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The President ’5 Comer Mrs. Harvey Nab/itt. Presi- dent the Federated Women ’s Institutes of On- rarr’o Dear W.I. Mcntbers: “Time has come". the walrus said. "to talk of many things” . . . V I Time.r To the sick and the ailing and to those With little challenge. time may seem long. but to the vast majority of people it is a commodity in very short supâ€" ply these days. In our busy lives with Schedules to meet and nuâ€" merous tttsLx to perform. we feel that the days drive on relentlessly and we fail to accomplish the things we would like. It is difficult to visit sick friends. there is too IIIIIC time to listen to our children's stories or to their problems. not enough time to cook nutritious foods. sometimes no time to go to church and seldom time to just sit and appreciate God‘s gifts of nature and till the blessmgs in life, In our Branches we find we have too little time for all we would like to accomplish, At District Annuals not enough time to hear convcncrs' reports in full. not enough time to talk and t'ratcrnize, and not enough time to discuss current concerns. But time is not a concern of our generation only. for In Chaucer‘s time he wrote. “The life so short. the craft so long to learn." Time is our great gift and our use of it determines the direction our lives will take. Yet we often waste the precious golden moments Wil- liam Penn has said. "that time is what we want the most. but atlas wlitu we use the worst!” Mary Stewart in her Collect advises us to take time for all things. “Oh”. we comfort ourselves. “she wrote that in a different day from ours." True. Yet people in her day who desired to fill their lives with worthwhile activities must have been just as busy as we and they laboured under many more difficulties. Surely Marv Stewart assumed what we must all accept. that "all things" arc the carefully selected priorities in the use of our time. We are all conscious in Women's Institute of trying to accomplish the most worthwhile things. In estab- lishing our priorities we would be wise to review our objectives asking. “What things are we doing that are fulfilling our objectives. what things are not? What could we eliminate that is of little value".I Are our meetings well planned so no time is lost over business yet everyone is given a chance to express their opin- ion? Is there something that could be left for more committees to work on through the month? Are there practices that are outmoded”? Let us look. for example. at mottoes. Is a motto an important part of our meet- ing'.’ Do we elaborate on it. discuss it and enjoy it? 4 Does it give information? It" so. we may feel time spem on it is worthwhile. if not. we may wish to discard ii’ We must be careful. I believe. when we are lryjn to save time to retain the essential arts. For exampch notice in reading District Annual reports that con. veners. reports are often mimeographed and crime. given to delegates. but do we at the same time puma” the Convener time to give the highlights of her I'Cptin_ give her suggestions and recommendations and an. swer any questions? This exercise gives her. and thine who ask the questions. confidence in expressing lllL‘lTl- selves hefore others; an art in itself. Time for me. too. has been very short and ill‘ it... quickly it has brought me to near the end of my :[m as President. At the next Board meeting in Jam, J new President will be elected. My three years “L. been extremely enjoyable and a real learning c :n- ence. Tennyson. in "Ulysses", said: “I am a part of all that I have met; Yet all experience is an arch wherethro’ Glettms that untravell‘d world. whose margin in. Forever and for ever when I move. . . So. I am the richer for the privilege you have git mt and I am deeply grateful to you all. But my pic. c. and rewards would be minimal if I could not My back and feel that the Women's institute had ressed during those three years. In November 1971 when I was elected Pro it we were all looking forward to celebrating Olll th anniversary in 1972 and besides our Provincial brzition. we were all planning special events l in Branches. Districts and Areas. Steps were in pp u to buy the Erland Lee Horne and to build an ll- mcnt. make repairs and restore it to its I‘I_ISIOI']L c. riod. (By the end of 1974. 10.000 people would \I ‘l It was a big project that would require the co .r- ation and effort of all, Hence it seemed expedi. .ii that time to devote our main energies to these Plt l» in particular. and at the same time to work at III' is; ing our membership and at keeping our organir lll strong. enthusiastic and healthy. Working dilig \, 239 of our 1290 Branches have increased their i l- bership by 205: in two years. We now have morc n hall" the membership of the Federated Women's .~ We of Canada. ours being 30.775 and the corni :d membership of the other provinces 23,829. Everywhere there is increased enthusiasm. Vt ..-c it in continued interest in Olficers‘ Conference iiii ll- creased interest in current social issues. crafts. \vr 9. drama. Home Economics Courses. 41-! leadei 2‘. community projects and in providing hospitali in viSiting groups from other Provinces and other I These accomplishments have been possible bectui it the combined efforts and splendid co-operatic tit everyone â€" the Executive. the Provincial Board ii- rectors and all the membership. each member d her part to the best of her ability. This is the way it is always been with Women’s Institutes and I knit it will continue to be so with the next President and ‘t successors. Much has been done but there is so u h Slill t0 do: so many exciting challenges in these 5\\ } moving times. Let us continue to make the mo if them, ll: rT Now I say farewell and a warm «thank you“ [0' ‘ Bernice B. Not at