term as Provincial President.

. i. . ..5' r. v i F . I v m. ,. M

Dedication of the Cairn at the Shaw school grounds

August 5 , 198 9 . The school grounds were donated by J.K. Shaw. Greg Shaw who built the Cairn was Mr. Shaw’ 5 great grandson .

Lidstone financially supports the Manitoba Women’ 5 Institute, Federated Women’s Institute in Canada, and Associated Country Women of the World Projects as well as supporting their local hospital with a Photo Therapy Lamp for the nursery, Ultra Sound Machine donation and support to the Hospital Foundation Fund, as well as support to the Abuse Centre and the Asso- ciation for Community Living etc & etc.

For 1998 Lidstone Women’s Institute celebrates its 80th anniversary and it hopes to continue for many years with its outstanding achievement of “Enlightened Good Fellowship.”

There were many WI’s in the valley at one time - now there are only two left - Big Woody and Lidstone.

Submitted by: Ruby Anderson

Swan Valley Women’s Institute 1939-1994

Swan Valley Women’s Institute was organized by Mrs. Adams and Mrs. Mitchelson of Square Plains district, in January 0f 1939 at the home of Miss and Mrs. SnFlgTove. The executive was as follows: President - MISS Stella Snelgrove; Vice-president -Mrs. Kathleen Béaman; Sec.Tres - Mrs. Agnes Snelgrove. Mrs.T. Mitchelson, Mrs. J. Sherrer, Mrs. T. Templeton, Mrs. J. StEfanyk, Mrs. J. Borley, Mrs. J. Glanville, Mrs. MCLeod, Mrs. J. Snelgrove, Miss Ethel Hinchcliffe (teacher) were the names on the charter. Financing in

035 years was a serious problem, total reciepts in 1940 were $37.24, expenses were $29.57 with $6.67 for operating for the year. Later on as they developed tal—

533

ents and projects they would have over a thousand dol- lars for community projects such as hospital, local health unit, Red Cross, Happy Valley Manor, Heart Monitor fund, Sign at Personal Care Home, Music Festival etc.

To support Women’s Institute we donated to Adelaide Hoodless Home, Peace Gardens (The W.I. Nook} at Peace Gardens, A.C.W.W. & F.W.I.C.,Coupon 71 (Fresh water) Land Rover for Lesoto, Northern W.I. ’s, Ethiopian Relief and for International World Food Bank, Mission Blind etc.

W.I. members worked with the hospital aid, on execu- tive of local Red Cross, canvassed the district for Red Cross, one member is a 4-H leader, we collected books for the Book Mart in Winnipeg, collected jams, jellies, pickles for roll calls and these were donated to Happy Valley Manor.

Two members were on the Sick and Visiting commit- tee, they made phone-calls, visited the sick in their homes or hospital, sent cards, flowers etc. W.I. had an emer- gency fund and flowers or plants were sentto families in time of a death of a loved one or for happy occasions, anniversary, birthday. Roll Calls, socials, topics were taken from Planned Program, these made for interesting items, A.C.W.W & F .W.I.C items were read at each meeting. Plant slips, seeds, recipes, patterns, quilt blocks were exchanges among members. Speakers were in- vited to keep us up to date on events, Home Econo- mists spoke on Nutrition, Seniors with mental disabili- ties, food and inflation, Lawyers spoke on wills, youth justice, Crisis Centre, handicapped children and a friend who spoke about her armt’s 10 years of missionary work in China. Slides have been shown on Arizona, Bermuda, Cuba, China, Yugoslavia, India, Mexico, Indonesia, Scotland, Norway and any country that members were fortunate in visiting and of A.C.W.W or F.W.I.C con- ferences that someone had attended.

Members have been honored with life-memberships, 50 year certificates were given to 3 members, Agnes Snelgrove, Kathleen Beaman and Lola McKenzie. Quilts have been made for competitions, entered in local fairs, for new brides of the district, raflles, one was sold to a lady from Australia that was visiting in Canada, Mrs. North (her husband was an exchange minister) joined our institute and on her return to Ausualia, she was the recipient of a quilt.

Swan Valley members took part in the Joint W.I. ba- zaar that was held each fall for 37 years and in 1983 it was decided to discontinue these due to declining mem- bership in all locals that participated.

In 1982 the Provincial W.I. convention was held in Swan River, members of our local helped to host this