1939 - Convention Report

              T W E N T Y - F I R S T PROVINCIAL CONVENTION 19
PRESIDENTIAL CORRESPONDENCE AND PUBLICITY
My correspondence was exceedingly heavy. Not only did I keep in touch
with the Executive, the Council, the Federated Women's Institutes of Canada,
the Associated Countrywomen of the World and the Alberta Women's Insti­tute
Branches, but there were hosts of what we might call " outsiders"— gov­ernment
officials, charitable organizations, and private individuals who ap­proached
the President of such a large organization on a wide variety of
interests. One of my first steps was to send a circular letter to the Branch
Secretaries with all the information they could possibly need in their contact
with the Provincial Body. As I have already remarked, I made several con­tributions
of a similar nature to the A. W. I. " Home and Country" and supplied
the editor of the new F. W. I. C. " Home and Country" with considerable material.
A number of journalists in Alberta and British Columbia solicited my
help in preparing articles for magazines and papers, and I wrote the Alberta
Section of the A. C. W. W. book, " The Use Made of Natural Resources In and
Around the Country Home." In response to appeals from the Canadian Handi­crafts
Guild, I was able to get Handicrafts f r om Angus Ridge W. I. f o r Glas­gow
Exhibition, and in response to an appeal from Miss Lent of the Calgary
Handicrafts Guild, a number of exhibits for the Calgary Festival.
In March, 1939, at the request of Mrs. Alfred Watt of London, President
of the Associated Countrywomen of the World, I prepared a very brief synop­sis
of A. W. I, activities and projects for the perusal of Her Majesty the Queen
prior to her visit to Canada.
ALBERTA WOMEN'S INSTITUTES' PROJECTS
Under this Council a new arrangement was made about " Mother's Bun­dles,"
whereby the Institutes would provide those needed in their own districts
and forward " extras" to Miss Kate Brighty, Superintendent of Nursing Serv­ices,
Edmonton. Miss Brighty met with the Council on one occasion and asked
for W. I. co- operation while gratefully acknowledging the kindness of many
Institutes to her nurses in country districts.
The A. W. I. Radium Fund, patterned after the successful District IV fund,
has been receiving contributions from the Branches for two years. I am sure
we are all extremely gratified that a handsome sum is in hand to be presented
at this Convention.
Scholarships of $ 50 have been awarded to the Schools of Agriculture at
Olds and at Vermilion. The money at Olds was used to provide weaving- looms
on account of an overlapping of prizes.
The Council voted $ 10 to the fund raised towards the framed portraits of
the five famous Alberta women which were presented to the Alberta Legisla­ture.
The Women's Institutes had always had it in mind to honour these
women, and this seemed an opportunity not to be missed.
ALBERTA WOMEN'S INSTITUTE POLICY
During my term of office as your President I have met with a few grumbles
about dues, for the most part quite friendly grumbles, but complaints none
the less. Now I never ignore a complaint. If it is justified, a correction must
be made; if it isn't, an explanation must be given. These few grumbles have
caused me to dig deep into the heart of this organization of ours.
Stripped down to fundamentals, what is meant by " the Alberta Women's
Institutes"? Whatever it may have been in the past, since 1919 it has been by
Statute, a Provincial Organization with a, shall I say, " copyright" name
" Women's Institute," and consisting of a Provincial Council or Governing