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“nt' Theyshoued this reporter! BY STEPHANIE ROBSON The Observer We’re going to show you As well as we can How the world sees the women Who make up our clan Women‘s Institute members Are normal. you know, But the way the world sees us Is not always so. There’s a terrible image We must put to rest That we're all nearing ninety And way past our best We’re seen as the grandmas Who drink lots of tea And talk of the way That the world used to be. OIL CITY â€" Written by a former Federated Women's Institutes of Ontario board director, the poem is called We’re Going To Show You. . _ . . .and that's just what members of Central Enniskillen Women's Insti- tute did to this reporter for dating to suggest WIs are "on the way out". "We do have some older members but we're certainly not dying out.” said Clara Powers, a member of Cen- tral Enniskillen branch and president of Lambtml Centre District. As district president, Mrs. Powers represents ll WI branches in Lamb- lon county; she is one of three district presidents in Lambton and each rep- resents a comparable number of branches. Of the 11 branches in her district, Mrs. Powers' home branch. Central Enniskillen covets one of the largest areas (a radius of 40 kilometres) and has a membership of approximately :28. The newest branch in the district 15 Sunny Brooke, based in the Alvin- ston area and chartered in 1983. Mrs. Powers said the issue that has been made of Wls having difficulty tn recruiting newer and younger mem- bers has "irritated" many in the organization. “We do have members who are in Twilight Haven but we also have younger people; women whose fami- lies are to the point where they have the time to give to the Institute.” day: Women Involved! if? it,” i ’7 3“ Aim Proud to represent a group that stands “For Home and C ountry” are (from left) Christa Woods, Central Ennis/tiller: president; Evelyn Freer, secretary- treasurer; and Clara Powers, Lambton Centre District president. (Photo courtesy of The Observer.) The first Women‘s Institute in the world was organized at Stoney Creek, Ont., on Feb. 19, 1897 and through- out its 88-year-history, a primary em- phasis has been placed on “family”. One of the objectives of WI is to "help women acquire sound and ap- proved homemaking skills” while the handbook of Federated Women's In- stitute of Ontario states that each branch is responsible for establishing an “education program for the home- makers of the community.” It con~ tinues: “Its enterprises should make the community a better place in which to live and to promote happy, wholesome social life." In attending a meeting of the Cenâ€" tral Enniskillen branch, you’re sur- prised, however. to find the converâ€" sations and discussions do not foeus on gossipy trivialin but on the best way to assist chronic care patients at CEE Hospital, in Petrolia; on the fall 4-H program (many WI members are 4-H leaders); on how the Institute can be improved (the roll call of the day). Evelyn Freer. secretary-treasurer of Central Enniskillen branch, ex- plained that each meeting has a theme, chosen from a designated standing committee of the organization. These standing committees common to all Women’s Institute, include: agricul- ture and Canadian industries, citizen- ship and world affairs, education and cultural activities, resolutions and Tweedsmuir history (a project of WI designed to preserve the his- tory of Canadian people, places. customs and activities and of the local branches.) Based on the theme, it is then up to the committee in charge of the meeting to develop the program, Mrs. Freer said. “The program is designed to meet the needs and interest of the par- ticular branch and its membership." she said. For a meeting on citizenship and world affairs, as an example, Birkhall branch plans to have as guest speaker a customs clerk while Moore Centre branch has made arrangements for a travelogue on China. But what of the membership? Will Women’s Institutes survive the 19805 and changing times? Members of Central Enniskillen branch range in age from their 305 to 91. Among the younger members, the feeling is that the Institutes must recruit younger members; though they offer no suggestions of how to accomplish that. Mrs. Powers says the solution lies with the younger people themselves. “We can introduce the Institutes to them but that’s all,” Mrs. Powers said. “They have to see for themselves the point of the Institutes and then set their priorities.”