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10 THE REPORT OF THE No. 38 CHECKING UP. MRS. GEo. EDWARDS, KOMOKA, PRESIDENT FEDERATED WOMEN’S INSTITUTES OF ONTARIO. “But words are things, and a smalldrop of ink, falling like dew upon a thought, produces that which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think,”â€"BYRON_ Not for one moment do I expect that I have that magic power to make Even hundreds think, yet I trust perhaps a few may be inclined to think, and take an inventory of their talents and possibilities and just what part they play on the stage of life, in this old world of ours. Nations take an inventory from time to time of possessions, achievements, and possibilities. Combines, manufacturers and businessmen do the same, To me it seems good; so why not 'Woinen’s Institutes do the same? During the past quarter of a century many changes have taken place: our mode of travelling by land, sea and air, our lighting, hydro even in rural centres, wireless, radio, and I say all these things have come to us so quickly and easily that we scarcely realize how and when they did come. The whole world has changed, everything goes With sixty miles a minute pace, not the ten miles an hour which we were accustomed to in our childhood days. Even now I feel I am losing out in the race of life, because I stop long enough to look backward for a minute, and check up. I shall have to run for some time to catch up again. Among other good things that have come to us is the Women’s Institute, and it has meant so much to most of us that it is almost impossible to measure its quantity or estimate its value. Like hydro, itis many-headed and farâ€"reaching. Let us notice some of its heads. First is the home. The organizing of \Vomen’s Institutes has done so much to lessen the monotony of the endless round of every-day work to the mother, queen of the home. Women's Institutes, being non-sectarian, have brought us in touch with women of all religious denominations; this has been good for us. We have come away from narrowness; our vision has broadened. We have learned that all people who have learned the ten commandments, and have them entrenched in their hearts, make the best of mothers, best homemakers, best nation-builders, best citizens. Then we have school clubs in our Women’s Institutes. In many localities this has meant so much to the teacher as well as to the children. We help the teacher by training our children to understand that there is something better than making a livingimaking a life. To help in this, we have found that mottoes placed in convenient places in the school catch the eye of the child, stamp their message on the memory, and help very materially in making boys and girls live better lives. A motto which the late King Edward lived up to, ”Ich dien” (I serve), made him the most popular man in England. Consider also the motto of the late President Garfield, “There are some things which I am afraid to do; I am afraid to do a mean thing." The people who have influenced the world most for good have had mottoes which have served constantly to inspire them. Give a youth resolution and the alphabet,.and who shall place limits to his career? Let us always remember, what is put into the first of life is put into the whole of life. We take an interest in school fairs, in fact, in everything that will help to develop a perfect child along the lines of the four H’s,â€"the headâ€"intellectual knowledge; the heart~spiritual, God in all, and over all; the handâ€"to be useful, to work, and work is a coin that passes at par in any country in the world;