On Your Behalf a. ' AS? we a T his is certainly a wonderful time of year when we greet warmer weather. more By Dianne Orr sunshine and the spring flowers. showing us that. OnCe again, Mother Nature is a mighty force. It is also a great time for everyone to get outside and do their “Women Walking for WI“ hours. This Provincial Project was initiated at last fall's Area Conventions. I know that most ofyou will feel energized once you get into a regular routine of walking! Exciting announcements were made at the Federated Women‘s Institutes of Ontario tFWlO) Annual Meeting in January. I had the honour of accepting a $221600 Ontario Trillium Foundation grant from Sirncoe North MPP Garfield Dunlop. The money \Vlll allow FWIO io Qplement the “ROSES Arc Blooming“ pansion Project, a two, ir plan to en- hance and ensure the sustainability ol' the ROSE (rural Ontario sharing education) Program. The goal is to expand upon the Program's current locus of health to in- clude a variety of topics. Eight additional partnerships with various healtli-socrul service organizations will he established. The Erland Lee (Museum) Home is now classiï¬ed as a National Historic Site. This will definitely raise the profile of our provincially owned Museum Home among the general public. as well as our own members. Thank you to Michael Gemmell, Curator of the Lee Home. for all his hard work preparing the necessary documents to obtain this prestigious status. Your response in 2002 to the Focus High fur WI was overwhelming! Thank you to all who donated to the Operating Fund at the Provincial Office. Fucirx Higliflar W] in 2003 is already doing well and we are looking forward to presenting a cheque to FWIC at the national convention in l.enno\\'i|le. Quebec. in June. The money raised is for the Adelaide Hunter Hoodless Homestead Upkeep liund. The Johnson Insurance Company circu- lated their information package through a trialling in January to all Women‘s Insti- tute members in Oman io. We hope that you look the time to read the brochure and the accompanying letter. 'l'liis is a new pro]ch for all ol' us and does not require any corri- iiiitiiieiit ll't‘l'l'l l‘WlU or members. But ll does give you an opportunity to I'cad \i-hat .lttllllsttll Incorporated has to otter us and other organizations. I’lcasc rctcr to the l’rcsidcnt's‘ Penniaii~ ship Challenge on page 2 ol' this issuc. II is open to niemhers 7U ycarsol age and older The 4'“ Line Theatre has reniounted the production For Home and Country written by Leanna Brodie. It will be staged fortwo weeks in August 2003. For information from the Theatre Company phone [-800- 814-0055. For those who will be putting together bus tours to the Kau‘artha Lakes area. you may contact the local tour comâ€" pany Out and About Tours. Unit 24. Int East St., Bohcaygcon ON KllM IAO. Their toll t’rcc number is [hobâ€"5387472, ask for Wendy Smith and tell her you are from the WI [to you have new members who have recently |oiiicd your Ri'iinch'.’ A special \t.i_v to \iclt‘oliic that llL‘\\ person is to present them \\ itti agitt ol the history book For Ilrtltit‘ rl/lrl ("r-itrIr/‘i‘. Sciitl l'or your copy lroiii tlic l'WVlO Provincial ()l'l'icc \vliile s‘Lipplics‘ last [ look loi‘iviiitl to meeting iiiany ol you this _\car‘ as you cclchl'atc special occasions such .is llltlâ€' .iniii\crs'.irics {\llti \ihilc our l|\'t'\ tend to hc hectic, rciiiciiihci this iiiic ll'ttlll tlic Mai) Stcnai‘t ('ollcct “l.ct us take lliltc lrii .ill things; make its grow calm. \L'I'L‘IIL‘. gentle." On your hcliall'. I’Illllllt' (111' Drama: Orr H {ltt' I'rr-wrerir or the roilttrrilrvrl Women'x lnstitutes offlrrrarm Slit) lrlll be reached at It}? I, Form UN N06 1N0, Slq RIIR tixlIlO, Fax Er l'J ï¬rm-3476. [mull orriA/tiytriilriwnirirr rir‘I Plior‘lt- Increasing Awareness of the WI and its programs Annette Robertson. last Spring, I attended my lirst Russell District Women's Institute (WI) Meeting along With several members ot my own Russell Villarir-z WI Alter ltSanlntj lo the many ways to improve awareness oi the Women‘s lristitiito in our Village. we were inspired So. we listened. we learned and we aclod' We already had one Sign at one entrance to our Village. but now there are three' We also had a "Russell Village Women's Institute Welcomes You“ sign made lnr use at the various events we host. The WI crest was incorporated to lEltTlIIlEttlZl? the public With our logo But we did not stop there; we made- royal blue bib aprons and sewed the togo on the trout. We wear these aprons to our lunctions to advertise the WI‘ while adding a look at prolessmnalism to our group The apron IS neat. tidy. attractive and qurte tunctional as well To date, we have worn them at the Blood Donor Clinic, which we host. and at our Tea Room at the Russell Farr Thanks lor inspiring us! These Wt recognition protects wrll last tor many years and Will hopelully entice new enrolment through fresh awareness at theWomen's Institute gllbmlllud lily Ji‘rali Willlmn', RUb‘iltll Villriqu WI Russell From left to right In the photograph are Leny Herwayer, Mary Inglis, Jean Wllllarns and Home 8. Country, Spring 2003 3