Home & Country (Fall 2007)

              Alberta Women’s Institutes
S heila Needham has been a
member of the South Bolton WI
branch in Brome County, Quebec
for over 30 years. She has enjoyed
many challenges working her way up
to be County President. She sat on the
National Board many times since 1991
and has attended National Conventions
in Victoria, Truro, Hamilton, Brandon,
Lennoxville and Red Deer. She has
also attended ACWW Conferences in
Holland, New Zealand, South Africa,
Hamilton and Tasmania. Attending
these world wide conferences opened
her eyes to the scope of the WI and its
value at every level, how it benefits
members, neighbours and the global
community. When she was approached
to be National President she could not
say ‘ no’ even though she was scared
by the idea. She has the support of
her family and friends in WI without
which she could not have thought of
being the President!
As she chairs national
meetings, visits and speaks at Provincial
Conventions she feels that she now
represents not only Quebec but all
members across the country. It is quite
a responsibility and she does not take
it lightly. She encourages anyone to
contact her. Sheila welcomes more
members and will contact each new
member with a note if their name and
address are provided. Sheila’s address
is on page 2 of this issue of Home and
Country. wi
Introducing FWIC
President Sheila
Needham
T he data base that Dr. Evelyn Ellerman ( left) and Mae Deans are creating from
the over 400 biographies contained in the AWI Books of Remembrance 1
and 2 will contain a wealth of information for genealogy and history buffs
and graduate students alike. When they are finished the Remembrance Book 3
and the Life Memberships Book more that 700 AWI members information will
be captured.
Some of the things that they already know from Book 1 are that:
a the oldest member was Mrs. Suder of Winterburn WI who lived to be
104 and had 15 children
a Winterburn WI remembered the most members
a the youngest member to be remembered died aged 34
a the women were highly educated, some had graduate degrees and more
than 40 were professionals such teachers, nurses, stenographers, and
private secretaries
a only 18 were born in Alberta after 1905
a more than 80 came from outside of Canada
a all the women were well connected to other community organizations
such as churches
a 115 women married farmers
The Assistant Curator of the Alberta Provincial Archives and the Director
of Library Studies from Athabasca University are putting together a committee so
that a collection of items will be available for researchers. These items include the
Books of Remembrance, and hand written or typed documents. These documents
can be read out loud for the visually impaired. The mobile scanning unit will go
to small communities and take photographs and scans of documents. The unit is
also interested in recording verbal history.
The Provincial Archives likes to store original documents. Cold rooms
are available for storage. Workrooms are available where groups can work.
Archive staff will show you how to prepare things for depositing and how to
catalog for AWI or personal data.
For the 2009 AWI Centenary the Archives wants to have a Centenary
presentation and display on the history of the AWI.
The test web site which will contain the AWI information is currently
under development. Colchester WI will be the liaison between the AWI and the
Archives.
This project is very valuable and essential to the preservation of our
legacy. Do you have pictures, papers or memorabilia to deposit? Please call
Claude Roberto or Wayne Murdoch at 780- 427- 1767. wi
Preserving Our AWI History
Isabelle Nash, Colchester WI member