Westcott W.I. Branch History

              with me just a month before she died.
Over these 40 years we have gone from being gung- ho for Handicraft and Home Eco­nomics
at Conference when there were dozens of classes, to having trouble getting one item
per member. Bui for the past ten years we have had the cleanest ditches on the Westcott
Road from Vipond's to Harrison's old home, and enjoyed doing it - ( see pictures in scrap-book).
We have learned, or seen demonstrated, every kind of handicraft that has ever
become the craze. Do you remember Hodge Podge? I don't! Anyway, we saw it. We
have had plant and seed exchanges, given out mixed and everlasting flower seeds to grow
and show at our August meeting or garden tour. Do you remember the year Ethel Baudistel
gave each of us a few seeds, but wouldn't tell us what they were, " j u s t plant them in a
pot." Some never came up; mine were spindly, but somebody actually got Jerusalem
Cherries or Christmas Peppers, I forget which, by Christmas.
Just a few words about how we finance. Over the first 30 years, we were always " low
man" on the totem pole when Constituency Secretaries asked for " money earned" or " Bank
Balance." Why, when we organized, we had a bank balance of $ 0.80, which was really a
misnomer, because we didn't open an account until 16 months later with $ 9.00.
In the first 32 years we had 15 auction sales, which would net $ 20.00 in early days, to
$ 200.00 in later years. Originally we had card parties for $ 0.25 each, later $ 1.00 per per­son.
We always tried to make W. I. an organization that women could afford to belong to;
particularly during the years we were getting started farming and being hailed out regularly.
Now our Secretary, Shirley Goetjen, tells me we have the largest bank account of any of the
branches - but as the politicians say " .. that isn't our fault." We have catered to farm sales
of members when they retired, and have been paid for lunch for member's husband's
funerals. These are non- renewable resources and we better budget accordingly.
These have been a good 40 years. We have grown intellectually, made many good
friends, strived to fulfill our Creed, and worked for Home & Country.
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