1924 - Annual Convention Report

              T E N T H A N N U A L C O N V E N T I ON 17
P R E S E N T CONDITIONS.
F r o m i n f o r m a t i o n gleaned f r om e v e r y possible source, m o n t h l y reports, the
d a i l y press, c o n s t i t u e n c y Conferences and the S o u t h e r n D i s t r i c t Conference, I am
l e d to believe t h a t our o r g a n i z a t i o n is i n s p l e n d i d c o n d i t i o n , t h o u g h our member­s
h i p has been depleted b y m a n y of our women l e a v i n g t h e P r o v i n c e . Everywhere
there has been evidenced t h e desire t o c o n t r i b u t e o n l y w h a t is w o r t h w h i l e a n d to
e l i m i n a t e a l l t h a t is p e t t y a n d unnecessary. -
P e r f e c t i o n has not been a c h i e v e d but m a n y steps f o r w a r d have been taken
a n d m u c h experience gained. P a r t i c u l a r l y h a s the s p i r i t of h a r m o n y p r e v a i l e d and
t h e desire to s i n k personal prejudices a n d o p i n i o n s i n t h e larger good of t h e whole.
T h e S o u t h e r n D i s t r i c t Conference was a r e a l i n s p i r a t i o n , and the P r o v i n c i al
P r e s i d e n t received great encouragement from the reports of the Branches, the
v i s i o n of t h e v a r i o u s speakers a n d the efficient l e a d e r s h i p of C o n s t i t u e n c y Conveners
a n d D i s t r i c t D i r e c t o r . M y heart yearns for the t i m e when i t w i l l be possible for
a l l the other d i s t r i c t s i n the P r o v i n c e to h o l d annual conferences, thus b r i n g i ng
i n t o closer contact the workers of each d i s t r i c t a n d c o m p l e t i n g o u r P r o v i n c i a l organ­i
z a t i o n .
P r o v i n c i a l officers a n d C o n v e n e r s of S t a n d i n g C o m m i t t e e s have each i n her
o w n i n d i v i d u a l c a p a c i t y a n d i n her o w n w a y , c o n t r i b u t e d to us both t h r o u gh their
p e r s o n a l q u a l i t i e s a n d t h r o u g h t h e i r d e v o t e d services.
M o r e and more our w o m e n are c o m i n g t o realize t h a t service is the keynote
t o a n y t h i n g we m a y hope t o a c c o m p l i s h — a n d w i t h o u t i t we are as s o u n d i n g brass
a n d t i n k l i n g c y m b a l . Y o u r P r e s i d e n t knows t h a t t h i s i d e a does p r e v a i l i n o u r w o r k.
A n d because of t h i s knowledge of t h e s p i r i t of the women who serve w i t h me, the
steps w h i c h w o u l d o t h e r w i s e falter, g r ow steady, the f a i t h w h i c h m i g h t f a i l becomes
firm and the grasp w h i c h m i g h t weaken becomes strong. Strength for each d a y is
f o u n d i n t h e knowledge t h a t m y s t r e n g t h is i n y o u r s t r e n g t h and i n y o u r u n i o n.
I t is not possible to give at this t i m e a d e t a i l e d report of w o r k done b y the
v a r i o u s B r a n c h e s of t h e A l b e r t a W o m e n ' s I n s t i t u t e s or t o t e l l w h a t our o r g a n i z a t i on
r e a l l y means to the members, the homes, the c o m m u n i t y , the P r o v i n c e a n d the
D o m i n i o n . Suffice i t t o say t h a t no p r o b l em of v i t a l interest to the home or the
c o m m u n i t y is neglected.
M r s . W i n t e r , t h e P r e s i d e n t of t h e G e n e r a l F e d e r a t i o n of W o m e n ' s C l u b s i n the
" United States defines a W o m e n ' s C l u b as " a b o d y of o r g a n i z e d women i n every
c o m m u n i t y who can be depended upon to p r o m o t e whatever leads t o w a r d the
b e t t e r m e n t of l i f e . " This d e s c r i p t i o n m i g h t w e l l be a p p l i e d t o t h e A l b e r t a W o m e n ' s
I n s t i t u t e s . Ours is not a " o n e - i d e a " o r g a n i z a t i o n . It sees l i f e whole t h r o u g h its
m a n y phases of a c t i v i t y . It contains every t y p e of woman, c i t y and country,
r i c h and poor,, r a d i c a l a n d c o n s e r v a t i v e . We are an a l l - p a r t i z a n group, but we
s t a n d together for c l e a n l i v i n g , c l e a n t h i n k i n g , c l e a n a d m i n i s t r a t i o n and our o b l i g a ­t
i o n s s t a r t r i g h t i n t h e c o n d i t i o n s t h a t l i e nearest us a n d w h i c h we m a y k n o w f r om
o u r o w n i n v e s t i g a t i o n.
T h r o u g h the efforts of the W o m e n ' s I n s t i t u t e s a n u m b e r of l i b r a r i e s h a v e been
s t a r t e d a n d m a y others a i d e d ; c o m m u n i t y h a l l s , s w i m m i n g p o o l s a n d s k a t i n g r i n ks
have been b u i l t ; school f a i r s have been assisted; equipment, prizes, p i c t u r e s and
games h a v e been g i v e n the schools; t r e e - p l a n t i n g campaigns have been conducted
a n d sometimes the trees were f u r n i s h e d b y the W o m e n ' s I n s t i t u t e s , rest rooms
b u i l t a n d m a i n t a i n e d , r u r a l cemeteries have been i m p r o v e d a n d c a r e d for, a n d other
a c t i v i t i e s t o o numerous to m e n t i o n a l l of w h i c h goes to p r o v e t h a t the c o m m u n i ty
s p i r i t is f e l t wherever one of our B r a n c h e s is f o u n d.
N o r i s t h e w o r k confined to the c o m m u n i t y alone. Besides p a y i n g i n t o C o n ­s
t i t u e n c y and P r o v i n c i a l F u n d s generous c o n t r i b u t i o n s have been given to the
R e d Cross, C h i l d r e n ' s H o m e s , Save t h e C h i l d r e n F u n d s , f u r n i s h i n g s , and supplies
f o r M u n i c i p a l h o s p i t a l s , the T r a v e l l e r ' s A i d a n d m a n y other w o r t h y i n s t i t u t i o n s,
. a n d a l l of t h i s f r om a n o r g a n i z a t i o n w h i c h does not h o l d m o n e y - m a k i n g as i t s ami
a n d object.
C O - O P E R A T I O N .
One v e r y p l e a s i n g feature of the past y e a r ' s a c c o m p l i s h m e n t s is the tendency
t o w a r d c o - o p e r a t i o n among the Conveners of S t a n d i n g C o m m i t t e e s , and also the
c o - o r d i n a t i o n of our own plans and efforts w i t h other o r g a n i z a t i o n s w i t h s i m i l ar
i d e a l s a n d aims.
T h e c o - o p e r a t i o n 0 f t h e H o u s e h o l d E c o n o m i c s a n d the C h i l d W e l f a r e a n d P u b l ic
H e a l t h C o m m i t t e e s shows how C o m m i t t e e s can work together, and thus avoid
o v e r - l a p p i n g . A n y t h i n g w h i c h makes for b e t t e r homes, makes for b e t t e r c h i l d - l i f e.