WOMEN'S INSTITUTES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 124, 24 April 1940, Page 12

WOMEN'S INSTITUTES.

MANAWATU FEDERATION. ANNUAL COUNCIL MEETING. There was a large attendance of delegates at the annual council meeting of the Manawatu Federation of Women's Institutes, held at Foxton yesterday, Miss Grant presiding. Members of the executive present were Mesdames Waring Taylor and J. j Easton (Shannon), T. D. Lynch (Linton), D. Scott (Aokautere), A. Brill (Tiritea), E. Titcombe (Foxton), W. Churchill and T. Collins (Rongotea). Apologies lor absence were received from Mesdames E. A. Shaw (Newbury), J. Symonds (Foxton) and H- V. Caverhill (Rongotea). Mesdames Waring Taylor and Lynch greeted the delegates at the door and Mrs J. R. Middleton, president of the Foxton Institute, extended a warm welcome. Greetings were received from Mrs H. Paterson (Pahiatua) and the president added her welcome on behali of the executive. . Mesdames W. G. Short (president of the Oroua Federation), N. Barmcoat, A.. McCorkindale and A. K. Drew, members of the Oroua executive, were also greeted later in the day. Members stood a moment in silence in sympathy with Mrs F. Hutchinson, of Rissington, a pioneer member of the Institute movement in New Zealand who recently lost her husband The report (previously published) was presented bv the secretary (Mrs Collins), the president moving its adoption and traversing the main activities during the past six months btie thanked the executive and particularly Mesdames Collins and Caverhill (secretary and treasurer) for their assistance. The motion was seconded by Mrs Titcombe and carried. The financial statement was presented bv Mrs Collins (in the absence of Mrs Caverhill) and disclosed a gratifying position. Mrs Poananga. president of the K?"whata. Institute, read her report, which had been adjudged the best for the previous period, and received as a trophy an institute spoon. _ Mrs Waring Taylor took the chair for the election of president and announced that, Mrs T. Lynch having withdrawn her nomination, Miss Grant would continue in office meantime. Messrs M. E. Perreau and J. S. Hornblow acted as scrutineers for the election of the executive, for which there were twenty nominations. The meeting decided in favour of reducing the number to nine' as a war-time economy. The result of the election was announced as follows Mesdames \\. Churchill. H. V. Caverhill. T. Collins (Rongotea), E. Dymock (Milson), J. A. Easton (Shannon), T. Lynch (Linton), McLclland (Kairanga.), D. Scott (Aokautere), Waring Taylor (Shannon). Shoulder spravs which had been made by Foxton members were presented to the executive members, and on behalf of the Foxton Institute Mrs Midoleton presented the president with a pine needle basket made by Mrs Procter and filled with fruit. AVORK OF THE ORGANISATION. Dr. Platts-Mills, of Foxton, gave an address in which she stated, tnat, returning to New Zealand some years ago, sue bad been greatly impressed with the good work of the institutes, particularly away in the- backblocks where it was so valuable for the women to have a centre at which to meet. She put in a plea for co-opera-tion in an endeavour to bring about something more advanced in the matter of teaching the facts of life to the growing generation. The education or the child to respect itself and to bring it to a realisation that its behaviour would have an effect on it all the rest of its Hie couid not begin too early. Thus equipped in. its early years the child would have an armour plating that would never rust. If anything worth while were to be done it would only be bv the support of the parents and the encouragement of the teachers. Mrs Churchill expressed thanks to the speaker, who was also presented with a shoulder spray. In recognition of their years of service to the North Wellington Federation as secretary and treasurer respectivclv, Mrs W. G. Short and Mrs H. Baniicoat were presented with gold service badges, the president/paying a bigh tribute to their work. Bouquets which had been made by Mrs D. fcfcott were also presented to these ladies. The Foxton glee singers entertained members, as also did. Mesdames 11. \ird (Rongotea) and Walker (Kauwhata), Mesdames Churchill and Poananga playing the aecompamments. The roll call was answered by the following institutes : Aokautere, Ashhurst, Bunnythorpe, Carnarvon, l<oxton, Glen Oroua, Kairanga, Kauwhata, Kopane, Kelvin Grove, Linton, Longburn, Milson, Newbury, Oroua Downs, Opiki, Rongotea, Rangiotu Shannon, Tokomaru, le Arakura, Tiakitahuna, Tiritea and Whakarongo. It was stated that the federation had sent away 65 parcels of soldiers' comforts. , „ ~ Mrs D. Scott spoke of the coming drama festival urging teams to make ready as soon as possible and. also solicited support for the Centennial festival for which the Manawatu area would be responsible. _ ',.,.... The next show exhibit, which it is hoped will bo of dried and preserved fruits and vegetables, was discussed, also the possible extension of war work. . ' ... Approval was given to the recommendation to headquarters that the biennial conference be postponed this year the money from the pool to be donated to the Government for some patriotic purpose. BUSH FEDERATION. GATHERING AT WOODVILLE. All but foil J* of the institutes due to be represented at the annual council meeting of the Bush District Federation, held in Woodville yesterday, answered to the roll-call. The chair was occupied by the president (Mrs C. Jennings). A welcome was extended by the Mavor of Woodville (Mr R. R. Johnston) who submitted an apology for Mrs Johnston's absence and said that the good work of the institutes was appreciated both during peace and war. He expressed the wish that the meeting would be both happy and profitable. Mrs B. H. Norman extended thanks to Mr Johnston. Welcomes were also extended by Mrs N -.M. Burnett and Mrs Jennings, and the president, secretary (Mrs R. C. Austin) and members of the executive were presented with shoulder sprays. Mrs Jennings said that people needed expressions of fellowship at the present difficult time. If there were more fellowship expressed throughout the world it would be a far happier place in which to live. The report nnd balance-sheet were presented and adopted, the latter showing a balance of £2O 4s Gd. The report' stated: Much to our regret Mrs T. Clarke, of Pahiatua. tendered her resignation in December last, owing to the transfer of her husband

to' Miramar. This was a distinct loss to the whole federation as Mrs Clarke had done so much for drama. Mrs R. Kelso has resigned irom the office of Dominion organiser. The institutes in this area have two important events with which to remember Mrs Kelso; the formation of the Bush-Wairarapa Federation, and the formation of the Wairarapa Federation, as she conducted both of these. It has been thought advisable to postpone for one I year the drama, music and folk-dancing l festival. Our institutes were pleased when the instructions came from Wellington as to the packing of soldiers’ parcels, for all members were anxious for some definite job to be allotted to them. The first consignment has already been despatched. Before long it will possibly not be an easy matter to obtain demonstrators, and then members may not feel inclined to do the work that was demonstrated, so our president obtained from the St. John Ambulance Association a very clear list of articles that can bo made during a period of an institute meeting. With well over seven hundred members in this federation all doing this work for, say, half an hour each month, the total will be a considerable contribution of bandages, ditty bags, hot water bottle covers, etc. to the Order of St. John Women's War Committee. In the federation wherever Centennial celebrations have been held, our institutes have taken their full share of paying tribute to our pioneers. The financial statement to be presented by our hon. treasurer (Mrs Nixon) is a most comprehensive one and an indication of our work and interests, and is a tribute to the painstaking work of the officer who has charge of our finances.

A suggestion was advanced from the Kaiparoro Institute that the school holidays should be altered to fall in June in place of May and a general discussion followed, the matter not being brought forward as a remit. At the close of the discussion the president suggested that if the Kaiparoro Institute members wished to pursue the matter they might bring it forward for tlie half-yearly conference in the form of a remit. The president suggested also that the guiding thought in consideration of the subject should be the interests of the children, apart from those of the adults. ■" ,

A ' competition for the Fighting Forces Overseas Fund was held. Mrs W. R. Coulter submitted a report on the last Dominion Council .meeting in Wellington. Mrs S. J. Hobbs spoke of patriotic work, giving many liints on how to make various articles. Mrs H. Paterson, gave an interesting review of war conditions in Great Britain, touching on the greater organisation apparent than'was the ease in 1914 and how the women had undertaken various war duties immediately on the outbreak of hostilities. It made one proud, she commented, to see what the women were doing on “the home front.’ Thanks were expressed to Mrs Paterson by Mrs Nixon. OFFICERS ELECTED. Mrs N. M. Burnett was elected president lor the ensuing year, unopposed, and the election of the committee resulted : . Mesdames Burnett (Woodville). W. It. Coulter (Ngawapurua), J. Dick (Hastwells), S. J. Hobbs (Hanma), J. McAnulty (Kaiparoro), W. H. Nixon (Woodville), B. H. Norman (Kumeroa-Hopelands), F. H. Sehormann (Eketahuna), L. Wen ham (Hukanui) and T. A. Weston (Alfredton). -- Musical items were presented by the glee club of the Woodville Institute* and were greatly enjoyed. In recognition of her work as secretary since 1931, Mrs Austin was presented with a purse, there being in it contributions from each of the institutes in the federation. Mrs Austin is not continuing in the position. Her work was lauded by Mesdames Jennings (the retiring president), Paterson (who made the presentation), Burnett and Nixon. Complimentary reference was also made to Mrs Jenning s accomplishments during her term of the presidency. Votes of thanks were accorded the hostess institutes (Woodville, Ngawapurua and Hopelandp), the Woodville Institute’s glee club, Mrs W. Twentyman (who was the accompanist for the day), the tellers and those who had made posies.