WREATH OF REMEMBRANCE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 55, 7 March 1939, Page 2

WREATH OF REMEMBRANCE

WOMEN’S INSTITUTES' TRIBUTE. • The representative wreath of remembrance from the New Zealand Women’s Institutes commenced the | > first stage of its long journey to : Longueval, France, on Tuesday, when I i it was sent to Wellington to be on i view at the headquarters of the coun-. cil of Women's Institutes. Miss Brenda | . Hall, organiser of the forthcoming I i tour for members of the Women’s In-I stitute who are going to London to attend the conference of Associated Countrywomen in June, has written to the Mayor of Longueval, asking him to arrange for a ceremony to be held when this wreath is being laid by representatives of the New Zealand (Women’s Institute on the memorial ; there to New Zealand soldiers. i Two of the Shannon Institute mem-' : bers, Mrs. J. Aim and Miss Aim, had: ■ the honour of making this wreath and ' another Shannon member, Mrs. J. Sandison, designed and printed the card which is attached. The wreath is 24in. in diameter and is composed of preserved and everlasting flowers, 1 ferns, native grasses, etc., which were 1 sent in by Women's Institute members i from all over New Zealand. The * colour scheme is red, white and blue, rwhich are the colours of both the British Empire and the Tricolour of France. The base is formed of various kinds of fern leaves, rimu and lycopodium, with native grasses used decortively amongst the flowers. The colours are made up chiefly from thefollowing, with many other varieties of flowers included in lesser quantities: Red lacquered poppy heads, roses, ornamental Chinese gooseberries, seed pods of copper beech, white 1 roses, statice, honesty, gypsophylla, * rhodant hea, blue statice, pansies, • lavender and eryngium. Across the ; centre is a 2Bin. red satin ribbon with i the lettering in gold, "For Home and ! Country," which is also the Women’s Institute motto. Attached to the | wreath is a card Sin. by 4in., bori dered with a Maori desgn embodying | a kiwi, a Maori meeting house and, in the top centre, the Women’s Insti- | tute badge flanked with fern leaves. ' The card bears the woi/.ing, ‘‘From I the Women’s Institutes of New Zealand, in loving memory of New Zealand Soldiers We send these flowers from home.” On the reverse side is a translation in French. A large bow of red white and blue satin ribbon completes a harmonious effect. As well as contributing the /lowers to make the wreath, some members j have also sent in small amounts of . cash to defray the expenses for mai terial, packing, freight, etc., which i comes to a condsiderable amount.