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0 THE woman wearing a Women's Institute badge. doors are readily opened. I found this in June when my husband not I were visiting Scotland. ‘ Our hostess was Mrs. Nicol Thomson, busy ecretary of the Seafield branch of the Scot- ‘5h Women's Rural Institutes. The Seafield nd Anna P. Lewis branch, Oxford County, ave been corresponding for six years. the ontact having been made through the pen» a1 service of the Institutes Branch. When Mrs. Thomson learned that an Ontario ember was going to Scotland. she insisted n a visit to her home. Our boat was three ays late but Scottish hospitality was such hat we cut out a tour of the English lake istrict to spend almost a week in the Thom- nn's home near Edinburgh. Scottish “rural” members have a particular nterest in Canadian instituters because it was ’[iss Emily Guest of Ontario who established he organization in Scotland during the First orld War. The Seafield branch was started ome years later. The let anniversary was iarked just recently With a banquet and rogram in the village hall. Mrs, Thomson proudly took us on a tour of the hall. It is a fine building with facilities for meals, meet» ings, sports and quiet reading. Various groups in the village use it. including the institute and an organization of veterans. Mrs. Thomson is a typical "rural" member. She lives in a block of gray stucco buildings called council houses. They are built by the local council and are rented. never solrlt Most WINTER 1955 M "‘e 'weMY'HI’Sl biflhdfiy party of Seafield brunch at the Scottish Women's Rural Institutes, organized by the late Miss Emily Guest 0! Ontario Visit to a Scottish Link By Kathryn Hansuld Lamb of the people in Seufield (less than 2,000) live in similar homes. Her part has two rooms and bath downstairs and three bedrooms upstairs. A5 there is no central heating. each room has a fireplace and there are corresponding Chimney pots on the roof. Mrs. Thomson heated WiliE‘l' 0n the firce place in the parlor although she had a stove in the kitchen. They were among the lucky families who have plumbing. Telephones and cars are seldom owned by the working peoplv and they don't miss them. “Outings” are a pOpular part of the ins-lb lute program. They giVe the women the opportunity to see the beauties of their country, by bus or by boat. Mrs, Thomson told us of many of the splendid times she had enjoyed and another was coming up just after we left. Her husband works In it colliery, a twenty minute walk across tln- fields from his back door. He follows the oft-used footpaths through the fields which are lhll‘Clt'l'ECl Ii}- hawthorn hedges. There is no (lll‘t‘t'l road from Seafielrl to the collicl'y. Mrs, Thomson‘s hobby is urnchvting chair and dresser sets in :1 variety of lovely colors A set which sht- made for me has been adâ€" mircd by many of my friends. When I lcl‘t she unu- nu» her SWRl badge \Vl’llt'h I Wear with pride. It is a \Vllllt‘ llt‘lll'l with the letters SWRI in crown t‘iTL'l'l. at thi- lop. Inluid in blue. across the heart is thi- motto. familiar to Oflitll'ltl members. “For Home and Country" 19