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The above photograph was taken in the early years of Birr Women's Institute, which today is 35 years old. Shown in the picture are: Front row, left to right, Mrs. Harold Hodgins, formerly Miss Avice Scott, now the only charter member of the institute; Miss Ethel " Robson, one of the early presidents; Miss Becca Hobbs, first secre- ':ftary; Mrs. Joseph Mulligan, the late Mrs. Angus Ferguson, Mrs. in 1946 Eirr Women's institute EarithayS of District 9W. BMW/ll In the early years before the First, Great War, the work of Birr W.I. was chiefly charitable and local community improvement pro- jects. During the war many knitted articles were supplied to the Red Cross. Boxes were sent overseas to local boys and considerable sums of money were raised to aid Red Cross work. T _ By Jennie Itayerott Lewis Thicey-five years ago today (April 16, 1911) about a dozen women of North London Township, dressed in their fashionably long dresses and coats with their pic- turesque hats, drove with horses and buggies to the home of Miss Irene Guest on the Proof Line road. Miss Guest (new Mrs. Earl Ihtose, of Toronto) had worked with great enthusiasm for some months previously, spreading the gospel of the Women's Institutes, telling everyone the benefit they could be to a community and to Canada as a whole. So at this his- toric meeting a branch of the Women's Institute which was in the future to be known as the Birr Women's Institute, was organized. Miss Irene Guest was appointed as temporary president, but at the next meeting the late Mrs. T. J. Scott accepted the office for the remainder of the year. Miss Becca Hobbs was elected secretary and Miss Caroline Coleman (now Mrs. Victor Pauncey) was elected trea- surer. , Since that time this organize- tion has had its up’s and down's, its times of exultation and depress- sion, its periods of joy and 501-- row, but through all the years there has been a trend towards expansion both in membership and scope of activity. Birr WI. began with a membership of 12, but in 1922-23 the membership was over 60. h 35 Ye Through The Years With Birr W.I. etlt's of Age Today Victor Jauncey, formerly Miss Caroline Coleman, first treasurer; the late Miss Margaret C)'Neil, Mrs. Earl Grose, formerly Miss Irene Guest, by whose effort the Birr WI. was organized; the late Mrs. F. J. Scott, first president. In the back row, centre, are Mrs. Sherman Needham, formerly Miss Gertie Stevens, and Mrs. Jacob Brumwell. After the war, the spirit of help- ing others continued. Money was donated to the Byron Sanitarium. In the War Memorial Children's Hospital there is a cot endowed by Birlw WI. Each year gifts of mon- ey, toys, and home canned fruit is given to the patients in that hospital. Among the outstanding projects undertaken by these energetic and l ambitious women are, the improve- I ment of local cemeteries, the sup-l, plying of first aid kits to the' schools of the district, providing grants for school fairs, public speaking contests, Federation of Agriculture, making substantial donations to the National Institute of the Blind and giving financial aid to local needy families. When war broke out again in 1939 these patriotic, women res- ponded to the call for knitting, sewing, and the making of quilts. In 1942 the institute raised $105 as its share of the Middlesex mobile canteen which was pressed into service for the troops passing through Eastern coastal towns. Also as a war-time project. Birr W.1. did its "bit" in sending jam to Britain to be used in hospitals, army camps, or Red Cross canteens. Wings, u. A.p_-b.» mew _e_e"ee_ie"ee_'""e. For: many years Birr WI. has) appointed a sunshine committee. It is the duty of this committee to provide flowers or fruit or cards to the shut-ins and to the mother of a new baby a bouquet of roses is sent. The thrifty custom. of pre- senting a bank book to each new baby has been followed down through the years. Much of the credit for the suc- cess of these ventures is due to the efficiency of its officers to- gether with the co-operation of the members of the institute and the splendid support. of the people of the community. .. _ Today we stand on the threshold of a new .era. We take courage from the successes of the past and press forward in future service “For Home and Country." war, the spirit of help-