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The Programme Is Your Business By Zena G. Hayes It is never too soon to think about and plan for your next year’s programme, In a larger sense, the planning of the branch proâ€" gramme is every member's business. If the individual memberfimeaning youâ€"Agavemore intensive thought and more careful consideraâ€" tion over a longer period of time to the lining up of suitable material, much more effective programmes would be produced and the work of programme committees would be vastly simplified If the Institute is to measure up to the ideal set by the pioneer women of Stoney Ci‘eek, if it is to be, in truth, a “Homemaker’s Univer- sity,“ the programme should be a printed syllabus of educational features offered to your members. Viewed in this light how does your programme rate? Does it definitely supply in explicit, unmistakable terms a course of study that the women of your community are likely to find helpful, stimulating and worthy of their attention? The planning of such a programme cannot be undertaken casually or achieved in haste. Time is essential for the assembling of items and time is essential for considered thought in the matter of their selection or rejection. And while the final responsibility for their welding together into a coherent whole rests with the programme committee, that com- mittee actsâ€"or should actâ€"«only to meet the needs and interests of the entire membership. There should, therefore. be some medium through which these needs and interests may be made known to the committee before they actually conveneâ€"perhaps a Roll Call, “What I would like to have on next year’s proâ€" gramme.” If the president asks each member to put her suggestions in writing, and turns the written slips over to the committee, there is then something tangible to work upon. It will be manifestly impossible to adopt all the suggestions offered, but some will be work- able and the general trend of interest should be clearly established. When the programme committee meets, in- variably the conveners of standing committees should be on hand to work with them, and the place and scope of each standing com- mittee in relation to the whole year‘s coverage should be outlined. While it is usually desir- able to feature each standing committee at some time, this does not preclude the selection of some one standing committee for major attention during the year. Indeed such a selection helps to make definite any course 14 of study decided upon. For example t M, V, in Waterloo County an Institute \Nl‘llll] 1m, year is placing emphasis on CltlZEI‘lr' p 3,,” Education, and which has chosen for 1H,,” theme for the whole year. "The um,“ Nations." Some of the sub-topics to m. ered at the meetings are “Fiftomitr plishments and limitations," “WHO 33 WW, Mother," “UNESCO,” and a panel on - um,” Events relating to United Nations." _ l. zir. other Institute, working on Citizen:? :1 (in, Education from another angle, carrii; on n, cover the announcement “This Year \-‘-.'~ 31W Canada," and is taking up, at each , .,,31,,,_‘ a survey of one of our ten Canadian pi lllt't': This following of one subject throng nels and makes definite the work of 11 year. Too many programmes appear . as a hodge-podge of things to do any sears mostly hearâ€"without any thread of ("x 1mm; on which the assorted items are 5' ‘ well planned programme has a defin ‘ 9 It sets out to lead the members along t1“: path to a known destination After the meeting of the program cm:- mittee, the general direction havn bar-r: 7 established and the design roughly ei , .. the conveners of standing committee mu be given a few days to plan the Work , -igm:d them and to decide in what mann‘ titer material is to be presented. When it, hen», decided what is to be done, and he the will advise the programme committer m 111.: full information can be placed on the I‘m!” folder. This will eliminate the all-too-i. "om-V, type of printed programme that read: January Hostess . . . . . . . _ . . . . , , i _ _ . . . . . . , . . -. . Roll Call . . . . . . _ . . _ _ _ , _ _ . Current 3 Topic . . . . Agriculture, Canadian Ino‘ > 11:95 Convener , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i‘ x Y ficertainly a poor sort of syllabus , 317‘ educational venture While conceding that there is a : w-l “ what may be printed on a branch pro; innit the folder should, as far as possible. a "81"“ complete picture of the branch actirv 95 iv! the curent year. The members should rd if the perusal of the programmes, infer ration. satisfaction and a measure of inspiratil'H‘ A's”: since one of the main values of the .Imm programme is its value as a publicizin 8219'" of Institute aims and activities, it is 11Hist “11' Dortant that the items listed should bl 111191“ esting, varied, and with some appeal 1“ 1h? imagination. HOME AND couNTRY