1924 - Annual Convention Report

              S ALDERTA W O M E N ' S INSTITUTES
M i s s F e r g u s o n , of the W . C . T . U . of S c o t l a n d , was g i v e n a f ew m i n u t e s o n the
p r o g r am when she t o l d of the g r o w t h of the temperance movement i n t h a t l a n d.
M r s . M a c G r e g o r S m i t h of E d m o n t o n , C o n v e n e r of the S t a n d i n g C o m m i t t ee
o n Home Economies presented her very p r a c t i c a l report w h i c h was accepted a nd
appears on page 30. T h i s was followed b y a l i t t l e p l a y e n t i t l e d " F r o m D a n g er
\ a l l e y to Safety H i l l . " This clever p l a y was staged by G r a d e I V c h i l d r e n f r om
Connaught School, under the d i r e c t i o n of M i s s L i l i a n A r c h i b a l d , M i s s Gee and
M i s s R e d m o n d and w i t h several h e a l t h songs b y M i s s E l l i o t t was a c h a r m i n g i n ­n
o v a t i o n o n o u r p r o g r am a n d p r o v e d e x c e e d i n g l y p o p u l a r . The o u t c o m e o f a series
of lessons taught i n the grade schools of C h i c a g o , the p l a y l e t i l l u s t r a t e s t h e value
of a correct diet for the c h i l d , the v a r i o u s c h a r a c t e r s being, m i l k , vegetables, v i t a -
mines, sunshine, . sleep, p l a y , etc. The chief character is t h a t of a l i t t l e g i r l who
refuses to eat the wholesome foods w h i c h make her s t r o n g a n d h a p p y , p r e f e r r i ng
sweets, coffee, etc., w i t h the result that she finds herself i n D a n g e r V a l l e y . How­ever
the K i n g of the good fairies of h e a l t h soon showed her the error of her ways
and the c l i m a x shows her p r o m i s i n g t o f o l l ow his i n s t r u c t i o n s h e n c e f o r t h a n d o n her
w a y to S a f e t y H i l l . The c h i l d r e n performed their p a r t s w i t h a q u a i n t earnestness
that was altogether d e l i g h t f u l a n d seemed to e n j o y the i n t e r l u d e q u i t e as m u c h as
the e n t h u s i a s t i c audience.
M r s . II. J . M o n t g o m e r y r e a d her r e p o r t as C o n v e n e r of t h e S t a n d i n g C o m m i t t ee
o n L e g i s l a t i o n , w h i c h was accepted. She a d v o c a t e d women b e c o m i n g f a m i l i ar
w i t h the local by- laws c o n c e r n i n g m i l k , foods, s a n i t a t i o n , etc. The f u l l report
appears o n page 31.
M a s t e r J a c k C a w s t o n d e l i g h t e d the audience w i t h three p i a n o solos, the l i t t le
l a d r e c e i v i n g a n o v a t i o n at the c l o s e o f h i s performance.
Professor A . E . O t t e w e l l of the E x t e n s i o n D e p a r t m e n t of the U n i v e r s i t y of
A l b e r t a gave an i l l u s t r a t e d l e c t u r e o n the t o p i c " A R u r a l S c h o o l t h a t C a m e i n to
I t s O w n . " Professor O t t e w e l l ' s t a l k on the p o s s i b i l i t i e s of the o n e - r o om r u r al
s c h o o l was an u n f o r g e t t a b l e one a n d the p i c t u r e s a c c o m p a n y i n g t h e l e c t u r e more
t h a n p r o v e d his s t a t e m e n t t h a t d e t e r m i n a t i o n , a n d a w i l l t o s e r v e w i l l w o r k wonders
i n t r a n s f o r m i n g the oft time d r a b and neglected o n e - r o om school i n t o the centre
of the c o m m u n i t y life. Professor O t t e w e l l who has devoted m a n y years to this
s u b j e c t believes that i n not ten per cent, of t h e r u r a l schools are t h e best r e s u l ts
b e i n g o b t a i n e d . " I don't blame the t e a c h e r s , " he said, " f o r t h e y d o n ' t get even
five per cent, co- operation f r om the p e o p l e , " " G i v e the r u r a l school a f a i r deal
a n d y o u can develop it i n t o the greatest s o c i a l i n s t i t u t i o n we h a v e t o d a y , " he c o n ­t
i n u e d .
T w o problems c o n f r o n t i n g the schools are: first, to give the A n g l o - S a x on
people on the l a n d what they require a l o n g e d u c a t i o n a l lines, a n d second, t o weld
together the f o r t y r a c i a l groups, m a n y of t h em of considerable size. T o the one-r
o om school f a l l s t h e t a s k of t u r n i n g these " f o r e i g n e r s " i n t o g o o d C a n a d i a n s . Pro­fessor
O t t e w e l l t h e n showed what h a d been a c c o m p l i s h e d b y one teacher, M r . W .
M a c A l l i s t e r of A n g l e L a k e School D i s t r i c t , t w e n t y miles n o r t h of V e r m i l i o n , in
m a k i n g his school the social a n d a t h l e t i c centre for t h e d i s t r i c t . There he t a u g ht
the foreign c h i l d r e n h o w to p l a y o r g a n i z e d games of a l l s o r t s i n t h e out- of- doors.
He demonstrated agriculture by means of the school garden, established inter­c
o m m u n i t y Sports D a y s , i n s t i t u t e d a school o r c h e s t r a a n d i n m a n y other ways,
a l l c o m p a r a t i v e l y s i m p l e — m a d e his s c h o o l t h e o u t s t a n d i n g f a c t o r i n t h e l i v e s of the
people. At the close of t h e address w h i c h c o n c l u d e d t h e a f t e r n o o n p r o g r a m , m a ny
delegates, imbued w i t h the idea of d o i n g s o m e t h i n g for the school at home, t a l k ed
w i t h Professor O t t e w e l l , a n d no doubt the e n t h u s i a sm aroused i n this course w i ll
bear good fruit d u r i n g the c o m i n g year. A h e a r t y vote of t h a n k s was tendered
Professor O t t e w e l l before the session adjourned.
E V E N I N G SESSION, W E D N E S D A Y , M A Y 2 8 t h 1924.
M r s . Beaubier a n d M r s . D . R . M c l v o r of S t e t t l e r were the p r e s i d i n g officers
at the e v e n i n g session w h i c h opened p r o m p t l y a t 8 o ' c l o c k w i t h a p e r i o d of A s s e m b l y
s i n g i n g w i t h M r s . H . J . M o n t g o m e r y of W e t a s k i w i n l e a d i n g a n d M r s . D a v i e s of
Duchess at the p i a n o . To these l a d i e s t h e C o n v e n t i o n o w e d t h a n k s for t h e i r k i n d ly
assistance w i t h the s i n g i n g t h r o u g h o u t the sessions.
A f t e r " O C a n a d a " h a d been sung H i s W o r s h i p M a y o r W e b s t e r welcomed the
delegates. He c o n g r a t u l a t e d the w o m e n on t h e i r u n f a l t e r i n g s t a n d for a l l t h a t was
l o r the betterment of the homes, for finer c i t i z e n s h i p a n d for a greater A l b e r t a.
" If there is a n y t h i n g w o r k i n g t o w a r d these ends, the W o m e n ' s I n s t i t u t e is s u r e to
be found b a c k i n g i t w i t h wholehearted z e a l , " s a i d H i s W o r s h i p , c o n c l u d i n g w i th
the hope that the d e l i b e r a t i o n s of the C o n v e n t i o n w o u l d be c r o w n e d w i t h a full
measure of success.