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' ULIL yC UPLV- In later years fifi'was added to as follows: “In the carrying on of 1any line of work which has for xts objects the uplift of the home or the betterment of conditions tsurroundqng co ty, life.” The first 1m” *Iecided to flu-P By the end of the year members had had a lecture by a graduate of a cookery schooL find the follow- ing year both monetary assistance and lectures were provided from the Ontario Department of Agricul- on “The Child in. Health gand in Disease," and there was a paper on “Women on the Farm." Fore- runner of the prement Junior-In- stitute programs was the paper given on April 27 dealing with “Home Decorations by Girls.” The original minutes, kept at Stoney Creek, have been copied at the Parliament buildings by the Women’s Institute Branch. Ontar- io Department of Agriculture. As adopted at the first meeting after organization February 25, 1897 the constitution stated the object: to be: “To promote that knowledge of household science which shall lead to improvement in household archi- tecture with special attention to home sanitation, to a better under- standing of the ecummic and hy- gienic value of foods and fuels and to a more scientific care of chil- dren with atmw to raising" the general standardfit the health of our people." ' .dh'i __ -r The met" Insfime'rlecidea to meet once a fortnight ad’subjects discussed during t _ane€t- mg had a wide ran of interest. On March 11 it was decided to conduct a questions'dfawer and papers were presented on the fol- lowing subjects: “Proper Foodie: Children,” “Art"and “God Save the Queen." Later that month Dr- Mabel Henderson gave en address Mrs. Hoodless’ aim was to give women knowledge which would help them to improve their homes and also to take away the inevit- able loneliness of isolated rural homes by providing fellowship with other women. Through their study and interest in community life they would help to raise the standard of living. _ A. _ ¢ Of the first Institute. Miss Laura Rose (later Mrs. W. F. Stephen, of Ottawa), first government lecturer and organizer for the Women’s Institutes wrote: “At first the members were diffident about tak- ...,' part in their meetings but now excellent papers are prepared and most interesting discussions take place.” She YlSitEd South Ontario WI. also and in 1900 wrote of this district: “There are now 4 or 5 branches in neighboring localities. At one place the hall was so full I could not find a chair when my address was finished.” . A second Women's Institute. known as the Women’s Institute of Southern Ontario was formed at Whitby on June 29, 1897 and it was not long before there was a third organization at Kemble, known as the Women‘s Institute of North Grey. Thesevaims were ‘well defined in the minutes of the first meeting. Quick growth of the movement in its early days was. perhaps, an omen of the way it was to bring new knowledge and happy fellowâ€" ship to women the world over. The-first Women's Institute was -. *i-‘d with Mrs. E. D. Smith,’ .11an president, and Mrs. ' ‘ honorary president. Fir ‘ known as Saltfleet Township Women‘s “Institute, it, later was called StM‘Uxe‘ek. Brit. The one man present at the. organization meeting was Erland Lee, member of the Farmer’s Institute in Salt- t‘ieet. who ’had been instrumental in having Mrs. Hoodless address a meeting of his Institute. It was at that meeting Mrs. Hoodless suggested formation of a. women's group. From that smaii beginning this rural women’s movement has spread across Canada and into England and other countries. WI. Born In Ontario Village On a February Day In I897 In 1899 Miss Laura Rose was appointed first Government lec- turer and organizer for the W0- men’s Institutes and the same year the Institutes asked the Govern- ment to make provision for scien- tific education in home-making at Guelph, This was given impetus by the success of Mrs. Hoodless in securing $200,000 from Sir William Macdonald of Montreal as a con- tribution towards Macdonald In- stitute, Guelph. ,, , _ Today Ontario Women’s Insti- tutes are contributing to an Ade- laide Hoodless Fund with an objective of $36,000 to provide scholarships to enable girls from Ontario farms to study home economics at the provincial Agriâ€" cultural College. When the Experimental Union met at Guelph in 1902 in annual session 24 Instit‘fltes were repre- sented and, the following-year the first Women’s Institute convention was held there with delegates present from the 53 Institutes, representing a membership of 6,000. By 1911 at the ninth annual con- ventyion held in Toronto, the I- stitutes had grown to 600 branches with a membership of more than 16,000 Welcoming the delegates to this convention. Mrs. A. M. Huestis of Toronto suggested that scientific knowledge of home subjects lifted the commonplace round. “When mother knows why she cares for baby and baby’s food in the most approved method. she no longer rebels over the time re- quired to sterilize milk receptacles or to persuade father that the barn needs white-washing, cement floor- ing and window space to meet health requirements and make a modern cow barn. She even re- joices that she is permitted to look into the source of water supplied to the cattle and the "-water used to boil the vessels and when an epidemc such as. typhoid strikes its deadly poison in her neighbor- hood, it will be the modern Insti- tute woman who will lead in the reform to prevent such a dire calamity happening again.” YO I Public services which have been projects of the Women’s Institutes of Ontario have included Macdon- ald Institute, medical inspection, demanding immunization, equip- ping hospitals culture through lit- ,erature, drama festivals, music in schools public speaking contests, introduction of first aid, drinking Mountains and school lunches to 'school life; fighting for the franâ€" {chise; country fairs, cemeteries, ,community halls and centres, and 'historical research. The institutes took part in the international peace {garden in 1930, and have given val~ .uable contributions in two wars. Among honored guests at the .celebration at Stoney Creek tomog- row will be the charter members of the first Women’s Institute and officers of the F.W.I.C. Mrs. G. D. Conant, of Oshawa, daughter of the first president, Mrs. E. D. Smith, will be the gueSt speaker. Other presidents have been: Mrs. C. Field Robertson, of Lanark; Mrs. W. J. Stone, of Newton Rob- inson: Mrs. A. E. Walker, of Bar- tonville; Mrs. R. B. Colloton, of Lorne Park; Mrs. T. J. McDowell, of Milverton; Mrs. Ernest Duke. of Port. Carling; Mrs. Clarence Holmes, of Belleville, and the pres- ent head, Mrs. Hugh Summers, of Fonthill, elected in 1944. Capable and gifted women have guided the work of the Women‘s Institutes oinntario since their federation in'1919. Mrs. William Todd, of Orillia, was the first pro- vincial president, and the second was a Western Ontario resident, Mrs. George Edwards, of Komoka. now of London. The first superintendent was F W. Hodson from 1897 to 1900, fol- lowed by Dr G. C. Creflman 1900 to 1904. Mr Putnam ser'Ved from 1904 to 1934 to be follow " B C. McDermand and Clarke The present , Miss Anna P. Lewis, 0 , ket (.1, Although few present institute members may remember the first superintendents of the Women's Institute Branch, Ontario Depart- ment of Agriculture, many will re- call the days when the late George Putnam came to their conventions, a lone man in the midst of hund- reds of women. But they knew he had their interests at heart and was indefatigable in giving advice and implementing their aims. This was but one of many projects which the Institutes have instigated and carried forward through the years. This year estab- lishment of school clinics, measures for the control of tuberculosis. cancer and venereal disease and immunization of children against infectious diseases are being stressed. In many districts Insti- tutes are seeing to it that school lunches are provided. This was in 1911. In the fall of 1913 the Institutes in .convention passed a resolution requesting the Department of Education to take steps for establishment of a. pro- vincial system of medical and dental inspection of school chil- dren. As this met with the appro- val of the Minister of Education, he established this work under department supervision, in co- operation with the.‘ Minister of Health. Medical clinics followed in 191_8, and later dental clinics. “If on." civic and district fathers do not know how to housekeep and we do, it is ours to point the way to the needed cleaning and to help secure a department of public health to control by preventive means all these questions of a con~ servation of life,” said Mrs. Huestis. Mrs. Huestis went on to refer to “municipal and rural housekeep- ing,” a practice which Institutes over the years have faithfully car- ried on through their welfare work and community activitlu. x4,