ENIOR NEIGH'BORING: In the year's reports fmm \‘i’nmen's Institutes over the prm'incc. several secretaries made comments along this line: Our members are getting older and we do not feel equal to raising a [tit of funds for Institute pmiects. The extension services tlun't interest us as they might have done when we had young families to take care nf. But we don't want to give up the Institute â€" we like the sot’iability and we enitw the programs. Over the years we have tried to draw in younger members but must of nut t-‘uung “omen are wul‘king during the day and some DI them already belting to more clubs than the\' ham: [ink‘ fur. Is it right for us to continue as a Women's Institute? And if we tln. is there any witv we can he of use beyond providing a social afternnnn fnr nurselvus lll‘ll‘l.‘ .1 month? I I To begin with: Gernntnlngists advise us In forget nur thrunnlug‘turl age. Age. they salt. is a matter of attitudes more than of years â€"r stunt- punple .tt eighty are yttungtr than titlich in fifty. Still| physical strength dues lessen with the )‘L'ith; mme interests go and min-rs rake iheir place â€" or they wouId if they were given a chance. .-\ntl whn (an my “hat part ul lift: is must important â€" childhood, ynuth, middle life nr old age? Eath has its part in nl.|l'iiltg us what we are; each has something to give. Where Institute members are no longer young. naturally they \lll nut want to do a lut nl strenuous catering tn raise funds. One branch reports that inucutl nl holding .t hamar antl .1 tea to raise money for their county st‘hnlarship eath mumher mm ttlllll’il‘llll‘\ I\\‘t't tlnlhtrs. This saves a lot of work and worry and costs little mnrc than the halting tltt'y mu! to do lnr their teal. It is reasonable. too. that wttmen whnse heavy hnusekeeping responsibilities are tI\'L'r. may nut be interested in home cconnmics cnurses. Thcst‘ art- fnr yuung mothers with families tu (link and sew fur. and prnblems of managing a home and makng ends meet. lint in \nlllu I‘I.I(L'\ the older wnmen have nnt nnly stirred up the yuung hummule ul lllt.‘ tmmnunttt tn lec .1 course but have nifercd tn sit with their hahiu nr entertain [lit-it rtttmlmul rhilrlrm during lltt: rlasses. Where tilder women dun‘t “ant to give up the In\lilull.' lit-muse "tltt-t lilw lltc uniahility and enjoy the programs." this alum: might he teastm ennugh lnr tunlinuing. prm-itlt-tl tllt' mriahilitt reaches out to include people whu might otherwise he lunch. and lltt' prrrgl’ntll is. in \tt|lll.' um. a benefit. In a prauical way a prngram nn litlll\t[1l‘.llll\ might h..- guml ur linitnm.l |\.Iltt'rtl\ nr quilt blocks. But what abuut the regular t'ititt-nship Hlukl)! A~ lung as “1' live \u- are titi/em of our community, our muntry and the wurltl. Vt ware and we tarrt Iluf \lmrt‘ ul rcspumihilily for public opinion. It should he ;I help [0 us In keep tn ltttttlt “ill: the Ill‘llllllL’ \llltll{'\ III Canada, of our own developing North and of nut :twuuntittn uith mhcr |‘.lrl\ ml the rmrltl in the Freedom Front Hunger campaign. If \\'L' believe in the mental therapy ul "(Ulllllltltllh learn- ing." an Institute, whatever the age nf its members, is tluiny.r mint-thing mirth ultilv H II stimulates nut thinking in it dist‘ussinn, sets us reading a gurxl hunk. slttnn m filru' ntt (.atttttlmn art. gets us to listen to good ratdiu programs and tlistartl Illt.‘ utht-nt [an “t have it on ’{Illlll authority that keeping nut minds attive is um: ml the lies! ways ul warding nll srâ€"nihty And in the way nf service. there is one lield 7 let's tall it "settinr neighlmrung" “ht-rt- older women can accomplish pnssihly mun.- than anynnt- else, It Mth \Illlll: t'kj‘tl'l'it'lllt: ul yum to understand how to he nf help In ntht-r ultler purple. “L‘Pttrh \lltlw Ill-II mmr \V'umcn’s Institutes do some entertaining of residents in (Luuntr llnmt-s; lit.“ lllt‘\ rt-mt-mhcr nld pen-ply at Christmas time; perhaps have an annual party fur the "senior tllilt‘ll‘n†til the “immunity, An Institute whose members are "getting older†might like in mmentratc mt unrlr lur ultlt-r [‘t'tlplt’. This might mean regular persnnal visits m inmates nf insrinniuns nr tn .tn ultl Durst!" living alone. fnr one of the greatest needs nf age is mmeuttt- tu Irl.â€\ tn. III lIIIlIll nulutlt- reading .‘Ilrl'tltl or writing letters fnr those whn (an'l Nt‘L' tn Ft‘iltl I)! u rite; ur :lunng slumping lll’ lllfl'.ll’\"'rt't‘r‘lltl‘ for the homebnund: taking a confused permn fur a milk ur A (lerl‘ ur in (it! shuppme; tnvmnn and bringing nlder wumen tn Institute meetings: mapht' \UlllL'lil'lll". Inning ulrl lllt'l‘l rn_ rm», fur the tea hnur. A program nf this sort (fluid. in snme measure. ltll tht- purptm» ill .1 wumr Citizens' club in a community where there is nu suth urgrtniratrun, ThEre seems no limit to what women “I inlaginatiutt and some l‘Xi‘l'l’ll‘lllL‘ ul living might find tn do in this Iield Hf seniur neighhnringr W WINTER 1964