WOMEN’S INSTITUTES

Grey River Argus, 28 April 1942, Page 3

WOMEN’S INSTITUTES

ORIGIN, GROWTH, AND WORK ACCOMPLISHED.

The Dominion President of the N. Zealand Women’s Institutes, Miss Kane, in her address to the West Coast Federation of _ Institutes, said: In this year Women’s Institutes in New Zealand have completed 21 years of effort. Have we been a Dead Sea or a Sea of Galilee? The Dead Sea has an inlet, but no outlet, it receives but it does not give, no fish live in its waters, no vegetation surrounds its shores, no birds sing there; the Sea of Galilee is fed from the source, its waters are full of fish, trees and flowers are all around it, and the birds sing there all day long, the reason is this, it has both an outlet and an inlet, it gives as well as receives. It sometimes icomes to us as a great surprise, that small events, can become a force for good or all with the passage of time. One such happening occurred many years ago, in 1897. A young mother sat feeding her babe, a lively little fellow, just old enough to reach up his chubby little hands to grasp the bottle, and, making plans for his future she little dreamed that she was to lose him so soon; the milk she was then giving him was to cause him severe pain, which she in her ignorance was unable to relieve. If only she had some older, more experienced mother to advise her, but isolation in the backblocks was so complete that no help could come to her in time, and so the wee man passed on and left an aching void. This mother made up her mind to find some way in which other mothers, placed as she had been should have some way of meeting other women and exchanging helpful information. She knew that the farmers round about had a club, where they met in town on market days and discussed their problems, and she determined to try to form a club wherein the women could also meet when they went to tbwn with their husbands; and after some setbacks she finally succeeded in starting .the first Women’s Institute. This was opened at Stonej 7 Creek in Ontario, Canada. Thus Mrs. Hoodlas has given to country women all over the world a moevment that had an uplifting Influence. In 1915, the first Women’s Institute was opened in Great Britain in a. small town in Wales with a very long name, but called Llanfair P.G. and by the end to 1930 there were 4654 Women’s Institutes in Britain, and the circulation of “Home and Country” was 62,095 ( . tn the- beginning of 1931 the Treasury had placed at the disposal of the National Council of Social Service £25,000 as a loan for erection and extending village halls to accommodate Women’s Institutes and Young 1 Farmers’ Clubs, free of interest for five years. In 1921, Miss Jerome Spencer, daughter of a' well known Hawkes Bay doctor, who was doing war work .in England, brought home with her the good news of the work being done by Women’s Institutes m Britain, and keenly desired her people in New Zealand to share in this wonderful thing. After the preliminary spade work she had the lay of seeing the first W.I. brought into being at Rissington in Hawkes Bay, at a very enthusiastic meeting, since when the Institutes have made great progress. In 1925 the first Federation was formed in Hawkes Bay, out this was to.o good a thing to be kept in part of New Zealand and with its spread more Federations were formed, and in 1930 the first Dominion Conference was held, and its great success demonstrated the sure progress the movement had made. The Governor, Lord Bledisloe and Lady Bledisloe attended, and iin his delightful speech, his Excellency, when speaking of handicrafts, said: Do not let” us encourage the making of rubbish, even if the material before conversion answers that description. Let the product, however humble t-e of real utility and of permanent value. His advice has never been forgotten, as our exhibition displays have so often proved. Many good women have given their best efforts for the work ol the W.1., and have found the greatest pleasure in the growth of the activities of the Institutes. There are at present in New Zealand, 42 Federa<tions and 919 Institutes, and nearly 40,000 members ,all working as one big co-ordinating body for the improvement of country life and for home and country. The list of successful efforts 's something to wonder at, and to he very proud of, Women’s Institutes have approached 'the Government regarding maternity services, raising of marriage age, better films, dental treatment for children;, homes tor backward children, rest homes tor country districts, women jurors, women on Legislative Council, travel facilities for outlying districts, hydatids disease, planting native trees, and the preservation of bush, and the need for cupons for the distribution of stockings. Women’s Institutes have representation on the Standards Ins. committee, W.W.S.A. Adult Education, Patriotic Committee and Lady Galway Guilds. Many W.I. members topped the polls at last local body elections. W.l.’s were instrumental in starting Group Travel. At the Centennial Exhibition they sponsored a wonderful display of women’s work. Of our publications, “Tales of Pioneer Women” over 5,000 copies were sold, and our best seller, “Cookery Book” over 40,000 were sold. Our Journal “Home and Country” started by Miss Jerome Spencer as a quarterly letter to the Institutes, soon had to be printed as it became a big job and has been printed regularly every month since 1926. This journal has grown with out growth find is a' most useful and enjoyable messenger, delivered early each month. May it long continue. Early in the present War, W.l.’s undertook to provide 2,500 soldiers’ parcels every quarter. They have done the job faithfully, and they still continue, either in kind or money. Many are the grateful let'ters received from soldiers, jailors and airmen, who appreciate the parcels so much. . Institutes have also made it their job to provide parties for soldiers leaving the various districts for molb’ililsation camps. Where there 1 are Institutes adjacent to military camps, members help to serve in the canteens. Foodstuffs and special delicacies are also sent in by country members t 0 soldiers service clubs m the main centres. At Xmas their contributions played an important part on the festive menu. Members are very welcome at the different camps where they attend regularly to mend and darn, and make repairs to soldiers’ clothes, and now and then to provide entertainments. Recently when a' number of girls were in camp preparatory to going over seas, the W.W.S.A. were asked to supply volunteers to look after their mess, cooking and serving meals. It was done by 24 women, 8 of whom lived nearby, so they came in during the dav only, the rest lived in camp. It needs no comment when I tell YOU that most of the dailies were W.I. members, all with homes oi their own, but giving part time service all the same. , , One thousand five huncired pounds which was saved when it was decided not to hold the usual Conference I was freely given for war purposes, and a further £550 which could not be given awav, as it was an endowment Trust Fund, was loaned to the Government free of interest for the

duration. This money had been contributed by members for an endowment fund at £5 each, as a mark of their appreciation of the work of he movement. The Institutes are knitting hard for the Merchant Service, each W.I. undertaking t o make at least one polo-necked pullover, which makes a grand total of 900. O*P one of our Institutes, a member, Mrs Booth, has knitted over a dozen of 'these garments, each one taking 18 skeins of wool. Some are knitting from woolprovided by the Patriotic Council these provide their own. Thousands of garments are knitted by oui' members for 'the three services, and now our members are turning their hands to spinning from the fleece, more than 150 “Homecraft” spinning wheels at 58/_ each have been sold for this purpose. Garments already knitted from the fleece include seaboot stockings, balaclavas, mjttens, sox, scarves, caps and pullovers. Canterbury members under the able guidance of Mr. W. S. Deans have made up one thousand sheepskin jackets for Merchant seamen, \very stitch put in by hand. Lady GNlway Guilds received at least one nevK garment per member, which meanC. between 30 and 40 'thousand articles. A waste metal drive by Canterbury members with horses, and drays resulted in 500 tons being collected. Camourflage nets are being made by members, and In the north) Maori members are making these from flax. Papier mache splints and bowls are being made in large quantities for emergency hospitals. A grant of £6OO was received' for adult education, which is administered by a co-ordinating committee, from W.I. and, W.D. which employs tutors in dressmaking, handir aftis, iardenling, food preservation, and drama. In Maori development, through a grant from the Health Department such good work has been done in forming Maori Institutes in the far north. These Institutes are doing splendid work for our movement and the' war effort. And after this survey we come to the present day. We are now 21, and I hope you will all' be present When we are 21 again.