1924 - Annual Convention Report

              T E N T H A N N U A L C O N V E N T I ON 11
with" a l l of y o u who are secretaries a n d g i v e m y suggestions i n t h e k i n d l i e s t s p i r i t
possible. 1 w o n d e r i f y o u r e a l i z e h o w i m p o r t a n t y o u are i n t h e scheme of W o m e n ' s
I n s t i t u t e s . Y o u are the one l i n k between the I n s t i t u t e a n d the P r o v i n c i a l officers
a n d the D e p a r t m e n t . A c h a i n is as s t r o n g as i t s weakest l i n k a n d a n I n s t i t u t e is
as s t r o n g as its s e c r e t a r y is f a i t h f u l a n d efficient. It is i n t h e p o s i t i o n o f t h e con­n
e c t i n g l i n k p a r t i c u l a r l y t h a t I w o u l d speak. First read a l l t h e m a i l sent to y o u.
I have sometimes t h o u g h t t h a t i f t h e l e t t e r s were w r i t t e n b y h a n d t h a t t h e y w o u ld
be more c a r e f u l l y r e a d . I fear some m u s t be l i k e t h e m a n who r e c e i v e d a t y p e ­w
r i t t e n l e t t e r f r om a m a c h i n e c o m p a n y a n d sent i t b a c k w i t h the comment, ' D o n ' t
w r i t e me r e a d i n ' I c a n r e a d w r i t i n . ' M a c h i n e made letters may not seem very
h u m a n but all t h a t go out f r om M i s s M a c m i l l a n ' s office or f r om our officers are
sent t o be r e a d a n d not o n l y to be r e a d but the contents n o t e d a n d brought to the
a t t e n t i o n of t h e I n s t i t u t e at the first meeting. Get a b o x file, t h e y cost about 90
cents, and keep these letters for reference. Keep a copy of y o u r r e p l y and file
t h e s e also. I n t h i s file see t h a t y o u h a v e a c o p y o f t h e p r i n t e d r e p o r t o f e a c h C o n ­v
e n t i o n , a copy of the C o n s t i t u e n c y C o n s t i t u t i o n , a n d a copy of the Women's
I n s t i t u t e A c t . W i t h these at h a n d there is no excuse f o r not k n o w i n g t o w h o m to
w r i t e w h e n m a k i n g i n q u i r y o n a n y subject. Send i n t h e m o n t h l y r e p o r t s p r o m p t ly
a n d please note to w h o m they s h o u l d go. M a k e your reports human. When
s o m e t h i n g t h r i l l i n g happens make it t h r i l l i n t h e t e l l i n g . Y o u h a v e heard of the
p h l e g m a t i c Scot who, a l o n g w i t h a c o m p a n i o n , was engaged i n s c r u b b i n g a deck,
w h e n a great wave c a r r i e d off t h e c o m p a n i o n , s c r u b - b u c k e t a n d a l l . P r e s e n t l y the
C a p t a i n passed and i n q u i r e d i f a l l was w e l l . ' O h , a, ye, a's w e e l , ' r e p l i e d the u n -
e x c i t e d Scot, ' b u t y i n o' y e r men is a w a w i ' a b u c k e t . ' A v e r y flat report of a v e ry
t h r i l l i n g e v e n t . In the v u l g a r p a r l a n c e of the day, I w o u l d say of y o u r report,
' M a k e i t s n a p p y . ' " Some l i v e l y d i s c u s s i o n f o l l o w e d.
M r s . F. S. P o r t e r of P u r p l e Springs, C o n v e n e r of C h i l d Welfare a n d P u b l ic
H e a l t h , gave a n e n t h u s i a s t i c report of her d e p a r t m e n t , w h i c h r e p o r t was accepted.
See page 33.
M r s . F . S. G r e v e t t , C a l g a r y , C o n v e n e r o f t h e S t a n d i n g C o m m i t t e e o n E d u c a t i o n
a n d B e t t e r Schools, r e p o r t e d u r g i n g the c o n t i n u a n c e of the slogan " O n t o G r a de
V I I I at l e a s t . " This report was accepted, see page 34.
M i s s C l a r k , S u p e r i n t e n d e n t of P u b l i c H e a l t h Nurses, was present and was
able to g i v e some l i g h t o n s e v e r a l questions of p u b l i c h e a l t h w h i c h came before the
C o n v e n t i o n .
A t 4 o ' c l o c k the C o n v e n t i o n a d j o u r n e d to the H u d s o n ' s B a y where tea was
s e r v e d i n t h e E l i z a b e t h a n r o o m b y t h e management. M r . P . J . P a r k e r , t h e M a n a g e r ,
w a r m l y w e l c o m e d t h e delegates a n d made a l l feel v e r y m u c h at home. After tea
d u r i n g w h i c h there was a special p r o g r am of music, the delegates were t a k e n to see
t h e model b u n g a l ow complete i n e v e r y d e t a i l and most t a s t e f u l l y f u r n i s h e d . The
w o m e n were e s p e c i a l l y i n t e r e s t e d i n t h e m o d e l k i t c h e n s o different f r om the average
r u r a l one.
T h e r e was no business session i n t h e e v e n i n g but the delegates enjoyed a v e ry
d e l i g h t f u l p r o g r am and e n t e r t a i n m e n t i n the class rooms of K n o x P i e s b y t e r i an
C h u r c h where the L o c a l C o u n c i l of W o m e n were hostesses.
F R I D A Y M O R N I N G , M A Y 3 0 T H , 1924.
T h e session opened w i t h assembly singing. M r s . D . R . M c l v o r presiding,
w i t h M r s . W m . S t e w a r t s e c r e t a r y pro temp.
T h e S e c r e t a r y was i n s t r u c t e d to c a b l e greetings t o M r s . G a t e s.
M i s s Isabel N o b l e presented the report of the W . I . G i r l s ' C l u b s . Sr. e ex­p
l a i n e d t h a t o w i n g to the fact t h a t m a n y of the G . C . m e m b e r s are either teachers
or are s t u d y i n g for final e x a m i n a t i o n s i t i s i m p o s s i b l e f o r t h em t o meet i n C o n v e n t i o n
at t h e same time as the W o m e n ' s I n s t i t u t e s . She t h e n t o l d of the p l a n of the G i r ls
t o h o l d " P a r k C o n v e n t i o n s . " See page 40. She s a i d , " W e have chosen Jasper
P a r k t h i s t i m e f o r t w o reasons. We c a n secure a c c o m m o d a t i o n f r om the Y . M . C . A .
at a reasonable price a n d because Jasper is s u c h a w o n d e r f u l l y b e a u t i f u l place we
c a n r e a d i l y secure a d v e r t i s i n g for o u r C o n v e n t i o n . Some m a y t h i n k i t is r a t h e r far
n o r t h but no m a t t e r where we m a y go there w i l l a l w a y s be some who can not come
a n d next year we w i l l p r o b a b l y go to Banff, t h e n W a t e r t o n L a k e s , we m a y even
wander i n t o B . C . s o m e t i m e . We hope for t h r e e i d e a l d a y s , J u l y 2nd, 3 r d a n d 4 th
when the m o r n i n g s w i l l be spent i n business a n d s t u d y a n d the afternoons and even­i
n g s i n h i k e s , swims, g y m n a s t i c s , camp fire parties and a p a g e a n t . " Miss N o b le
u r g e d the I n s t i t u t e s to organize G i r l s ' C l u b s where there was not already some
s u c h o r g a n i z a t i o n for the girls. " D i r e c t , guide a n d help the c l u b y o u organize
b u t do not ' b o s s ' i t , " a d v i s e d M i s s N o b l e.