88 89 09 77 25 52 00 27 91 246 25 5 60 24 00 10 89 13 75 11 50 Elgin, W 138 35 1,063 .... Glengarry 149 24 1,375 Grenville, S 46 30 654 Grey, C 4341 200 3,973 168 213 31 71 25 100 00 255 39 a&88: F8: GVW Books and periodi C. .... 60 75 48 4 00 cals. Total expenditure. Balance. 27 65 5 50 4 00 66 90 190 85 48 82 31 00 11 45 315 204 8 55 21 73 432 39 104 78 1 25 76 20 75 15 90 204 5 80 177 87 264 73 131 03 TENTH ANNUAL CONVENTION OF THE ONTARIO WOMEN'S INSTITUTES The Tenth Annual Convention of the Women's Institutes of Ontario, held at Toronto, November 15 and 16, 1911, was most successful, both in respect to number of delegates in attendance and quality and variety of addresses delivered. The morning and afternoon sessions were held at the Guild Hall in McGill street, Toronto, and the evening sessions in the University Convocation Hall. Mr. G. A. Putnam, Superintendent of Institutes, presided at the opening session and the proceedings were commenced by singing "O Canada." Mrs. A. Hicks, Toronto, presided at the piano. THE CHAIRMAN:-To meet face to face again with the representatives of the Women's Institutes is indeed an inspiration. I can truly say that I am delighted to see such a large gathering here this morning and I am impressed with the importance of the work in hand when I see such numbers of earnest, capable workers before me. The women who are behind the work have made possible what has already been done. Who can say what the future of this Women's Institute is to be? We have already accomplished a great deal, but greater things are in store for us. The results will depend, ladies, not so much upon what we do in the Department of Agriculture in Toronto as upon what you do in your respective organizations. The success of a Branch Institute, or the work of a District Organization depends upon the energy, capabilities, tact and aggressiveness of some two or three women in each locality. It seems necessary to have such women in each centre, if we are going to make the work a decided success. The question before us this morning is "Business Methods in the Institute," and without further remarks upon my part regarding the necessity of business methods in our work, I shall call upon two or three persons to take part in the discussion of this very important topic. If you are not sure as to the exact procedure, do not hesitate. It is better to do something and make a few mistakes than to be inactive. (Applause.) Do it in some way, to begin with, and take advantage of every opportunity to learn better methods, then you will come out all right in the end. What we are most anxious about is, not how you are to do a thing, or what you are going to do, but the spirit behind it. We know you have a right spirit in this work, and we, therefore, have very little to fear as to its success. BUSINESS METHODS IN THE INSTITUTE. MRS. H. J. SCRIPTURE, Brighton: When I saw this item of business on the programme, I thought, "Surely, everything is made so clear in the Hand Book and in the Record Book that there is no necessity for any remarks on the subject," and then I thought of the organization itself with so worthy an object and so well equipped with a good staff of officers, and programmes of general interest provided. By general interest, I mean something that will interest everybody, not one or two or three or a dozen, but every member of the Institute. You should have these programmes tactfully distributed among the members for working out. Understand what I mean by tactful-give the right subject to the right woman. Surely such an organization will not only attract women, but will hold them. I have been at meetings where members would sit through the whole session and speak but once, and that a feeble "Present" in response to the roll call, when every member was expected to respond by asking a question of general interest or telling some new method she had discovered, some little hint, some new recipe, something that was going to be helpful to the meeting. Members who keep their knowledge to themselves are not helpful to the Institute. It is these members who try the patience of the president. Our programmes should be so far-reaching that they will draw out these members, so that they will be helpful to the meeting. Not only the president, but the secretary has an important part to play in the success of the meeting. First of all, her minutes should be not only a collection of items, but they should be interesting and spicy, and they should be prepared on the evening after the meeting that is held in the afternoon, when everything is fresh in her mind. To the secretary is largely due the increase in membership. Our meetings are held in the homes of members in various sections of the territory, and our hostess usually invites her neighbors. Before the close of the meeting, when everybody, except the Secretary, is enjoying a sandwich and a cup of tea, the Secretary goes to these neighbors and asks them to become members. They usually do. It is a good time to ask them when they are in a happy mood. Remember the motto: "If you know a good thing, pass it on," and surely those members who know a good thing can help to get others in. Another item about making programmes interesting: I had a report recently of a very successful meeting at which the subject had been divided into five parts: The first item, "The Wife and Daughter at Home," was allotted to one member to prepare; the second, "The Wife;" the third, "The Young Mother;" the fourth, "The Mother of Growing Children;" the fifth, "As a Help to the School and the Teacher." The Secretary reported that they had a very successful meeting, the papers ran on consecutively; it was like a continued story. Then the matter of raising funds seems to be puzzling for many of the branches. Some branches have been very successful. One branch got up a play called "The Temple of Fame" and the characters were all taken by members of the Institute, some of them gray-haired women who had never helped in anything of the kind before. I will not go through the details. You will get these from Mrs. George Carlaw of Warkworth. The receipts at the door were $152 and everyone who took part was allowed to enter free, so seventy-five had free tickets. It was so good that they were requested to repeat it. Another branch got up a garden party on the lawns of one of the members and they took in $80. Another branch gave a supper at the Winter public meeting, between the afternoon and evening sessions. Many came in from the country and, as they must have their supper at some place, this made a very enjoyable time and the Institute made some money. The branch that took in the $152 gave quite a sum to the Social and Moral Reform Association to aid in the suppression of the white slave traffic. They gave |