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J anuarY: 1937 LOCAL LEADERS GUIDE THE STUDY OF BUYING AND CARE OF CLOTHING One of the important factors in having an ideal home is an under- standing of how to select, use, and care for fabrics and clothing. Outer- clothing, underclothing, hosiery, hats and shoes are all, or in part, made from some fabric. New styles and new materials appear with each sea- son of the year and the many imita~ tions and adulterations are perplex- ing. Fortunately, certain fundamental facts aid in judging a fabric of any type. Grandmother probably never heard of Buymanship, but neither had she to make a selection from an array of merchandise such as one finds in a modern store which is a veritable store-house of treasures, displaying colourful cottons, lustrous linens, filmy laces, gorgeous silks and a limitless range of worsted and wool- lens, as well as the synthetic fabrics which must be judged with limited knowledge. In this day of i'eadyâ€"to-wear cloth- ing, the purchaser must be prepared to judge the wearing qualities of fabrics as well as the fit, colour selec. tion, design and workmanship of manufactured goods. In order to meet this need, local leader training schools in Buymanship have been conducted this year in 17 districts with 276 branches participating. The leaders have received assist» once from the merchants in their local shopping centres. One leader reports that she was provided with sheets, pillowcases, towels, coats. dresses, sports wear and hosiery, in addition 0 many samples of cotton, linen, silks, velvets, and woollen fabrics, to demonstrate values. Training schools in the Kitchen Ensemble attracted those who pre- viously have been more or less pro- ~ cient in making dresses. This study of fabrics, designs and colour selecâ€" ion was a new experience and demonstrated the value of working ogether and exchanging ideas. Again ve had the co-operation of local tores who generously provided watches of cotton goods for the lami- rs, and featured the work in special vindow displays of sewing equip- ient, fabrics and dress accesaones. Care of clothing is a field of study hich every woman must consider. I aundcring, mending, spot and stain emoval, clothes closets and storage pace are equally important. How to . ake the most of unused nooks and urners in the closetless house, and mprovised closets with such simple aterial as orange crates have been ighlights of this project. In this the ‘ ale members of the family have had ~n opportunity to assist the good work nd thus the whole family will have : greater appreciation of the im- ortance of an intelligent study of or clothing problem. -’ indly Service Rendered by Institutes Gives Help in Many Ways Continued from pa e 1, col. 4). ecorated, kept up and even, in some uses, rebuilt. Many W. I. members ave acted as patronesses for every urty held in their halls, and what a orth-while undertaking in these days r) en so many frown down the amuse- ents of our young folk. Others report assisting rest-rooms, n I‘ks, libraries, children's shelters, y Scouts, clean sport, Navy League. stitute for the Blind, and in fact, ery worthwhile activity where there 5 need for help. {is we enter another year, may we 1 we to foster in our young people a e for good clean sport, for good tures or better books, for worth- e lays, for a keener interest in 1' fe low man, for better use of 'e, and, above all, for an everlast- world peace. And let us as Insti- meiubers give the world the beat have and the best will come back HOM AND COUNTRY GREETINGS The New Year brings hope and courage and a renewed desire for greater achievements and satisfaction in our Institute work. In glancing back over the road which we have just come, we find that it is rich in memories, in attainments and varied experiences. My best wxsh, in extending greetings to the rural women of the provmce, is that their new knowledge, wider contacts and deepened sympathies may stimulate them to greater effort in building educational programmes which will bring in a more abundant measure health, happiness, and prosperity to their home and community life. Having attended most of the thirteen conventions, I am deeply appreciative of the fine spirit of friendliness and co-operation which abounds in every community. Again and again I am impressed with the ability and resourcefulness displayed in the presentation of reports and programmes of merit and interest. _ Ontario homemaker: are aware, too, that world friendship is a Vital thing. Throu h their peace programmes and links with letter friends In distant lan 5, they are striving to promote cordial relations at home and abroad. To each and every one the New Year is an open door to new avenues of opportunity and endeavour. And so we take heart and begin again. May 1937 bring to our rural women peace and contentment and the joy of work well done. Mas. T. J. MCDOWELL, President Federated Women‘s Institutes of Ontario. PEACE EDUCATION RECEIVES THE ATTENTION OF INSTITUTES THROUGHOUT ONTARIO The high sounding title attached to this committee may seem to be clumsy and ambiguous, but experi- ence and study is proving to those in- terested that we cannot hope for peace without understanding con» ditions and sympathetic tolerance of the habits and customs of others. Response to the efforts in behalf of this new work has been most un- usual. Every one of the 13 conven- tion areas reported some work done. Besides this, letters (form letters and answers to inquiry) have been sent out by the convener to the number of several hundred in the two years of the existence of the committee. Our women have reported papers, pro- grammes, study of articles, pageants, roll calls and lectures on innumerable subjects related to the cause of peace and world understanding. Recommends Study Possibly the greatest weakness of our members in connection with our peace education programme is a tendency to express a too definite opinion without enough knowledge of the subject to make such an opinion valuable. Sentiment and feeling are valuable but in order to be of lasting good they must be supported by facts. We would urge our members not to be satisfied with one paper, or two or three newspaper clippings, but to really make a study of this great subject. Learn the causes of past wars, the ruinous effects of a new one, the strong and weak points of various national governments. the many types of work already done by the League of Nations Society, and the work of the Brussels Peace Conference and the Youth Congress in Geneva. So much reference material is available at little or no cost. We do not urge upon our women the motto of a famous soothe sayerâ€"“See all, know all, tell all"â€" but rather, “Read more, know more and broaden your outlook". We cannot over emphasize the value of tolerance, patience and unselfish- ness among our own women. We are poor champions of the cause of peace if we quarrel among ourselves, are prejudiced against people of other nationalities who may live among us, and are intolerant of the opinions of others. We must not forget that the situation of Canadian women is unusually fortunate in a world of tur- moil and unrest. Let us show our gratitude for such good fortune in whatever way possible. The committee wishes to acknow- ledge With thanks the assistance of the League of Nations Society in both Ottawa and Toronto, the Peace Edu- cation Committee of Toronto and the Women's Disarmament Committee of Geneva. (Contributed by Ruth S. Houck.) CANADIAN WAYS INTRODUCED TO NEWCOMERS BY MEMBERS OF WOMEN’S INSTITUTES Reports on Canadianization from nine convention areas tell of many ways in which our Institute women are helping to develop Canadian citizenship among the newcomers to our land, and also among those who have been born in Canada. The work is spread fairly well over the whole province, although in some areas very little has been reported. This may be due to a mistaken idea that only work among foreign born peoples is considered, but there is work to be done in communities where there are no foreign born citizens at all. Taught Canadian Ways In one area where there are large numbers of new Canadians, the Insti- tute members took turns shopping with the women, teaching them how to buy and get right value for their money. They were also taught cook- ing, canning, and other methods of Canadian homemaking. Bank accounts have been opened for new babies. Visits to new Canadian homes have resulted in bringing new members into the Institute. Lonely boys far from home at Christmas have been sent cards and socks. Flags and poles have been installed at schools. A suggestion has been made that we hold displays of handicraft, asking our new neighbours to bring along their lovely weaving and embroidery. The women of Europe are justly famous for their designs, many of which are national. Surely beautiful needlework is a valuable link in the formation of lasting contracts. Let us all put ourselves in the place of these women, strangers in a land whose customs they know little about, and let us show them how very necessary it is that we should learn from them and they from us. The training of the young people is a real field of opportunity. In one area a contest was conducted in the schools resulting in a number of very fine essays on Canadian topics. Canadian Literature Could we not spend more time read- ing our Canadian authors? How about a programme on Grey Owl and his wonderful books. Each of a number of our members might read one of his articles or books and come prepared to discuss it. Plan to have discussions on our Canadian emblems, our flu and the observance of our nationa holidays that we may instill in our children and those about us a love for our native land, Real Canadian citizenshi many sides we may never e aust the subject, but surely it is worthy of our best efi‘orts. (Contributed by Edna L. Craven, MBE.) has so 3 % BETTER HEALTH HABITS EMPHASIZED BY FOODS AND NUTRITION PROGRAMME For the past year the Foods and Nutrition programme of the Senior Women’s Institutes was carried on by local leader training schools, short courses, speaker service and home demonstrations. From the various services offered, the branch or dis- trict choose the one best suited to meet its needs. During the year, thirty-six branches sent a local leader and an assistant to a training school on The Preparation and Place of Vegetables in the Diet. Four more schools on this project are to be given in the spring and six additional ones on the Uses of Whole \Vheat. ‘The information the leaders re- ceived at the schools was given to their local groups by demonstration lectures; in two cases regular work- ing schools were held at morning and afternoon sessions. In one district a leader was sufficiently interested to take the work to an Institute that could not send a local leader to the training school. _T\venty-seven short courses in Plane rung and Preparing Meals were given in twelve districts. These courses emphasized first, the need of Wise selection of food to provide an ade- quate diet for families of varying ages and, second, its preparation to retain food value and enhance ap» petite appeal. They made it plain that such a diet builds up resistance to certain diseases and prevents many physical defects and so is Valu- able as a preventive health measure. A study of personal food habits has shown the members of the classes that the diets of many lacked suf- ficient vegetables and milk. As a re sult, the members have realized the hazard of such a deficiency and have increased the consumption of these foods, At the conclusion of the short courses and the local leader training schools the members continued to focus attention on their food prob- Items by carrying on home demonstra- tions in specific personal problems such _as gaining weight and relieving constipation. Nine districts chose speaker service on Canning, Feeding the Family for Health, Table Setting and Home Ser- VICE. The latter is illustrated with special material such as dishes, silver, table centres, and a variety of table linen and place covers. The Foods and Nutrition pro- gramme is thus definitely helping to emphasize the importance of right diet and health habits. MAKING OF QUILTS IS POPULAR CRAFT IN RURAL HOMES 0F ONTARIO “If a survey were to be taken", says Miss Edith Hopkins of the “'0- mcn’s Institute Branch of the De- partment of Agriculture, “I am sure you would find that more work is put into the making of quilts than of any other single home craft in rural Ontario”. With this general in- terest in mind, instruction in the makâ€" ing of quilts is included in the pro- Ject on Home Utilization of Wool, and a project on quilts only meets the need where there is no demand for home skills in utilizing raw wool. Besides the Institutes studying Home Utilization of Wool, 36 branches have sent local leaders to training schools for the purpose of studying quilts only. These training schools were held at Brantford and Chesterville late in 1936. In March a training school will be held in Sud- bury for ocal leaders situated in that district A quilt is worth making only if it is useful and adds attractiveness and charm to a bedroom. Leaders have learned that a quilt can be as much of a work of art as a beautiful picture.