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This will be my last column to you . provincial president of Junior v'omen’s Institutes of Ontario. I ave thoroughly enjoyed my two car term of office and would like to hank all members for having had the .pportunity to serve in this capacity IS well as all the coâ€"operation l have eceived. I do feel it is time for me to .tep aside and let someone else take over the reins. I know that Ruth ,VlcCurdy will continue to move forward and meet any new challenges. One of the greatest rewards of my life was being selected your voting delegate to the Associated Country Women of the World Triennial Conference in Vancouver this past June. The conference was a real learning experience for me. being able to meet and talk individually to so many interesting people from all around the world. This first hand experience made me more aware of living conditions and economic predicaments particularly in Third World countries. Being born and raised in Canada we take so many things for granted. Would you walk 20 miles each day for water or think of having to obtain government permission to travel outside the country? We are really Vety fortunate in Canada to be allowed so many freedoms and have so many conveniences at our fingertips. Living conditions in some of these areas are improving through help from sister ACWW societies. There is however, much more that could be done but as they stressed. it must be appropriate for the area and meet the needs of the people. It does no good to send help if the people refuse to use it because of beliefs or fears. Words seem so inadequate to describe the feeling 1 came home from Vancouver with, you had to experience it yourself. I hope our experiences will make members enthusiastic to attend future conferences. Recently I was asked to relate to a group what Junior Women‘s lnslitute had done for me. What impresses upon me as even more important was what had l contributed to Junior Women‘s institute. As with any organization you only get out of it what you contribute. To me Junior Women's Institute work is a labor of love for an organization that has given me much in return for what I have been able to do. Through my association with Institute I have developed leadership Letters . continued from page 6 Dear Home & Country Juniors, do you know where your Seniors are? In May. I had the opponunity of attending the F.W.I.O, Officers' Conference at the University of Waterloo. This conference was a great learning experience for anyone in Women‘s Institute. There were about 540 women there and 1 met some very nice people. Do you know, at feast ll} of those 540 women were around the same age as me! One thing I was disappointed in was that l was the only Junior W.l. member there. I did my best though. to sup- port and promote Junior Women's Institute. Did you know that if you belong to Junior Women's institute. you also belong to the Federated Women's In; stitute of Ontario and the Junior W.1. now also belongs to the Associated Country Women or the World. We really are a powerful junior Women’s Institutes of Ontario skills that 1 can use in whatever I do. I have never attended an institute function without learning something new. or making new friends or renewing old acquaintances. Through Junior Women's institute work I have also become more aware of issues in my own community as well as further afield. 1 now also have developed communication skills that an: invaluable. These are only a few contributions that I hate gained because of my association with this group. i have also given something in return for this gift. Having scrvcd on most executive positions both tit lht‘ branch and provincial Icch takes much time and dedication but is well worth the effort, Wherever I go i try to spread the word of what our organization is about and hopefully gain new members. tlnd hcttcr inform other members of what we are doing. rim is not always an cusy task but is worth the extra effort you put forth. Why not put forth your tnlcnts and we the added reward you will gain. After all this is your orgnni/ulion. Help make it what you want. Junt- E. Allnn group of women. I fch there should be some“ “happy medium" to he reached between Seniors and Juniors, but how can it he met? Maybe if each of our branches would take the time to learn whcrc we originated from. what our purpose is and what our goals are, wc would find that the Seniors have basically tin: same things in mind. I would like to see more Juniors ut- Icnd Senior functions such as District Annuals, Area Rallies and by all means. Officers' Conference. The Rural Organizations and Ser- vices Branch have some excellent topics for programs and offcr some very interesting courses. Why not use them Juniors? There really is something to be learned from our "Seniors". let's try harder. Marion Koepkc North Grey Junior WJ. 23