1928 - Annual Convention

              48 A L B E R T A W O M E N ' S I N S T I T U T ES
the idea of a woman " butting i n " on what they considered their heaven-given
prerogative to boss and rule the community roost. But this woman
was pleasant and patient in the face of all opposition, much of it more or
less offensive. She believed in her cause and its ultimate success. To
demonstrate the value of her idea she organized in her home city classes
for young women and older women, and these she personally superintended,
working out in them the plans she had for the larger organization. These
classes were a success and, in time, she beat down hostile criticism and
silenced it forever. Thank God, before she was called f r om her earthly
labor she had lived to see the Women's Institute cause triumph, her call
coming at a time when she was busier than ever before, planning still
greater things for the cause. I don't know of a more noble character than
that of Adelaide Hoodless; I have never known a woman who in a good
cause showed greater ability or who faced anything like the same tre­mendous
difficulties, surmounted them all and lived to see her cause triumph
in spite of them.
A n d what of the cause she espoused? What of the organization she
conceived and brought into being, recognized today by governments, com­munities
and individuals as all important? From coast to coast in Canada
Women's Institutes flourish. Over i n the homeland of B r i t a i n the idea has
spread, and we are now getting fraternal messages from the women of
England to the women of Canada through the W. I. It would be foolish to
ask whether this organization has community value, just as it would be
foolish to question its worth to the individual woman who places herself
w i t h i n its sphere of influence. Certainly no one i n this province would for
a moment suggest that we should be as well off without as w i t h the Women's
Institute. One has but to view the organization's wide zone of activities
to realize that without it l i f e for humans would be far less pleasant and the
outlook for the future far from attractive. The Women's Institute not only
gathers the women of our various communities into a f r a t e r n i z i n g organiza­tion,
which is a fine thing i n itself, but it organizes them i n a community
way for service greater and more valuable than would be possible lacking
such an organization. It enables the women of r u r a l sections of the country
to take advantage of mental and physical aids to improvement that would
not be available to them at all as individuals outside the Institute. By its
programme it spurs them into betterment activities outside their own par­t
i c u l a r households— activities which, though having community improvement
as their first consideration, react in most beneficial manner upon every
individual in the community. It is not necessary for me i n these columns
to go into detail. The A l b e r t a Farmer week by week gives its readers full
reports of the various Women's Institute locals of this province. There
you can see for yourself just what it is accomplishing for the benefit of its
members and for the betterment of l i v i n g conditions for everyone. I am
not apologizing for this extended commendation of Women's Institutes.
L o n g as it is, it is by no means long enough to give adequate treatment
to the subject. What I hope is that as a result of this imperfect endorsation
more people will be brought to a realization of the value of the W. I., and
w i l l thus come within its sphere of beneficent influence.
ADDRESS BY T H E HONORABLE GEORGE HOADLEY
It is with special pleasure that I come to meet you at your convention
this year, when you take the first step in your reconstruction work. This
morning you passed a resolution asking the government to help you with
graduated financial assistance during the next five years. As soon as this
resolution was passed, I saw the Premier, the Honorable J . E . Brownlee, and
as a result of my consultation with him I am now able to tell you that your
request has been granted, and the government will pay to your provincial
secretary- treasurer the amount of money which has been agreed upon
between the government and your advisory board. A meeting of the A l b e r ta
Women's Bureau Advisory Board was held at two o'clock, and I know that
you will appreciate their action when I tell you that they have heartily
endorsed the decision of the government to give you assistance in the f o rm
of a reconstruction fund. I think that you w i l l agree w i t h me when I say
that w i t h such hearty good- will and co- operation i n your new venture, it is a