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F .WJ .C . Citizenship Essay The Second Century Challenge To Women By Mrs. M. Luther Ayleshury, Saskatchewan Ed. Note â€"â€" This essay was written for the Senator Cuirine Wilson, F.W.I.C_ Citizenship Competition. It won first place in the Sas- katr'hcwan Competitions and second place in the F.W.I.C. Competitions when the award winners were announced at the F.W.I.C. Con- renrion in Winnipeg, August 1970. O Canada! Where pines and maples grow, Great prairies spread, and lordly rivers flow, I How dear to us thy broad domain From East to Western Seal Thou land of hope for all who toil! Thou True North. strong and free! â€"R. Stanley Weir. Because Canada has now embarked on its second century, this second verse of the'wellâ€" known poem, “0 Canada", truly describes this great country of ours. It is indeed a country to be proud of with its majestic mountains, its swift flowing rivers, its dense forests and its vast stretches of farm land. True, it is. that for over a century the peo- ples of Canada have lived and worked together in peace. Crops have not been strafed by fire and bombs have not exploded our cities. Only by looking back over the past one hundred years do we realize the great progress that has been made. And it has been sturdy men â€"â€"- and women â€" who have over the years, la- boured long and hard to accomplish all that we now have. Theirs was a time of challenge just as toâ€"day, we too face challenges, perhaps of a different nature but challenges just the same. On January 20th, 1961, the late president of the United States. John F, Kennedy in his In- augural Address spoke these words. “Ask not what your country can do for you â€" ask what you can do for your country." These unforgetâ€" table words can be applied to Canada as Well. and they offer a challenge to everyone interestâ€" ed in the welfare of our country. There are so many things that We as women can do for our fottntry. Lead honest, upright lives, obey the {:33}; our land, thus setting a good example I ure generations. Let us take an interest in the affarrs of our country. exercizing our 28 right to vote and taking an active pan . m. political world, if possible. Far too few - m become involved in the political sense, E in Canada. I believe there is no reason it. .,_ for women are as brilliant and responv ., men in this field. With Canada, referred to as “The \ it. Pot of Nations" let us extend a for» .i friendship and brotherhood to members i. ferent ethnic groups, remembering that - in learn from them as well as they from us I see a challenge to all Women in 1hr: ii. ing and meditation of the prayer, “.5 ‘n Woman’s Creed" written by Mary Stew .l noted California educationalist and autlw ~t only is this a guide for women organiv. clubs, but individuals in their day-tO-dil' i will find it a challenge to live by in u ,- tions and their deeds. Another challenge to women in lhl‘ ‘7 da’s second century is education. Neve' 1‘ has so much stress been placed on it. (1 ii» versities are overflowing with student ll ers and grandmothers are going back Tl ml for upgrading or for further study xi- seems to be a new standard of excel: Ill education. Mrs. Gates, national com or Education for the Federated Women u tutes of Canada states: “Do not finish he changes in our educational systems. In ‘rn about them. This will lead to under av; and acceptance." Because our children rm most valuable resource, we must 6! 12:" them at school, show we are interested bill they are learning and see that they " J”- cated to the full extent of their tilit \o country can move ahead unless its cit: .m- educated. For education is like a road that no tub How far down the road we go depem m This Passage from Mrs. Ulrich‘s pru 11ml address in Saskatoon in 1968 is indc hill lensing. “To-day we must be educ “u must gear ourselves to the great stritl. “III' zation is taking. We must ever be lcu 7: ' Perhaps in our later years, not the fern ‘Iml but learning just the same." Then there is the challenge to womt n llh‘ labor force. It is becoming more cvirli i thi‘ll Essay continued on page 40 HOME AND L JNlRV