1928 - Annual Convention

              F O U R T E E N T H A N N U A L C O N V E N T I ON 43
t i o n and by- laws for the local and provincial clubs. They are now ready and
can be had on application to the Home Bureau office.
We have a new uniform— white middy blouse, trimmed w i t h green braid
and a green tie, our club colors, w i t h a blue serge skirt. This received the
approval of all the girls at the contests where it was demonstrated. The
Emery Company of Edmonton are giving a u n i f o rm to each of the members
of the winning team to wear to Toronto.
I attended the district conferences at Lethbridge, Stettler and Edmonton,
at each place hearing interesting reports on G i r l s ' Club work. P a r t i c u l a r l y in
the southern part of the province the bond between the Women's Institute
and Women's Institute Girls' Clubs is very strong.
Our activities are reported in the Lethbridge, Calgary and Edmonton
papers by Jean Blewett, who is f i l l i n g out the unexpired term of our pub­l
i c i t y convener, Gladys Ricker, who has left the province.
Each month on the first Monday I have talked over C . K . U . A . to the girls.
One month I heard from 12 clubs that they were " listening i n . "
A t the G. C. convention i n Banff the girls voted to go to Jasper Park
f o r their 1928 convention.
As no definite information about financial assistance for this convention
was secured u n t i l May 21st, letters to the secretary of the G. C. could not be
sent before this date. Immediately after this date I took the question of
camping facilities up with the Y . W . C . A . camp officials, and found that the
accommodation was not satisfactory. At the meeting of the advisory board
of the A . W . I . , held i n Calgary M a y 28th, they decided to advise the executive
of the Girls' Clubs to cancel their convention this year.
REPORT OF T H E WOMEN'S HOME BUREAU SERVICE
( B y Jessie C. Macmillan, Director)
The work of the Women's Home Bureau Service branch was seriously
interrupted i n the f a l l of 1927, on account of the severe weather conditions
and the outbreak of infantile paralysis.
Notwithstanding these unfavourable circumstances, 247 short courses
were held d u r i n g the year; 150 of these courses were held under the auspices
of the Women's Institutes, 4 j o i n t l y by the Women's Institutes and the
U n i t e d F a rm Women of A l b e r t a , 6 j o i n t l y by the Women's Institutes and
the Women's Institutes Girls' Clubs, 12 were applied for and given to the
Women's Institute Girls' Clubs. Total attendance at all short courses, 17,229.
Returns have been received f r om 136 Institutes. The income of these
amounts to $ 35,285, g i v i n g an average of $ 260 per Institute. Up to date
you have 318 branches.
Y o u r organization held 38 constituency conferences, with a total attend­ance
of 2,000; also two district conferences.
Twenty- three short courses and 7 demonstration lectures were given
under the heading of foods, cooking and household administration. Every
day we hear and read about diet, what to eat, and what to avoid eating.
The interest shown i n foods i n their relationship to health and body- building
value is on the increase. We are beginning i n a small way to realize the
importance of diet in the relationship to health and disease. The bureau
issues an excellent bulletin on diet for use i n cases of constipation and for
the prevention o f this condition.
Sewing courses have been held for three and five days. In these every
type of work has been covered from the simplest garment to tailored coats
and suits.
M i l l i n e r y courses have been held for three and five days. Along with
the making of hats, demonstrations have been given i n the making of flowers
and trimmings.
Basketry courses have been held for three and five days. The type of
work done under this heading is changing rapidly, and w i l l continue to do so.
Pieces of small furniture, such as ferneries, tables, etc., are being made
successfully.
R a f f i a work in its many forms is being carried on and is extensively
used i n a variety of ways.