Institute Members Told To Look To Future

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30369, 19 February 1964, Page 2

Institute Members Told To Look To Future

“While you honour the work of early members Of your federation you cannot rest on their achievements,” said the Dominion president of Country Women’s Institutes. (Mrs E. D. Holt) at the silver jubilee celebrations of the North Canterbury Federation in the Winter Garden yesterday. Members of the federation should not look back on the last 25 years but look forward to the work they would do in the next 25 years, said Mrs Holt.

The institute was founded in Canada by Mrs A; Hoodless, who had lost a baby through an infection from milk. She did not want other women to suffer as she had done, and she saw the need for better domestic education. She began to 'address women’s organisations, and at a meeting of wives of a farmers’ institute she suggested that women should haye an institution of their own for their own benefit.

So in 1897 the first Country Women’s Institute was formed. The New Zealand institute was formed in 1921 by Miss Jerome Spencer, said Mrs Holt.

The many institutes in Canterbury were formed into a co-ordinate body, the Canterbury Federation of Country Women’s Institutes, in 1930, and in 1938, with so many more institutes being formed the boundaries were altered and the North Canterbury Federation was formed. “You must be very proud of the growth and strength of your federation,” said Mrs Holt. “I have heard it said, that the institute attracts women who have their feet firmly on the ground and their hearts in the right places.”

Nearly 300 members of the federation watched as Mrs Holt cut the three-tired, pink and white-iced jubilee cake. The top. tier of the cake was decorated with a vase of pink flowers. The vase symbolised hands joined together in friendship. The president of the federation (Mrs C. H. Bethell) welcomed the members, the Mayoress (Mrs G. Manning) and members from other organisations. A mannequin parade, compered by Mrs R. P. Johnston, showed autumn fashions for morning, afternoon and evening wear,