| Fact & Fantasy: A History of Tavistock & District | Organizations - Page 116-117 |
|
|
The Women's Institutes Tavistock Branch (1902-1967) - By Mrs. Fred A. Stock The Tavistock Women's Institute, having been organized in 1902, might be considered a pioneer branch of the Association of Country Women of the World Organization. Five years earlier at Stoney Creek, Ontario, Mrs. Adelaide Hoodless had organized the first Women's Institute, thus starting a movement destined to become world-wide. The aims of this great movement are threefold: to promote international goodwill, friendship and understanding between the country-women and homemakers of the world; to raise the standard of living of rural women all over the world; to further international understanding and friendship and to be a voice for country-women in international affairs. The first executive of the Tavistock Branch included: Mrs. A.T. Bell, as president. Mrs. Valentine Stock, as vice-president, Mrs George Kaercher, as secretary-treasurer, These early members played a major role in the organization of the Perth District Women's Institutes, the annual meeting of which was originally held in Tavistock, immediately after the annual branch meeting of the local one. Meetings at that time were held in the homes of the members with open meetings in the Opera Hall. Excerpts from early minutes tell of Miss Laura Rose, who was the first provincial Extension Service lecturer as a speaker. On one occasion the Tavistock members hired a livery rig to attend a meeting of the neighbouring Cassel Women's Institute. Typical programme topics included: The Care of the Lampwick, The Care of Tinware, Clarifying Used Fat, The Value of Rest in the Hot Season, Winter Vegetables and how to store them, the Preparation of Hop Yeast. The membership has always included women devoted to the welfare of Tavistock and vicinity, as well as the broader national and international interests. Hence it is not surprising that through the years the Women's Institute has sponsored and supported a host of worthy projects. During the First World War, the local institute was the only organized service group in the village and took the lead in forming a patriotic society, which did much valuable War Work. On June 21, 1921 a bronze memorial plaque to the memory of al the young men who had served n the Armed Forces, was unveiled in the local Public Library. Between 1910 and the present, the Institute has supported the local library in many ways, including the purchase and maintenance of the kitchen equipment and the piano. The new Canadian flag was purchased and dedicated during Centennial Year. The compiling of a Tavistock Tweedsmuir History, now totalling eleven volumes was begun by the late Miss Adna Bell and has been continued by the Misses Belle Currah, Ethel Rudy and Erma Loth. The Centennial project of the branch was a handmade cabinet to house these volumes in the library. Almost fifty years ago the Women's institute investigated the possibility of establishing Kindergarten and music classes in the local public school. At the same time they were concerned with the Suffragette Movement with the extension of the vote to women. Later the Institute was responsible for the erection of the stone gates, one at the north entrance of the village, another at the south entrance to the Park on Maria St. more recently for the erection of name signs for the streets. Another major project was the equipment of the kitchen at the Memorial Hall. Annually the members organize the Canadian National Institute for the Blind and the March of Dimes canvasses of the village. Each month members assist with the local clinic of the Oxford Health Unit. In 1947 through the initiative of the president Mrs. Charles Vogt and of Mrs. Edmund Hansuld, an annual Church Service was organized for neighbouring branches. This was the forerunner of the present Oxford Women's Institute annual Church Service. In 1950 the district membership of the Tavistock Branch was transferred from South Perth to North Oxford, thus leaving behind many happy years of association with Perth and entering on a new era of activity with the Oxford County Institutes. The Athlone Women's Institute In December 1945 twenty women of the community gathered at the home of Mrs. John Horman, nee Florence King and former teacher at S.S.#7, South Easthope from 1932-35, to form a new branch of the Women's Institute. Every woman in S.S.#7 and most of them in S.S.#5 had been invited. Mrs Herman Hackman of Mitchell, the District President at the time, presided. She explained the purpose of an institute and conducted the election officers: The branch adopted the name ATHLONE in commemoration of the Earl of Atholone, whose term of office as Governor-general, terminated at this time. Thirteen members joined: in addition to the executive named above, the charter members were: Mrs. Harvey Dunnell, Mrs. Harry Daum, Mrs. Moody Otto, Mrs, Wm.Smith, Miss Edna Epp, Mrs. Edwin Moerl, Miss Lyla Herlick, Miss Audrey Daum. The Athlone Branch has sponsored educational exhibits at the Tavistock and Stratford Fall Fairs since 1948 and has entered beautiful floats in their parades. They have conducted successful cooking schools, sewing, and millinery courses, 4-H Girls'Clubs. They have taken an active part in the Annual District Meetings, they have entertained their husbands and families at picnics, they have raised funds with euchre parties; they have presented Miss Janet Heinbuch, a blind resident of the community , with a piano to enable here to keep up her misic when home from the Brantford School for the Blind on vacation. They have celebrated their Twentieth Anniversary on December 2, 1965. They have produced a fine volume of a Tweedsmuir History which records the history of the area, of its schools, its farms, its churches, its joys and tragedies, and from which this short sketch has been compiled. Anna P. Lewis Branch - By Mrs. Frank Bickle There is in North Oxford District a small group of dedicated women who, over the past 21 years, have been carrying on for "Home and Country". It began at the Inaugural Meeting of this institute on December 3, 1946 at the home of Mrs. Edmund Hansuld, on the 10th Line. Mrs. Gates of Lakeside presided over the meeting and conducted nominations and elections. Of the eighteen ladies present, fifteen became charter members. At its first February meeting at the home of Mrs. Conrad Wittig, the branch was honoured to have Miss Lewis, Director of Home Economics with the Department of Agriculture, Toronto, as guest. It was the fiftieth anniversary of the Women's Institute Movement. She became Honorary President. In her address she presented her "Namesake" with a framed copy of the "Mary Steward Collect." As areas of service suggested themselves, various projects were undertaken. During the years the programmes have featured both educational and social meetings. Often there have been outside speakers, prominent in Institute work, or authorities on health, nursing, homemaking, gardening, farm safety, education, stamp-collecting, agriculture, industry and history. There have been panel discussions, skids, films and slides tours and numerous demonstrations. Homemaking clubs are sponsored for the girls of the community. Those who complete projects, with their leaders, are presented with small gifts. Extension courses offered by the Women's Institute Branch of the Department of Agriculture were conducted. Relief funds have been sent to Poland, Britain, and Korea. At different times funds have been donated to F.W.I.O. projects, Bursary and Scholarship Funds, Adelaide Hoodless Fund, Cancer Society, Red Cross, C.N.I.B., United Nations Save the Children Fund, Unitarian Relief, Retarded Children's Association, Canadian Mental Health, War Memorial Children's Hospital. Muscular Dystrophy Association, Cerebral Palsy Fund, the Y.W.C.A. ennies for Friendship. Prizes for music festivals, litterbug poster contest, subscriptions to Children's magazines, contributions toward the Laura Hansuld Fund and the Tavistock and District Memorial Hall Building Fund have been made. Perhaps the most satisfying undertaking was the sponsoring of Kim Kyong Sook of Korea through the Canadian Save the Children Fund. Correspondence, birthday and Christmas gifts have been sent to the little girls across the seas. The branch has partcipated in the London, Drumbo and Tavistock Fall Fairs and sponsors very successful euchre parties each winter. Work has continued on a Tweedsmuir History Book and the branch has helped with the Centennial Tea at Hickson. Officers: Secretaries Members have gained much through the activities of the past years and we hope to continue to meet in our "Friendship Circle" to seek out the good of all mankind. CENTENNIAL YEAR - 1967 A Tavistock Centennial Committee was formed at a meeting held at the Library Hall Thursday night, January 26 and named chairman was Ronald Seltzer. The function of the Committee is that of co-ordinating several projects in the community to mark the observance of Canada's Centennial as to time and place so that there will be not overlapping of public observances. At the meeting were representatives of the Tavistock Men's Club and Board of Trade, the Rotary Club of Tavistock, the Tavistock Women's Institute, the Tavistock Home and School Association and the Tavistock Ministerial Association. Neil Bakelaar was named the secreatary and Mrs. Forrest Mosher as general co-ordinator. Regular meetings were held throughout the first half of the year with each organization submitting its projects and plans: |
|
| PREVIOUS | TABLE OF CONTENTS | NEXT |