NWO Women's Institute convention held in RR

By Ruth Brett
Contributor

The Rainy River District Women’s Institutes were hosts to the Northwestern Area Convention this fall. 28 members gathered at the Rainy River Legion on Oct. 2nd & 3rd to hear annual Provincial reports and discuss matters affecting and concerning the Women’s Institutes.
The membership was treated to a presentation on Stained Glass by Emily Hyatt, who has worked with glass for many years and also teaches classes on the subject. She described working with hot and cold glass and displayed items of both types. Audience interest was high and WI members asked many questions. They were amazed with the exquisite colour and beauty of her work.
In her address to the meeting, The Provincial President Joy Trimble congratulated the members on the things they have accomplished and continue to accomplish in their communities and districts.
Joy had high praise for the WI for their efforts in recruiting new members but noted that overall the WI membership is still declining, mostly due to the aging membership. She urged members to continue their efforts to build up their Branches and keep up the WI profile in their Districts. She informed the meeting that membership fee will be increased as of April 1st, 2010 to help offset the deficit that FWIO is facing at present.
The Ontario Genealogical Society has approached FWIO to present an opportunity for WI to preserve their Tweedsmuir histories. The OGS recently learned about the Tweedsmuir histories and consider them as “a one of a kind historical record that could never be replaced”.
The OGS would like to see them available to everyone for research; they would like to help restore and preserve these histories. To that end, the FWIO have agreed to form a partnership with the OGS. This is viewed as a great opportunity for all WI Branches and Districts.The FWIO will be sending out a letter as to how this project will be handled.

One of the first steps will be for the Branches and Districts to list all active and disbanded Branches and to locate their history books.
The President reminded the members of 10 Great Words - “remember to Observe; Think about what you observe; make Changes where you can; Dare to take risks; Try new things; Empower yourself to do what’s right; Question the future; Banish those killer (negative) phrases; Grow in your Branches; Do go forward with enthusiasm and most of all enjoy your friendships and experiences as WI members.”
International Officer Leila Pettigrew spoke on the Canada Comforts Society, which is one of the projects WI supports. Sweaters and jackets for children, toques, knitted teddy bears, wash clothes, blankets and other items are still needed. These are sent to the places where comfort of any kind is in small supply. All WI Branches have patterns and instructions for teddy bears, child blankets, sweaters and dresses and other information on this Society.
The Area By-Laws and Standing Rules were discussed and changes made to include Oxdrift Branch - Dryden in place of Kenora District (which had disbanded). The membership is proud of Oxdrift for “keeping on”.
Members voted to increase the mileage rate for Area Executive starting in 2010.
Members, who had been Area executive officers, are requested to complete a profile or autobiography for the Tweedsmuir records and to send them to the Area Tweedsmuir Curator, Sheri Stamarski.

An issue was discussed at length regarding the difficulty people with poor eyesight have reading the small print of the ingredients and instructions on boxes of grocery and pharmacy items. Morson Branch will spearhead a resolution to lobby the government for change.
Members urged FWIO to consider cancelling the annual printing of paper membership cards - they argue it is too costly and uses too much paper.

The Handbook is being reviewed - members are asked to submit suggestions for changes to Gerd Hamilton, Regional Board Director.
130 new members have been gained in Ontario last year.
Manitoba WI will celebrate their 100th Anniversary in May 2010. A bus is being arranged to go to the event from Thunder Bay, picking up members on the way.
Executive for 2010 - Past Chair: Ellen Chojko-Bolec
Convention Chair: Jean Wilson
1st Vice Chair: to be appointed from Thunder Bay
2nd Vice Chair: to be appointed from Oxdrift
Secretary- Treasurer: Ilene Lidmark
Tweedsmuir Curator: Sheri Stamarski
Area Voting Delegate : Ellen Chojko-Bolec
Regional Board Director: Gerd Hamilton

The Ladies Auxiliary of the Canadian Legion provided prompt, very tasty and bountiful meals for the Convention and the WI members were full of compliments for the ladies.
Members watched a short film “Celebrate What Is Right With The World” at the end of the Convention. It was a wonderful, thought-provoking film that left everyone feeling encouraged and uplifted; a great way to end the meeting.

It seemed that the general sense of the meeting was - well, we may be small in number but we are mighty in enthusiasm. These are women who want to make the public aware of environmental concerns, locally and globally; who want to make changes in laws and they know that, collectively in WI much can be accomplished.