The Sunshine Gals - Clue # 2

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Photographs

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Activity # 2 – ‘A Common Thread’
Photo:
The Sunshine Gals’ free spirit and imagination is captured as they proudly display their completed quilt block entitled ‘A Common Thread.’ The endless chatter and clickety clack of plastic blocks being fitted and refitted was hillarious with much laughter being shared. The quilt block is topped off with a cup of tea, in true British form.

Our Story:
The Sunshine Gals pooled their stash of LEGO and the brain-storming began. The thoughts were many and varied. We have each travelled our own paths with many experiences along life’s way.

So has WI. Women’s Institute has 125 years of experience – creating the WI crest, the motto for ‘Home and Country’, short courses teaching the many facets of raising a family in rural Ontario – quilting, bread making, landscaping, entertaining, etiquette, safe food preparation as well as catering, fundraising, recording history, leadership skills, parliamentary procedures and sharing a cup o’ tea.

W. I. is Women’s Institute, Women Involved, Women Inspired, Women Informed.
W. I. is personal growth and community action. Women’s Institute was, at one time, a once a month outing, time away from family and time with other women who shared events of the day, family concerns and community interests. It was a social time as well as learning time. Women’s Institute members got involved with government to make changes on a larger scale e.g. – wrapped bread, highway markings, voiced opinion/opposition to electoral boundary changes. They set up panels of election candidates in local settings, created ‘Agriculture in the Classroom’ kits for use in local schools and recorded community history to perpetuate who we are as the years pass. This WI project was inspired by Lady Tweedsmuir, wife of John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir who served as Canada’s 15th Governor General (1935 – 1940).

The question was asked, “Did you play with LEGO?” ‘Not me, but my children did.’ So being the techy people that we are today, we asked Google. Did you know the LEGO blocks originated in the Billund, Denmark workshop of Ole Kirk Christiansen, who began making wooden toys in 1932? In 1934 he named his company LEGO after the Danish phrase ‘leg godt’ which means “play well.” Later it was discovered that LEGO could be loosely interpreted as “I put together” or “I assemble” in Latin. LEGO produced its first plastic brick in 1949. LEGO made arrangements in 1961 – 1962 for Samsonite to begin producing and selling LEGO products in Canada, an arrangement that would continue until 1988. Samsonite was located in nearby Stratford, ON and hence many of our children received ‘LEGO kits’ for special occasions.

As the ideas flowed, the hands began ‘piecing together’ or ‘assembling’ thoughts that had been shared. The result was a quilt block celebrating 125 years of service for our family, community, country and world sisters topped with a cup o’ tea. The common thread through 125 years was a quilt and a cup o’. In today’s terms, we can say that our mental health was boosted with fellowship. In our photo you will identify ‘125’ as well as a few quilt patterns, all topped off with a cup o’ tea.

Not surprising that when you gather a group of ladies together, they take action and accomplish their objective in a surprising time-frame. Well done Sunshine Gals.
It was a time of sharing, learning (thank you Google!), creating and assembling. While recalling days/events gone by and learning from our past, we look forward to our future and how it will present itself in the days ahead.

Yours ‘For Home & Country’
Women Involved Women Inspired Women Informed
The Sunshine Gals

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