Profile: ACWW Treasurer, Margaret Munro he Federated Women's Institutes ofOn- tario (FWIO) mission statement reads: an organization for personal growth and community action. Indeed, a perusal of Mar- garet Munro's resume reveals that the Women's Institute has not let her down. nor has she let the organization down. Margaret emigrated to Canada from Bradford. Eng- land. in I955. She joined the Glen Olgivie Branch in [957, and has since been involved in various positions at all levels - locally. provincially, federally and internationally, Margaret has held every ofï¬ce at the Branch level, and several at the District. As President of the Carleton West District. she initiated and chaired the Planning Committee for the Women‘s Institute hospitality tent at the 1983 lntemational Plowing Match. For years, she supervised the Women‘s Institute exhibits at the Central Canada Exhibition. As well as local Women's Institute work. Margaret was an elected member of the Queenswayâ€"Carleton Hospital Board for eight years. In this capacity she represented the Board on the Continuing Care Board of the Ottawa-Carleton Regional District Health Council. More recent interests have included the United Way. the Canadian Heart Foundation and the Waste Management Committee in the City of Kanata. She is also Chair of the Ladies Division of the Carp Agricultural Society, During her term as an FWIO Board Direcâ€" tor from l983 to 1986, Margaret was a member of the Finance Committee. She was the ï¬rst FWIO representative to the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and a voting dele- gate to two ACWW mini-conferences. She also participated on the Committee that made changes to the Federated Women's Institutes of Canada (FWIC) constitution. There were two reasons why Margaret wanted to become Provincial President in 1986. Firstly, she explained that the Women's Institute provided many opportu- nities for personal growth and she wanted to give something back to the organization. Secondly. she observed renewed interest in the WI in the areas where past Presidents had lived, and she wanted her area to experience this revival. At the time. Margaret lived in Carp on a dairy and cash crop farm, where she raised her two sons and daughter. Like all FWIO Presidents, Margaret was a delegate to numerous conferences, seminars and workshops, She also helped organize three provincial conferences. including the 90th Anniversary Conference in North Bay and Conference ’90 in Ottawa. 8 Home 5. Country. Summer '95 “...It doesn’t matter how different the culture or language, women all over the world have so much in common that draw them together." In l989. Margaret represented the FW'lO on the ï¬rst “All Women’s Agricultural Tour ofNicaragua." About this trip. Margaret had this to say: “I attended a meeting in a school» room constructed with hand-made blocks and no glass panes in the windows. It was situated in a settlement of corregated metal. plastic and paper shacks. where a village had been moved en masse. These people were expected to eke out a living by farming un» productive land. within two kilometers of guerilla units across the border in Honduras. Extremely young military personal sur» rounded the outside of that schoolroom. while inside. women still talked in positive terms. and most of all. they still had hope. Clearly, our problems pale in comparison.†As an exchange participant on a tour of Nebraska in 1990. she addressed the Home- makers Extension Council at their State Conference and gave numerous radio and newspaper interviews. In return, Margaret escorted a Home Extension Council member from Nebraska around Ontario. At the FWIO annual meeting in 1994. Mar- garet was elected the FWIO Executive Ofï¬cer to FWIC. Currently, she chairs the FWIC Intemational and the Public Rela- tions/Publicity Committee. Subscribe to the Federated News Margaret Munro. FWIO Executive Ofï¬cer. represents FWIO at the Feder- ated Women's Institutes of Canada (FWIC) level. At March Board, she reminded those present that the FWIC is the national link between FWIO and the federal government, which only deals with national organizations. Mar- garet challenged each Branch to subscribe to the Federated News to keep up with Institute activities across Canada. For a copy of the Federated News send a $4 cheque or money order payable to the Federated Women's Inâ€" stitutes of Canada at Suite 606, 251 'Bank St., Ottawa. Ontario. K2? 1X3. For more than a decade. Margaret has par- ticipated at Associated Country Women of the World (ACWW) conferences or meetâ€" ings as either a voting delegate, council member or workshop leader. Her involve- ment with the ï¬nances at this level began in I989 when she was elected Vice-Chair of that committee. In February. at the ACWW Conference in Christchurch. New Zealand, Margaret was elected Treasurer for the 1995- l998 triennium, the ï¬rst time a Treasurer has resided outside the UK. “Wherever I have travelled and partici- pated in women's meetings and events,“ Margaret concluded, "there is a bonding process because women have so many of th. same problems and interests. And it doesn matter how different the culture or language, women all over the world have so much in common that draw them together." Written by Janine Radars-Grant. FWIO Area Convention Dates, 1995 Triâ€"Area - North. North Central & Cochrane Temiskaming North Western Grey Bruce Guelph Simcoe Trent Valley Central Eastern Kingston South Western London Hamilton Sept. 15-17 Sept. 25â€"26 Oct. 3 Oct. 4-5 Oct. 11 Oct. 12 Oct. 13-14 Oct. 16 Oct. 17 Oct. 19 Oct. 20 Oct. 23