Wi

Jubilee

Anniversary

Milestones Mark
50-Year Story
Milestones down t h e 50-year b o u g h t bonds w i t h t h e money
road of t h e Alberta W o m e n ' s saved; how t h e y saved a dollar
I n s t i t u t e s indicate t h e o r g a n ­ each in C h r i s t m a s money, a n d
ization is on a broad highway sent $1,000 to sister W i s in
after s t a r t i n g down a narrow bombed areas in B r i t a i n .
p a t h , from p a s t presidents' RUSSIA, P I O N E E R I N G
Mrs. Lefsrud's description of
reminiscences a t t h e jubilee
convention meeting in Convo­ the ACWW meeting in T o r o n t o
cation Hall T h u r s d a y evening. turned then to her personal
Projects have expanded, h o r i ­ trip to Russia which she saw,
zons broadened and the or­ she said, as a pioneer country
ganization h a s repeatedly sent with the people looking ahead.
representatives to t h e conven­ Moscow she said was a fascin­
tions of the Associated Country ating metropolis. She urged t h a t
the four freedoms in t h e coven­
Women of t h e World.
T h e story told
T h u r s d a y a n t of the ACWW, freedom
evening by special speaker,. from want, freedom of thought,
Miss Isabel Noble of Wichita, speech and expression be r e ­
K a n s a s , organizer of t h e W I membered in judging Russia.
in 1909 a n d president for t h e
Milestones In h e r presidency
first eight years, was of a n e b ­ included taking u p t h e cause of
ulous beginning.
Alberta's I n d i a n s .
W I T H I N 50 T E A R S
Speaking on behalf of Mrs.
Fifty years later, Mrs. T. H. W. McGorman, R e d Deer, Mrs.
Howes, Millet, completing h e r W. M c F a r l a n e referred to es­
term as president, a t t e n d e d t h e tablishing a scholarship in
ACWW meeting in Ceylon a n d music in memory of t h e late
t h e immediate past president, Mrs. H. J. Montgomery, presi­
Mrs. S. Lefsrud, Viking, who dent from 1929 to 1933, and of
also a t t e n d e d an ACWW con­ obtaining sponsors for h a n d i ­
ference in Toronto, referred to crafts. Mrs. M c G o r m a n was a
a recent trip she m a d e to R u s ­ delegate to the ACWW confer­
sia.
ence in Copenhagen, D e n m a r k
Between t h e beginning a t during her presidency.
home a n d t h e world viewpoint,
During t h e evening Miss
t h e convention relived their J e a n e t t e MacDonall, winner of
activities in r e p o r t s of presi­ the first Montgomery scholar­
d e n t s who served during war ship, sang several selections.
years a n d depression. T h e story
Gifts were presented by Mrs.
took t h e audience on m a n y a d ­ Howes to Mrs. A. H . Rogers
v e n t u r e s along Alberta's early and to Miss MacDonall. Mrs.
highways as t h e presidents Howes also presented a life
travelled to u n i t e t h e scattered membership pin to Mrs. Per-,
b r a n c h e s of t h e WI.
guson, Trochu.
Speakers included Mrs. W.
T h e meeting concluded with
McParlane who read a r e p o r t roll call of branches and a cof­
from Mrs. A. G. McGorman, fee party at which the AWI
Penhold. president from 1R49 cut and served their annivers­
to 1953. and Airs. M. L. T h o m p ­ ary cake.
son. Lethbridge, president from
1941 to 1945.
On behalf of Mrs. Susan D.
S t e w a r t of Peace River, presi­
d e n t from 1937 to 1941, Mrs.
A. H. Rogers was t h e speaker.
Mrs. J. C. Ferguson, Trochu,
president from 1933 to 1937
also addressed t h e meeting.
T h e p a s t presidents paid
tribute to t h e tremendous a c ­
complishments of t h e late Mrs.
E. E. Morton, Vegreville, presi­
d e n t from 1945 to 1949. Mrs.
M. G. Roberts of H a n n a was
chairman.
BORROWED CONSTITUTION
Telling of t h e organization
days of t h e W I Miss Noble,
t h e special speaker said, "I
t h o u g h t constitutions were for
quarrelsome people." recalling
how a t first the W I worked on
a n adopted constitution from
w h e n she travelled south giving
demonstrations o n c a n n i n g
vegetables. I n one district the
women arrived, some two on a
horse, some carrying shoes and
S t o c k i n g s . T h i s is a poor
district, she t h o u g h t , b u t went
a h e a d w i t h her talk to a most
indifferent audience. Question
time came a n d they asked why
ahe spoke in t h a t vein when
they h a d n ' t h a d a crop in asven
years.
Nor h a d they t h e money to
pool together to buy vegetables.
Help? Send us a nurse they
urged, a n d so rural organization
was begun to supply district
nurses.
Miss Noble's talk was a gay
r e m e m b r a n c e of anecdote in
t h e early days. She also cited
distress cases where t h e W I
helped as neighbors.
W I CREED
' "sHeToIcTof how t h e creed of
t h e W I now repeated t h e world
over, was given first t o her by
a neighbor in Daysland, h e r
Alberta home, before she mov­
ed to Wichita. "I have h e a r d
t h a t creed repeated in Britain
a n d in Asia," she said.
During her term as president.
1933 to 1937 there were h a r d
t i m e s a n d poverty, Mrs. J. C.
Ferguson of T r o c h u reminded.
S h e recalled how the W I h e l p ­
ed supply layettes for m o t h e r s
in need, and referred to a visit
from Lady Tweedsmuir when a
W I library for shipping p a c k ­
ages of books to r u r a l homes
was inaugurated.
Mrs. Rogers' message from
M r s . S t e w a r t of Peace River
was a lively account of how t h e
g r a d u a t e of Glasgow University
c a m e as a bride to Peace River,
a n d took up W I work. S h e
served as AWI president from
1937 t o 1941. L a t e r h e r war ef­
fort was to work ih O t t a w a
censoring G e r m a n mail. Offered
t h e presidency of t h e F e d e r ­
ated W I of C a n a d a she r e ­
fused "because it was n o t Al­
berta's turn."
WAR SERVICE
Mrs. T h o m p s o n recalled t h e
work of t h e W I during t h e
war years; service for t h e Red
Cross, m a k i n g ditty bags for
t h « m e r c h a n t m a r i n e ; how they
cancelled a convention a n d

2Jhe lE&mnnfnn 31m
SECTION TWO

EDMONTON, ALBERTA, FRIDAY, MAY 29, 1959

NEW O F F I C E R S IN AWI — T h e con­
cluding day, Friday, of t h e Alberta Women's
Institutes' four-day convention b r o u g h t elec­
tions a t t h e m o r n i n g sessions a t Convocation
Hall. Mrs. W. R. Ford, Coutts, Alberta, pic­

tured a t centre, was elected preside
M. G. Roberts, Drumheller, left, w
vice-president a n d Mrs. J o h n Rich
Deer, secretary. — Photo by Goe;