Published by The Ontario Women’s Institutes at Toronto, Ontario Volume 3 HOME and COUNTRY SUMMER, 1937 Number 3 CHAIRMAN HAMILTON CONVENTION ONTARIO CONVENTIONS WILL EMPHASIZE RURAL NEEDS Practically all the committees in charge of the 13 Women‘s Institute conventions to be held in Ontario this fall have their plans Well developed. The places of meeting and the dates of each of these conventions were given on page 4 of the May issue of “Home and Country". Women well experienced in Insti‘ tute work are taking charge of the conventions this year. Mrs. J. M. Abbott of Erin, Chairman of Toronto Area, has been president of her branch and provincial convener of Education. Mrs. Wm. Elliott, Galt, has also had presidential experience and is serving her second year as the Chairman of the London Area. Mrs. D. Z. Gibson is the new chairman of the Hamilton Area where she has been district president of Haldimand Co. Mrs. A. D. MacDougall is the newly elected Chairman of the Ottawa Area and brings to it the reputation of_ a successful provincial convenership. Mrs. Clarence Holmes. Mrs. R. M. Black, Mrs. A. M. Church, Mrs. E. L. Carter and Mrs. R. D. Henderson are Chairmen of the Belleville, Barrie, Sundridge, Kenora and Harriston Conventions respectively; they have been successful district oflicials. Mrs. J. M. Coghill, Mrs. Robert Boyter and Mrs. A. S. Smith are institute workers of much experience who will take charge of the conventions at Elk Lake. Little Current and Richard's Landing. Such subjects as the new curricu- lum for Ontario schools and desirable improvements in rural education, pub- lic health facilities, mental hygiene, economic status of agriculture, com- munity hygiene, sanitation of the rural home, opportunities for the rural girl, adult education, family reâ€" lationships, etc., will be discussed as well as the reports of the various Standing committees. The majority of the conventions have some social festivity that will give the delegates an opportunity to become acquainted. It may take the form of a. banquet, a tea, a reception, or a sight-seeing tour, depending upon Where'the convention is held. Mrs. D. 2. Glbson. Calednnla. Mrs. A. D. )Incrlougnll. )Iaxvlllc CHAIRMAN or’mws , CONVENTION i: .‘lrs, .\. 1 iMiNlON Mrs J. .\I CHAIHM i'nxvux'riux Alumâ€. 'TION Erin Tum. TD Chairmen of Women’s Institute Conventions, 1937 \Irs \' I'II.\II TWO QUEENS ARE JOINT PRESIDENTS OF WOMEN’S INSTITUTE Two British Queens, Their Majes- tic: Queen Mary and Queen Eliza- beth are joint presidents of the Sandâ€" ringham Women’s Institute, of Eng- land. For more than two decades Queen Mary was its ï¬rst and only president and Canadian Women’s Inâ€" stitute members everywhere have con- sidered this a signal honour to the Women’s Institute movement, which had its origin in Canada 40 years ago. The Sandringham branch was or- ganized by Mrs. Alfred Watt, M.B.E., the Canadian woman who took the Women‘s Institute idea to England in 1915. In telling of this event Mrs. Watt says: "My ï¬rst visit to Sand- ringham was at the request of Her Majesty Queen Mary, when I was asked to speak about the then new Women’s Institute movement of the estate. The meeting was, of course, arranged some time ahead, but when the sad death of young Prince John occurred just before, it seemed un- likely that Her Majesty would attend. But typical of her devotion to duty and unwilling to disappoint others Her Majesty came. Describes Institute \Vork “My talk was on the Women's In- stitute movement with special refer- ence to one being organized at Sand. ringharn. I heard from the Minister of Agriculture afterwards that Her Majesty was very pleased, but the only comment of the moment was "You did not tell about Canadian fruit-bottling“â€"and I had to make another speech! The mceting decided to have a Women's Institute and afterwards the Queen talked with me several times, asking practical questions and saying with her good-byeâ€"“Wbat I like best is the spirit of it all". Princess Mary, at- tended by her French Governess, was also present and made several jokes afterwards about my stories. Her governess told of fruitdmttling in France. "My next visit was two years ago when I spoke on ‘How Country Women have built up an Empire’, in which I embodied an account of the Associated Countrywomen of the World. It was a regular Institute meeting. at which, as is her custom when in residence. the Queen and her ladies-in-waiting were present. The entertainment in- cluded a comic song led by a nervous comedian who urged us all repeatedly to join in the chorus. I remember Queen Mary saying aurlihly at last,â€" ‘But we are trying-'. This was follow~ ed by a play with a caste chosen from the servants of the estate and the Queen identiï¬ed the players for me. Those who had tea later at a table at which Her Majesty olliciaterl included the head gardener’s daughter, the wife of a tenant farmer and the wife of the chief herdsman. I had brought some illustrations of thc newly-named ‘King’s Highwny' in Ontario, which Her Majesty asked if she might show the King. ‘He does not know of this highway and he will be so pleased, she remarked. Queen Elizabeth Interested Queen Elizabeth’s association with the Scottish Women's Institutes began whcn, its a young girl, she belonged to the Kncbworth \V. I. in the village of her family's English estate. "I was invited to speak there just before the announcement of her engagementâ€, said Mrs. Watt, "and I heard much of the winsomc girl who enterch so gain into Institute work and play. A few years ago she, with her mother, the Countess of Strathmorc, visited the famous W. I. needlework exhibition at London. The latter, too, is interested in Institute work and has shown much kindness and hospitality to rural mem- bers at their Scottish home, Glamis â€"the beautiful, if awesome castle of legend and history.†(Contributed by Mrs. E. Bailey- Price, Publicity Secretary of the Fed- erated Women’s Institutes of Can- ada.) DOMINION CONVENTION WILL BE HELD IN TORONTO All Institute numbers are corili: invited to nth-nil lhu convention . sinus of tho I") ul Women's Insti- tutes of Cunmln \\'I\Iull will ho hold at the Royal York llutcl. Toronto, on November 18. The Toronto Cnnw-n- tion Area of llni Womon's Institutes of Ontario has. (rm-<1 this (lulu fl'lun il.~ own lirugrnmme in order that its duh-- gates might ntIomI sessions iii-voted I!) institlitv IIIOUL‘I‘S UI lmlinnul In- tcrcst. Mr. A. E. Walker of l'lnrtnnvillo. Ontario. is president of tho IN'KII‘Yâ€" ntml \Vnmt-n's Institutes of Canada um] will preside at tho rnnvcnliun on November IX. Urhcr Untnrin wnmi-n connected with the Ilnmininn Board are: er. R. Tl. Cnllntlm who ' (m tln- Dominion Exrrutivc nml the national mnwnrr ui‘ tln- l'ulllnll tn;- nn Ponce I‘iIIUK‘TItlD" nml Inter- national Rlllntiunxhips; Mrs. Allan II Lani-aï¬eld who is rnrri-apumlini: si-u tar) Miss Iii-sq hlrllormuml who Is cx-nlli u n mvan-r III' Llw National Roma]; and Mrs. T. .l. lllclluwcll who, with Mrs. Cullntnn, will not as the ollirinl delegates from Ontario. The programme m tlu- onI-vduy national convention will consist of round lnhh- minim-cures unil nIIvIre us on [imminent probli'ms that un- part of the rcspnnsibil a of Women's Institutes. It is expf'ctotl that I-Ier Excellency The Lady ’I'wccdsmuir wr atlrl ~ the Convention: also Miss Gruct‘ singer, Washington, D.C., Svniol‘ Home Economist of Extension I)i sion of the Ilepnrtmcnt of Agricul- ture of United States, and the repre- sentative of Canada and Unitch States on the executive of the Associated Countrywnmcn ol' the World. A collection of handicraft workâ€" twelvc articles from each provinceâ€" will be on display at the Royal \Vin- ter Fair. Mrs. Harvey Harris, past president of the Toronto Convention Area, will he in charge of this ex- hibit and will be assisted by Miss Edith Hopkins of the \Vomen's Insti- tutu Branch of the Ontario Depart- ment of Agriculture.