1924 - Annual Convention Report

              10 A L B E R T A W O M E N ' S I N S T I T U T ES
were destined t o p l a y a great p a r t i n t h e a d v a n c e m e n t of t h e P r o v i n c e , t h e M i n i s t e r
s t a t e d t h a t to t h em was g i v e n t h e p o w e r to express and f o s t e r the needs o f t he
people, e s p e c i a l l y a l o n g e d u c a t i o n a l lines. " Y o u c a n n o t r a i s e the s t a n d a r d of t he
c o m m u n i t y , " said the speaker, " unless y o u first raise the Btandard of education-for
the school is t h e f o u n d a t i o n upon which we must b u i l d the c o m m u n i t i e s we
w i s h t o h a v e . " C o n t i n u i n g , M r . B a k e r stressed the fact t h a t the m o s t pressing
p r o b l em of e d u c a t i o n t o d a y i s t h a t o f p u b l i c o p i n i o n . What i s needed is not b e t t er
schools, better teachers n o r b e t t e r c u r r i c u l a b u t a p u b l i c o p i n i o n t h a t demands a
higher s t a n d a r d . In t o o m a n y instances c h i l d r e n are l e a v i n g s c h o o l a t G r a d e V or
V I , whereas every c h i l d s h o u l d be encouraged to c o m p l e t e G r a d e V I I I at least.
A t present t h e e d u c a t i o n a l s y s t em of t h i s P r o v i n c e comprises some 3,000 schools
w i t h some 5,000 teachers a n d 148,000 p u p i l s a n d a n a n n u a l budget of $ 12,000,-
000.00. The great p r o b l em t o be o v e r c o m e i s t h e f i n a n c i a l one a n d t h e pioneer
c o n d i t i o n s p r e v a i l i n g a l o n g a 900 m i l e frontier. Steady progress is b e i n g made.
Schools are o p e r a t i n g for a l o n g e r p e r i o d each y e a r a n d 1923 saw t h e l a r g e s t average
a t t e n d a n c e ever registered i n t h e P r o v i n c e t h i s b e i n g 86.42 per cent. The number
of students i n g r a d e eight a n d high school was 13.34 p e r c e n t . The M i n i s t e r asked
t h e continued interest of t h e W o m e n ' s I n s t i t u t e i n t h e schools of t h e P r o v i n c e .
" F o r , " s a i d he, " t h e school is o u r c h i e f i n s t r u m e n t i n f u r t h e r i n g b e t t e r c o n d i t i o ns
i n o u r P r o v i n c e . "
A t this p o i n t t h e C o n v e n t i o n was f a v o r e d w i t h t w o d e l i g h t f u l songs b y M i s s
W i l d B l o w , g o l d m e d a l i s t of t h e M u s i c a l F e s t i v a l.
T h e P r e s i d e n t ' s address, p r a c t i c a l a n d f u l l of home t r u t h s , was t h e l a s t i t em
o n t h e p r o g r a m . This appears i n f u l l o n p a g e 45.
T h e s i n g i n g of t h e N a t i o n a l A n t h e m closed a v e r y f u l l and perfect day.
T H U R S D A Y M O R N I N G , M A Y 2 9TH, 1924.
T h e m o r n i n g session opened w i t h a short period of a s s e m b l y singing, M r s .
B e a u b i e r a n d M r s . W m . S t e w a r t of- P e a c e R i v e r p r e s i d i n g.
I n her r e p o r t , M r s . J . F . P r i c e , P u b l i c i t y C o n v e n e r , e m p h a s i z e d the i m p o r t a n ce
of each I n s t i t u t e s e n d i n g i n m o n t h l y r e p o r t s r e g u l a r l y a n d p r o m p t l y . D u r i n g t h e
y e a r 10 t o 13 c o l u m n s of W . I . news have been r e l e a s e d e v e r y m o n t h i n f o u r A l b e r ta
papers; the C a l g a r y H e r a l d , the E d m o n t o n W e e k l y J o u r n a l , L e t h b r i d g e H e r a ld
a n d M e d i c i n e H a t N e w s . M r s . P r i c e ' s report apjiears on page 41. I n t h e d i s ­cussion
f o l l o w i n g m a n y delegates f r om the N o r t h a n d c e n t r e s t a t e d that as the
W . I . news does not a p p e a r i n t h e d a i l y J o u r n a l t h e y never see i t a n d t h e y a s k e d if
t h i s c o u l d not be r e m e d i e d . M r s . P r i c e suggested t h a t each I n s t i t u t e concerned
w r i t e t o t h e E d i t o r of t h e J o u r n a l a s k i n g t h a t t h i s news be p u b l i s h e d i n t h e d a i ly
as well' as t h e w e e k l y paper.
M r s . W . H u y c k , D i r e c t o r f o r D i s t r i c t N o . 3, g a v e a v e r y excellent report of
the 127 I n s t i t u t e s located i n h e r d i s t r i c t . This appears on p a g e 22.
M i s . L y n c h - S t a u n t o n , D i r e c t o r for D i s t r i c t N o . 4, e m p h a s i z e d the v a l u e of
t h e D i s t r i c t Conference as t h i s D i s t r i c t is t h e o n l y one t h a t holds these Conferences
r e g u l a r l y . Sec page 2 6 f o r t h i s report.
M r s . James M c K a y of P r o v o s t , 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 e e o n A g r i ­c
u l t u r e s t a t e d i n h e r report t h a t m a n y of t h e w o m e n were too b u s y d o i n g t h e m a n y
t a s k s of A g r i c u l t u r e to w r i t e about i t . T h i s report w i l l be f o u n d o n page 3 8 .
M i s s Jessie M a c m i l l a n , D i r e c t o r o f t h e W o m e n ' s H o m e B u r e a u , D e p a r t m e nt
of A g r i c u l t u r e , reported the e x t e n s i v e w o r k o f t h e s e r v i c e rendered b y h e r B r a n c h
of the D e p a r t m e n t . This report appears o n page 43. A l l o f these r e p o r t s were
accepted.
M r . W i d e , of t h e E n g l i s h Y . M . C . A . m i g r a t i o n d e p a r t m e n t , was g i v e n a f ew
m i n u t e s t o t e l l of t h e n o m i n a t i o n s y s t em of i m m i g r a t i o n w h i c h appeal's t o b e w o r k i n g
w e l l i n s e e m i n g t h e best t y p e of s e t t l e r . He u r g e d Women' s I n s t i t u t e s t o become
n o m i n a t i n g groups.
T h e m o r n i n g session a d j o u r n e d at 12.15.
T H U R S D A Y A F T E R N O O N , M A Y 2 9TH, 1924.
T h e afternoon session w i t h M r s . B e a u b i e r a n d M r s . L y n c h - S t a u n t o n p r e s i d i ng
opened w i t h the B r a n c h Secretaries' H o u r . I n t h e absence of M r s . C o o p e r o f
M e t i s k o w this was i n t r o d u c e d by M r s . Rogers, P r o v i n c i a l S e c r e t a r y of A l b e r ta
W o m e n ' s I n s t i t u t e s . " I was once a s k e d , " s a i d she, " t o w r i t e a n a r t i c l e f o r M c L e a n ' s
M a g a z i n e o n m y i d e a of t h e perfect secretary. Had I done so, M a d a m P r e s i d e n t,
I a m s u r e I s h o u l d have been d i s c h a r g e d t h e m o m e n t y o u r e a d t h e a r t i c l e f o r you-w
o u l d h a v e seen h o w v e r y f a r s h o r t of t h e i d e a l s e c r e t a r y I a m myself. I s y m p a t h i ze