The Story of the Alberta Women's Institute

              THE

STORY

OF

THE

ALBERTA

WOMEN'S

INSTIT"CTES

The first minute book of the Lea Park Women's Institute was a five-cent "Eaton's Exercise Book" and in it are recorded not only upto-date programmes, discussions and demonstrations but also accounts of community activities and celebrations which were sponsored by the Lea Park W.l. Members were drawn from a wide area, from Tring, Kitscoty, Marwayne, Dewberry and Riverton. The second minute book was one obtained from Mr. George Putnam, Superintendent of Women's Institutes in Ontario. In the minutes of the meeting held in June, 1912, mention is made of a letter from Miss Roberta McAdam, of the Department of Agriculture, who was making a preliminary survey of the possibilities for Women's Institute work in the province. Miss \IcAdam requested occasional reports from Lea Park W.I. During the years from 1909 to 1912, Mrs. Graham repeatedly appealed to the Department of Agriculture for systematic organization of Women's Institutes and for some financial assistance in the form of grants for any institute so organized, as well as for literature on subjects of interest on the home, garden, and farm. Official correspondence from the Department of Agriculture makes mention of an institute at Streamstown in 1911, this being an organization which had its roots in the Lea Park W.I. but evidently it did not long survive the hardships and disappointments of those early days. The Lea Park W.I. although so isolated, carried on a splendid work during the years 1909 to 1914. holding meetings at the same time as the United Farmers of Alberta so the \vomen might come to the meeting place along with the men and so make travelling easier. Many joint meetings were held and eventually, in the early part of 1914 the Lea Park Women's Institute merged with the United Farmers of Alberta and so this fine group of women in the pioneer institute was lost to Alberta Women's Institutes which were provincially organized in February, 1915. W.I. Superintendent Appointed In the early fall of 1912, Miss Georgina G. Stiven, a graduate of household science from Guelph Agricultural College, was appointed Superintendent of Women's Institutes. As early as 1909 demonstrations trains went through the province giving lectures to the farmers and Miss Nora Trench and Miss Roberta McAdam spoke on foods and cookery. In 1912-13 the "Mixed Farming Special" included not only demonstrations but lectures on Women's Institute work and a number of branches were organized by Miss McAdam and Miss Stiven. A large portion of these lived and flourished but others died as there was no follow-up work at that time, In the same year, provision was made by the Legislature for the payment of an annual grant of five dollars to each Women's Institute in the province that had at least twenty paid-up members and had duly sent to the Department of Agriculture reports of at least three meetings during the year. For Institutes the year qualified Government Grants ending December 1912, the following Women's to receive the government grant: Cardston with
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