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By Viola Ashton The sevenâ€"member 2004 Provincial Conference Committee, chaired by Christine Reaburn, spent innumerable hours In meetings and communicating by phone, fax and email orchestrating the facility registration. programming entertainment, competitions, hospitality and recording, of this biennual event Congratulations fora iob well done! Friday lune ll â€" Registration was in progress and displays weir: set up Conference Ji'ili4 was finally a realityl Anyone Wishing to take part in bus tours enioyed a Visit Io Parltwood Estates, the home iii Colonel Rb’ l\’l(l_¢ll,lghllfl who was priiiminent in the development of the City ol Oshawa The .-\u'it,ii'ni,»tive Museum was another place ol interest The Presentation of Flags and the singing of O‘Canada lollivwwl the buffet dinner Viola Ashton Chair of the Central Ontario Area \VI, opened with welcoming comments and remarked that she believed the CClllltltllLL‘ would indeed live up 1U its theme and that everyone would “Learn More in 2004 “ Dr Gary Polonsl'y Pre5ident and CEO of Durham College and founding President and Vice Chancellor of Canada s newest univerSity, the Universny Lll Ontario Institute oi Tet'hnology iUOiTl. provided an overview of the new facility Greet ings were also extended from Oshaw 's Mayor lohn Gray and the Federated Womens institutes of Canada iFWICi President Margaret Yetman FWIO President Elsie Stephenson officially opened the Provmcial Conference Shecongratulate-(land made a presentation to Penage Road Women's institute President Helen Thompson: Makela for their Branch having won the Membership Recruitment Challenge by gaining IO new members A speCIal is" New Women's Institute members and guests are shown enioying a meal together at the 2004 FWIO Conference welcome was extended to two couples from Manitoba in attendance as well as seven members from the Michigan AssoCIation for Family and Community Etlutaiiuri The evening closed With three solos from former lunior Women's lnstitute Board Director Cindy Ashton, accompanied by Joyce Taylor at the piano Saturday lune II - The morning began with a short address Irom FWIO President Else Stephenson, who encouragec Branches to take every opportunity to make themselves visible in their community and In the eyes ofthe public Stephenson then announced tha Needsmuir Coordinators received the Scaclding Award of Excellence on behal ol the past and present Coordinators in Ontario (see page ID) The Educational Workshops were wel attended with two sessions being helc for some of the EDplCS After lunch, the IOth anniversary oitheYearofthe Family was recognized by the presentation 0 over 1000 kn itted orcrocheted squares to «Zvfis’eevl‘ zgfi‘liQEQ‘? I Keynote speaker Ken Knoxl former Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs in Ontario,