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.4 Magazine for Rural “roman Home at Counlr) is a publication for rural women's groups in Ontario. ll l\ puhlhht‘d h) the Rural Organizations and Services Branch of the-Ontano \llnlhil'} \II Agriculture and food Hume & Country has two objectives: I lit pnmdc a communications link between rural women's groups in Ontario 7 I ‘ tn proud: educational material relating to organizational and indivtdual leadershlp development Please .nltlrcss all correspondence - Guelph Agncultutc Centre PO. Box 1030 Guelph. Ontario NIH 6Nl â€"‘_â€"__’â€"â€" EDITOR Carol Stewaanirkby EDITORIAL COMMITTEE Denise Edwards (chairperson). Geraldine Campbell. Pat Clark, Dawn Runnalls. Elm.) Van Trigt. loan Law, Gail Murdock, Jacky Schmidt, Carol Stewart-Kirkby Vol. 55 April. May 1989 No. 4 Deadlines Plane l .hwne the follomng deadlines when subnurung stunt-:5 or photographs In Hull“: K Country LILAIH [Nit October 10 - December. January issue MAUI [NF December 10 7 February, March Issue DEADLINE February 20 - April. May issue IJtAmlNl: August 1] 7 October, November issue Front Cover Four Mut Donald Awards were presented to students who have sucâ€" ceaxtull) wmplcted their first two semesters ofthe Family and Can- \UITJL'T Studies program at the University of Guelph. Each award t’» vulch an $300. The MacDonald Awards are presented annually by the Federated Women‘s Institutes of Ontario. Pictured arc the winners. Andrea Duke. Barbara Van Damme. Lisa Toth, and Joy Wulkt-r, as well as FWIO representative Dorothy Perch (seated right). rPhntu enunesy of the University of Guelph}. Index Assertive communications . . . . , . . A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Between the Lines . . . . . . , . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _ , . . . 5 Letter to the Editor . . . . . . . . . _ . . . . . , . . . , . . . . . . . 5 Anniversary at museum . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . 6 OFWN elects officers . . . . . . , , . , . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Butler Project update , , . . . . , . . . . . . . . , . . , . . . . . . . . . . 6 Recycling quiz. , . , . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . _ . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Perennial herb garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Writing grant applications . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Make your exhibit stand out , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 What's Happening . . . . . . . . , . . _ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Information . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Area conventions . . . . . . , . . _ , , , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Members' interest during summer . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . l6 Squelching stereotypes Editorial Carol Stewart-Kirkby 1 read an interesting opinion piece in a Rural Voice magazine recently. It talked about fanners’ concerns regarding the image urban people hold of them. (In other words, the picture of the farther in his bib overalls, sucking on a pipe, holding a pitchforky I have talked to several farm and rural groups in the last five years who are equally concerned about their image and how urban people see them. But, as the author of the Rural Voice article points out, sometimes, we can be our own worst enemjm when it comes to establishing an image. A firmer says or does something at a public meeting that goes a long way towards rein- forcing some of the stereotypes we wish weren't them This article made me wonder if, like farmers, women are sometimes their own worst enemy too. I know I am gulry of falling into some of the stereotype traps I abhorred when 1 m in my late teens, waving the equality banner. For instmge‘] always thought women and men should share household epon- sibilities on a 50/50 basis. My husband will be the fits. in tell you. I take absolutely no responsibility for maintaining clLl'ier of our vehicles. And it doesn’t stop there â€" I take no FCipOfl- sibility for anything mechanical in our house. On the other side of the coin, I am responsible for all the grocery shopp-n; and the food preparation. We make very few attempts at tr. mg to share either of these duties equally. When it comes to other areas of our lives, are we, as mmen also proponents of the images we would prefer to see ntnish’.’ When you are asked to arrange for people to serve a unncr at church. do you immediately turn to the women's guild. ll1 ' men's group or the youth club? Be honest now. I'm sure raj. first thoughts would be to ask the women's guild. If someone is discussing their health, making metal references to their doctor. Do you ask where HE is 100ml, GI where SHE is located? When someone talks about their child’s day care worker, do you ask HER name or HIS nam ' These, I'm sure, seem like picayune examples, but I‘ll like the farther in the public meeting, one small action, thought or word can often cement the stereotype. I‘m trying to give my three year-old son a broader piwwre of what every person is capable of, It's very hard. One morning I almost choked on my com flakes when he declared that "gills don't play ice hockey". I reflected on the hockey he hm been exposed to â€" his male cousins in minor league and the National Hockey League on TV. He had come to a logical conclusion based on his infonnntion! It's difficult to combat that kind 01' logic, but it‘s important to try. I believe unless we are more aware of how the small thing! we do and say play a role in the big picture, we will lose 81%“ Of that picture all together. It‘s OK- to march on Queen's Wing that equality banner, but if you aren't living thaw belltfiv the stereotypes will live on forever. â€"â€"â€"§â€"â€"_â€"_‘_‘# 2 H & C April. May 1989