FIRST PRESIDENT ELECTED.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20919, 28 July 1933, Page 3

FIRST PRESIDENT ELECTED.

FEDERATION OF WOMEN'S INSTITUTES. A PREMATURE ANNOUNCEMENT. An unfortunate but amusing incident occurred when the Dominion president of the Federation of Women's Institutes was being elected by the annual conference yesterday. The chairwoman (Miss Amy Kane) had reported the election of Mrs H. Paterson, of Pahiatua, and congratulatory speeches were being made by delegates, when suddenly a message was brought up to the platform and Miss Kane announced that the contents of only one of the four ballot boxes had been counted. There was much laughter and Mrs Paterson left the platform, but later Miss Kane was able to announce that she had been elected by a substantial majority. When the first announcement was made, Mrs Paterson came up on to the platform and expressed her deep sense of the honour that had been done her and thanked the delegates for electing her, and was then presented with a heather garland, bound with the institute colours. ~,,«• Several speakers congratulated Mrs Paterson on her election, and expressed appreciation of the work of Miss Kane as chairwoman during the last year, and Mrs Paterson also thanked Miss Kane. She had come to their aid, said Mrs Paterson, in a great crisis and by her tact and ability had ably guided the movement throughout the year. A Hurried Conference. At this moment Mrs W. Deans, president of the North Canterbury and West Coast Federation, stepped on to the platform and held a hurried conference with Miss Kane across the chairwoman's table. ; "I am awfully sorry to have to telli you," said Miss Kane to the conference. "A fearful thing has happened, ladies. They have counted only the one ballot box." There was a roar of laughter, mingled with cries of dismay and many remarks directed at the reporters' table. "We shall have to throw ourselves on the mercy of the press," said Miss Kalle - , ,_ XI. A delegate: Yes, and we hope they will remember that we have all got husbands at home. "Anyhow, I think we have proved that we do not mind who gets in," reI marked Miss Kane. An hour later, when the counting of the ballot papers had been completed, Miss Kane announced that the election of Mrs Paterson had been confirmed and, amid loud applause, Mrs Paterson again took her seat at the chairwoman's side. Mrs Paterson's Thanks. "I thank you once again," she said. "I appreciate the trust and confidence

you have shown in mean 3 I shall do) all I can to carry on as in the last year." Miss Kane said that when she had| been approached to stand she had realised that as a town woman she was not as familiar with the movement as perhaps she ought to be. She was pleased at the result as she was a very busy woman, but she wished to thank all who had supported her. She would be happy to do all she could for the institute in the future. Mrs S. Phillips, of Auckland, the third candidate, also spoke, thanking those who had supported her and promising co-operation with Mrs Paterson. She thought the institute had now got over the troubles of childhood and could go happily and successfully forward. The New President. Mrs Paterson has been a member of the Women's Institute for seven and a half years, and has been president of the Pahiatua Institute for the last three years. She is also chairwoman of the Bush group of women's institutes. She holds office in several other organisations, being women's institute representative on her local unemployment committee, honorary child welfare officer in Pahiatua, president of the Manawatu district Women's Christian Temperance Union, and a member of the central council of the Plunket society. She is the first Dominion president of the federation, since in the past the head of the organisation has always been the chairwoman of the executive committee. Executive Committee. The election of the Dominion federation executive committee resulted as follows, the names of last year's members being marked with an asterisk:— ♦Mrs J. Ayson (Warepa, Otago). ♦Mrs J. Bibby (Waipawa, Hawke's Bay). , _ .. "Mrs C. Chisnall (Woodbury, South Canterbury). . . , „ ♦Mrs W. Deans (Sheffield, North Canterbury)*

♦Miss M. Grant (Aokautere, Northern Wellington). _ _ y _ Mrs P. W. Hislop, J.P, 0.8. E. (Geraldine, South Canterbury). . , *Mrs A. Horn (Taradale, Hawkes Bay). „ _ _ , Miss A. Kane (Stoke's Valley, Wellington). „ , y _ „ Mrs A. C. McCorkindale (Chelteaham. Northern Wellington). ♦Mrs G. A. M. Mac Donald (Oran, South Canterbury). ' Mrs K. Neville (Dillon's Point, Nel-son-Marlborough). Mre Cyril Williams (Elsthorpe, Hawke's Bay). The first meeting of the new execative committee will be held at 930 this morning, at the Young Women a Cnxutian Association.