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Women's Institute mem- bers who have completed terms as executive officers of F.W.l.O. return to cele- brate the 70th Anniversa- ry at the Officers' Confer- ence I967. Left to right: Mrs. leonard Trivers, past presidenl; Mrs. Gerald Holder, post secretary,- Mrs. L. G. lymburner, past president; Mrs. J. R. Fut- cher, past president; Mrs. J. McCullngh, post secre- tory. Photo â€" courtesy Ontario Department of Agriculture and Food. the price for what we have and are today." With these words Mrs. Everett Small. Presi- dent of the Federated Women's Institutes opened the Centennial Year Conference for Officers of the F.W.I.O. at the University of Guelph on May third and fourth. This nine- teenth annual conference was for branch presi- dents, branch and district conveners, branch and district Historical Research and Current ’Events conveners. Nearly five hundred women ‘attended the two-day sessions. The theme was “Out of the Past the Future Grows," I Dr. J. D. McLaughlin welcomed the dele- gates to the campus of the University of Guelph. Dr. McLaughlin retired as President of the University of Guelph on June first. 1967 and in his address of welcome rem- inisced about his associations with the Women‘s nstitutes during the 19 years he has been resident. Dr. McLaughlin reminded the omen that Macdonald Institute. the Ontario College of Agriculture and the Ontario Vet- erinary College, the three founding colleges at the University of Guelph, have over the years been dedicated to training young people for service in rural areas. “The excellence of the vrogram of these colleges would be main- ained,” Dr. McLaughlin said. He also said that for the next year and a half he and Mrs. J cLaughlin would he doing some work in i ural education in Jamaica. Miss Helen McKercher, Director of the ome Economics Branch of the Department 'f Agriculture and Food, brought greetings rom her department. Miss McKercher pointed ut that all provincial presidents have had MEN AND WOMEN of the past paid r UMMER 1967 Oflicers’ Conference 1967 special projccls. all of uhich have been achieved. but Mrs. Small's special project to increase membership in the Women‘s Institute requires no money. It does require a friendly welcome and an attractive program. Miss McKercher emphasized the need for excel- lence in Women's Institute undertakings She said "Each detail of a Women's Institute proâ€" gram should he planned to make it excellent. and this csccllcncu should not only he in the program itself hut in the place of meeting. and even in the cttp of tea served after the meeting." Pensioners of The Past For her address to the five hundred dele- gates to the annual Officers' Conference. Dr. Ethel Chapman chose the topic. “Pensioners of The Past." She said. “We are all pension- era of the past in that we have reaped so many hencfits from the untiring labours and the rugged living of our forefathers. ‘One man builds on the foundations laid by an- other." This fine Ontario countryside was wrestctl from the forest by our greatâ€"greatâ€" grandfathers. who. if they were privileged to conic hack. would never rccognize the scenes of this unceasing toil. The common tragedies of a hundred years ago are almost wiped out completely now because one researcher after another worked his life out trying to do some thing about them. But as we think about what we owe to those who have gone before Us. we are pretty sure to ask ourselves what are we doing to make things better for these who come after us?" "The [OUndcrs of the Women‘s Institutes had an almost uncanny vision when they set as their ohjectivc the betterment of the home 15