The Story of the Alberta Women's Institute

              THE

STORY

OF

THE

ALBERTA

WOMEN'S

INSTITUTES

Wetaskiwin and Tofield. From that time on the district the Southern District has been an annual affair.
The 1921 Convention

conference

in

The 1921 convention was one of the gala events in the history of the Alberta Women's Institutes for here in Alberta, where the idea of a Dominion Federation had originated in the far-sighted brain of the Alberta Superintendent, Miss Mary MacIsaac, were gathered the Board of the F.W.I.C. Among the distinguished W.I. women present were Mrs. Arthur Murphy, Edmonton, President; Mrs. Alfred Watt, of England, a visitor from the institutes of the Motherland; Mrs. William Todd, of Ontario; Mrs. David Watt, and Miss Annie Playfair, Manitoba; Mrs. W. F. Cameron, Recording Secretary, Saskatchewan; Mrs. Laura Rose Stephen, Quebec, who was the first demonstrator ever sent out to Women's Institutes when they were organized in Ontario in 1897; Miss Abbie DeLury, Superintendent Saskatchewan Homemakers' Club; Mrs. Charles Robson, Manitoba; Miss Eliza Campbell, New Brunswick, Treasurer; Mrs. A. H. Rogers, Alberta, Corresponding Secretary; Mrs. J. F. Price, Alberta, Publicity Secretary; Mrs. Charles Macoun, Ontario; Mrs. V. S. McLaughlin, Superintendent, British Columbia Women's Institutes; Miss Isabel Noble, Alberta; Mrs. J. N. Beaubier, Alberta; Miss Mary MacIsaac, Superintendent, Alberta Women's Institutes. Most of the outside visitors took some part in the A.W.I. programme. ::\ill's.Rose Le V. Morgan at this time made her second visit to the A.W.I. on both occasions being the guest of the Department of Agriculture. Never was there such singing as led by her, never was there such a happy and friendly convention. Never before had the delegates been in residence together, old and new friends, from all parts of the province and from almost all the provinces, meeting and living together for a happy, never-to-be-forgotten week. With an enthusiastic and popular president, and an efficient superintendent, the Alberta Women's Institutes of 1921 were on top of the world. Many Changes Occur In the fall of the same year, following a change of government, the A.W.I. was awakened from its dream to face serious times. Miss Mary MacIsaac, the superintendent, was dismissed. The A.W.I. was aghast and for months had the gravest doubts as to the future. Ho\vever. Miss MacIsaac had built up such a splendid organization and had sought out and promoted so many capable women, keeping herself always in the background, that these women with Miss Bess McDermand laid their plans. In the spring, this bright and enthusiastic Assistant Superintendent was also dismissed. She was a person well qualified to carryon the work, a graduate of Moulton College, Macdonald Institute, O.A.C., Guelph, with a B.Sc. degree from Teacher's College, Columbia University, specialized in Education and Household Economics, Sociology and Household Arts. She later became Superintendent of Women's Institutes in Ontario, the banner province in W.I.
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