c o m ­m
u n i t y , p l a n a c a m p a i g n f o r t h e c a r r y i n g o u t of her p a r t i c u l a r object, e s t a b l i sh
a definite goal a n d t h e n set out to r e a c h i t . She s h o u l d find the needs of her com­m
u n i t y , t h e n t h r o u g h her I n s t i t u t e ask for a d e m o n s t r a t i o n i n t h a t l i n e . We must
r e a l i z e the i m p o r t a n c e of proper food, a n d c o n v i n c e others of the v a l u e of h a v i n g :
1. A better u n d e r s t a n d i n g of foods w h i c h are needed for h e a l t h , s u c h as cor­r
e c t i v e diets for c o n s t i p a t i o n , obesity, m a l n u t r i t i o n , etc.
2. M o r e and b e t t e r vegetables a n d fruits— therefore more a n d b e t t e r gardens.
3. M o r e knowledge of c a n n i n g , d r y i n g and s t o r i n g of vegetables, f r u i t s and
meats.
4. E n o u g h d a i r y p r o d u c t s to s u p p l y the entire f a m i l y t h r o u g h o u t the year,
therefore d a i r y cows o n e v e r y f a r m.
5. Flome c o n s u m p t i o n of p o u l t r y a n d p o u l t r y p r o d u c t s.
L a s t year at our A n n u a l C o n v e n t i o n I suggested t h a t the H o m e E c o n o m i cs
C o n v e n e r concentrate on one a i m and t h a t was " F o o d for H e a l t h . " The year