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"as Tyre "r", ,'" ,. , . .. . . ---e GREAT (t2ETAW21' " f 'tffl'? t. _ n omen s orgm'tl2uiiort tins mots m Stoney Creek farmhouse Museum a tewac of Women' I ti ' Y s ns 1tute i BY MARTIN STUART-HARLE q V F Special to The Globe and Mail l LT were born in the country ' come the first presid t d J t A l t are is a ood ch n V cn an ane . . l mother b'liognogoe1 at: at: ".,' oeorthefjrsylirectory ' starting ',1'feaisdevli a. gcn- . Women's Institute branch at one To avoid elitism and exclusion of _ time Erland unfair,“3 “telling by the ' l, time or another. Ifsheis currently a poorer women from the mem- generation Lee: 181m M, a fourth- _ l member, she would be among about bership, Janet suggested an annual now surroundcdnb ll? l, 1864,.and nine million women worldwide who affordable membership fee of 25 the Erland Lee h y mature pines. l belong to the WI or affiliated organ- ' c.ents. Haifa century later the tradi- as an elegant for?" will“ appears I izations, It all started in Ontario 94 tlon ormaking membership afforda- Gothic overtones :1de ' ouse with _ years ago and the Erland Lee ble for all remains Intact. The WI metres from the edn Sfllshabom 50 Museum in Stoney Creek is one of has always attracted women from a ment overlookin g; o ‘t e escarp- the legacies. '.Tectrum/orincoPe levels and mem- lington Stoney gCreggllloai, Bur- I It was a spirited speech at the t,'rosncgi)iglemtioc)t $93th in hellping Ontarid. an Lake . Ontario A ricultural Colle in . on n u etoa most T ' . . l Guelph by hrlc/,'lh7/ womang,eMrs. every local event from annual fetes puT2c21t'1heh'2nhe,ie,tiis, 'itil) Adelaide Hoodless,which sowed the and fair/ to yillage concerts and ' it has a 2'/ii2li"d,mil',1, '972 and '. _ seeds of what would become the chjtirt,s,,?arye; From time to time 2ietsiig1sie,y,1goii . _ worldwide women's organization. The WI 5 roots remain in agricul- held in the properi hm}? are s.till _ Mrs. Hoodless's speech made an im- tural communities where it was generations of Leeyd: IC .contains i pression onapublic-spirited farmer born, In Ontario, the organization - ' h . . p sessronstone Erland Lee. , remains rurally based --- although suc 1IlCrI'th‘ls the _ still-servicable Mrs. Hoodless spoke of the need there Are plans to extend branches gag}; 0;)1- igl'if china _cupboard for a women's organization in which into cities. Overseas this has already "il y amesa te.r he arrived. : farming wives could meet in a sort of happened in such countries as Brit- which: sgll1stt1ut(vTtloget'ejuiri',1nt . . , . l . l . ' ' on _ l emphasis on family and women's ho.mer.miking, over the years the WI Irie/ltr/f',', lie le, the arroy-str?.ight. V contributions. Lee was so impressed gained a reputation Is a '.'jam and _ 1:6: ow neatly across the unlined . he invited Mrs. Hoodless to address Jerusalem organization, since most p iresitt th E l d . ".' the Ladies' Night audience at the branches P small communmes ill.- it t 0t e rap Lee Muscurnis V w",, _ Saltileet Farmers' Institute near most inevitably rub shoulders with hs wo-s Prey Drive House which V -' " _ '. ' Hamilton An inspired Lee and his the local church and members are It a collation of early farm and _ _ T' _ wife Janet set about travelling the usually involved m church func- i101) Il')'; A hatch to the second i "s i T __ w, Township of Saltfleet for the next -t!o?s. The tag however may be a mgr l owed the horse-drawn sltd _ week The idea was to encoura e littleu.nrair in that theWI'sconstitte to F oisted to the second Mor In [ women to attend a formal meetin it lion aims at creating a non-sectarian 5')ng aim the buggy to be lowered. _ I S . , H ll St C k ng organization which welcomes Jews, Tf the Drive Tye for the _ “11:9; a ' oney ree on e . Muslims, Hindus or persons of any Christie .Blscu” Jar Display which l9ii l i d J L l othér persuasion. runs until May 5. Some exhibits are " _ _ . r 'ant 'Ill anet ee were dwel T The WI remainsavehicleaimed at ceramic, others glass or porcelain': 7 sMuite H0 dle C0395? spawne i. FY , enhancingthetraditionalfamilyunit and date from approximately 1830 i -.' irrsi't do" has“ ot weref "till', Id and improving skills of the home- {31:05 Included are some stunning A film e - dc wasasucccss‘u ml)“; maker and farming wife through crhgwoods. V . . . armer pro u0ing ancy airy Pr.", _ networkingsharedinformation. ese days, WI a.ct,rvitE? are not ucts'from pure Jersey cattle stock P The home of the Women's Insti- confined to domesticity. T.ra1rtion- addition to maple syrup and fruit. tute had inauspicious beginnings. ally 1tt to the land, the Institutes She had been l teacher and had - James Lee was a Loyalist with a are awar.e of global cotlcerns. For helped set "paAimie..rgart.en system _ British army background. He his V _' information about environmental for the City of Ifamilton before re- V wife Hannah, and family arrived in . ffPf,Ths, call the Federated Wont, tiring from teaching to marry Erland Saltfleet Township from Maryland _ en s Institutes of Ontario, (519) 767- In 1889. Born ttl 1862, Janet was two . in 1792. He travelled with some fur- 3510. . . _ years older than her husband, who niture and plants which still survive. There, are picnic tables in the had also been a teacher, secretary James built a log cabin from avail- museum s grounds at the rear of the and member of the Farmers' Insti- T able pine which formed the back- _ house and on a clear day the View tute for 19 years, and SaliflcetTown- bone of the house which was later " T from the escapnent is impressive. ship's clerk for. 20. At.21, “had re- added to by five generations of the _ "[th museum IS open on weekdays oxived a certificate In agriculture Lee family. James died accidentally ram to aim. to 4 p.ttl. and on Sun- l it”? the Igricujture and Arts ASSO- from a blow to the head when an axe 5 day .ar.terryo?ns from l-5 Pstto. CIattOn of Ontario. ' blade flew off its handle during the Admission Is free. It was at that Feb, 19 meeting the raising of Saltfleet’s first frame _.______._..,_ "F - _ world's first Womo's Institute was house. organized. Janet carefully penned a _ j - _ "a r _ , l draft of the bylaws and constitution , '.' '. v V _ _ _ V _ . l assisted by Erland, Senator E, D. . . ', _ T Smith and Major F. M. Carp.en.ter. , . T . _ The documents and walnut dining- - 's q ' _ _ ' room table on which they were V _ _ Tq _ drafted are to be found at the mu- - _ _ ‘ l scum. Mrs. E. D. Smith would be-