1924 - Annual Convention Report

              18 ALBERTA W O M E N ' S I N S T I T U T ES
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Y o u r A d v i s o r y B o a r d f a v o r s a n d y o u r P r e s i d e n t h a s e n d o r s e d by l e t t e r t h e w o r k
of t h e n e w l y a p p o i n t e d A d v i s o r y C o m m i t t e e o n W o m e n ' s I m m i g r a t i o n , of w h i c h
M i s s M a c M i l l a n i s C o n v e n e r , a n d M r s . B a n s t h e r e p r e s e n t a t i v e of t h e A l b e r t a
W o m e n ' s I n s t i t u t e s . A n o u t l i n e of t h e a i m s a n d o b j e c t s of t h i s C o m m i t t e e w i ll
be sent t o e a c h B r a n c h a t a n e a r l y d a t e . *
These decisions, f a v o r i n g u n i t y o f a c t i o n a r e t o me t h e s i g n s o f t h e t i m e s whicTti
i n d i c a t e more effective work a n d c o n s e q u e n t l y greater results, for i f a n y t h i n g i s
necessary it r e q u i r e s a n d deserves o u r u n i t e d s t r e n g t h t o b r i n g i t t o f r u i t i o n .
I n r e c o g n i t i o n of h e r office y o u r P r e s i d e n t was elected a m e m b e r of t h e E x e c u t i ve
C o m m i t t e e of t h e A l b e r t a P r o h i b i t i o n A s s o c i a t i o n , b u t because of t h e expense
a t t a c h e d I h a v e been u n a b l e t o a t t e n d a n y of t h e meetings, w h i c h a r e h e l d i n E d m o n ­t
o n . 1 w a s also c h o s e n as o n e of t h e t h r e e representatives f r o m t h e A l b e r t a W o m e n ' s
I n s t i t u t e s ( the other two b e i n g M r s . M o n t g o m e r y a n d M r s . R o g e r s ) t o s e r v e o n t he
L a w s C o m m i t t e e o f t h e L o c a l C o u n c i l o f W o m e n , a n d w a s e l e c t e d V i c e - P r e s i d e nt
of t h a t b o d y . A t t h e a n n u a l m e e t i n g of t h e A l b e r t a D i v i s i o n of t h e R e d C r o s s 1
was e l e c t e d ' a m e m b e r of t h e A d v i s o r y C o u n c i l . I f u l l y a p p r e c i a t e t h e f a c t t h at
these are n o t p e r s o n a l honors t h a t have come t o m e , b u t t h a t these o r g a n i z a t i o ns
recognize o u r s t r e n g t h , o u r f a v o r a b l e a t t i t u d e t o w a r d e v e r y t h i n g t h a t tends t o w a rd
the betterment o f c o n d i t i o n s i n o u r P r o v i n c e a n d o u r d e s i r e as a n o r g a n i z e d b o dy
t o g i v e a l l possible assistance i n e v e r y good w o r k.
T h e broader outlook, the firmer grasp of n a t i o n - w i d e problems, t h e f u n d o f
i n f o r m a t i o n a c q u i r e d f r om c o n s u l t i n g together, gives b a c k t o o u r o w n o r g a n i z a t i on
t h e greatest benefits.
N E E D S O F Ovk O R G A N I Z A T I O N.
T h e r e are t h r e e pressing needs i n o u r o r g a n i z a t i o n t o d a y as I see i t . F i r s t,
D i s t r i c t Conferences. I believe i f w e a r e t o progress we m u s t e x t e n d a n d perfect
o u r o r g a n i z a t i o n b y t h e m e a n s o f D i s t r i c t Conferences. F r o m t h e s t a n d p o i n t of t h e
P r o v i n c i a l o r g a n i z a t i o n it h a s e v e r y t h i n g t o r e c o m m e n d i t ; f r om the s t a n d p o i nt
of t h e D i s t r i c t i t i s d e s i r a b l e becasue i t offers a c o - o p e r a t i o n of effort a n d of i n t e r e s t s,
develops leadership a n d offers o p p o r t u n i t i e s t o a m u c h larger n u m b e r of women.
T h e a d d i t i o n a l expense seems t o b e t h e o n l y o b j e c t i o n . This, I g r a n t y o u , i s some­t
h i n g to be c o n s i d e r e d , b u t w e m u s t remember there i s s u c h a t h i n g as d e s t r u c t i ve
economy, a n d i f w e h i n d e r o u r d e v e l o p m e n t a n d e x t e n s i o n b y t o o m u c h c u r t a i l m e nt
t h e n do w e l o s e s i g h t of t h e b i g interest.
Second, c o - o p e r a t i o n between conveners of S t a n d i n g C o m m i t t e e s a n d B r a n c h
a n d C o n s t i t u e n c y C h a i r m e n . C o - o p e r a t i o n means w o r k i n g together, d e c i d i ng
u p o n s o m e t h i n g to d o a n d d o i n g i t .
N a t u r a l l y the c h a i r m e n l o o k t o t h e P r o v i n c i a l C o n v e n e r s for o u t l i n e s of p l a ns
for the y e a r a n d i f these are n o t f o r t h c o m i n g t h e y a i e a l l a t s e a a s t o t h e i r duties.
I believe the m o s t effective w a y t o meet t h i s p r o b l em w o u l d be f o r each P r o v i n c i al
C o n v e n e r to prepare a concise o u t l i n e of h e r p l a n s a n d a i m s f o r t h e y e a r , one t h a t
c o u l d be p r i n t e d o n t h e f o u r Bides of a p a m p h l e t the s i z e of a n envelope. I t h i nk
t h e expense o f p r i n t i n g these w o u l d be u n d e r t a k e n b y t h e P r o v i n c i a l E x e c u t i v e . T h e
C o n v e n e r s w o u l d s e n d the r e q u i r e d numbers of copies t o each C o n s t i t u e n c y C o n ­vener,
who i n t u r n w o u l d a t t e n d t o t h e d i s t r i b u t i o n i n h e r o w n Branches.
T h i r d , the p e r s o n a l touch of t h e P i o v i n c i a l officers w i t h the Institutes.
F o r the first t i m e i n t h e h i s t o r y of t h e A l b e r t a W o m e n ' s I n s t i t u t e s t h e D e p a r t m e n t
f a i l e d t h i s y e a r to s e n d members of t h e E x e c u t i v e to v i s i t a n d s p e a k to t h e B r a n c h es
a n d C o n s t i t u e n c y Conferences. This, we b e l i e v e , is one r e a s o n for t h e d r o p i n
membership. No l a r g e o r g a n i z a t i o n c a n l o n g s u r v i v e if t h e l a y m e m b e r s do n o t
have an o p p o r t u n i t y of m e e t i n g the o f f i c i a l heads oftener t h a n once a y e a r at. t he
C o n v e n t i o n . This p r o b l em ( and i t i s a p r o b l e m ) might be p a r t i a l l y s o l v e d b ^
P r o v i n c i a l officers a t t e n d i n g t h e C o n s t i t u e n c y Conferences, i f v i s i t s t o t h e B l a n c h e s
are i m p o s s i b l e ; though the l a t t e r is f a r m o r e w o r t h w h i l e i f t h e g r e a t e s t a m o u n t of
i n s p i r a t i o n a n d encouragement is d e s i r e d .
T o c a r r y out this suggestion w o u l d necessitate considerable expense for t h e
P r o v i n c i a l o r g a n i z a t i o n as expenses w o u l d have t o be met f r o m t h e P r o v i n c i al
F u n d .
M a y I ask y o u r careful c o n s i d e r a t i o n of t h i s need a n d y o u r t h o u g h t f u l d e c i s i on
as to i t s m e r i t?
R E C O M M E N D A T I O N S .
1. T h a t f o r one year, i n s t e a d o f h a v i n g t h e u s u a l r e p o r t s o f w o r k d o n e by t he
C o n v e n e r s of S t a n d i n g C o m m i t t e e s r e a d at t h e A n n u a l C o n v e n t i o n , these reports
be p r i n t e d i n t h e A n n u a l R e p o r t a n d o n t h e C o n v e n t i o n P r o g r a m m e , t h e t i m e be