What is a Women’s Institute Member?
A Women's Institute Member is a female of uncertain age usually somewhere between 19 and 90.
A Women's Institute Member may come in a variety of sizes, shapes, skin tones, and hair colour. The latter may change frequently. Hair styles vary also, from the plain twist to tassels of curls.
A Women's Institute Member is related to a member of the opposite sex. She may be the wife of, daughter of, mother of, sister of, or grandma of that boy or man.
A Women's Institute Member may be dressed in the latest fashion from man exclusive boutique, or dressed in a garment carefully and lovingly made at home from a bargain piece of fabric. She may even be dressed in the same outfit she's worn for some years, because each time she decided to get a new dress, she noticed her children needed the cash more.
A Women's Institute Member is a hard working being. You will find her making articles for her family, the Queen Alexandra Hospital, the BC Children's Hospital, catering for lunches, teas and dinners, working hard for bazaars and bake sales – all this to benefit someone else or a worthy cause.
A Women's Institute Member is a voracious creature. She may consume quantities of muffins, sandwiches squares and cookies, not to mention the gallons of tea or coffee to wash it all down. She will then tell you she has to go on a diet.
A Women's Institute Member is an expert conversationalist. Her subject matter may vary from home, family, her community, other WI members, recipe exchange, the newest handicrafts, and how she would run all levels of government to get laws passed benefiting women and children.
A Women's Institute Member keeps fit with exercise, by taking on farm chores, feeding chickens, hoeing the garden, milking cows, wrestling furniture, doing the family wash, vacuuming, chopping wood, running after wayward children and animals, and attending sales days at the local department store or bake stall at the WI bazaar.
A Women's Institute Member is a thoughtful person. You may find her helping neighbours and friends in need. She may travel miles to help as a volunteer in a hospital or nursing home, after getting up at 6 AM to see that her family are all provided for. She will take her turn wherever she is needed, such as donating toys and food to an unfortunate family at Christmas.
A Women's Institute Member is an emotional creature. She will laugh or cry at what others think of her, giggle at a silly joke, well up with tears of joy as a sick child gets better, or at the sight of a new baby. She will be furious at the latest gossip about her, but be eager to hear the latest happenings about her good friends.
A Women's Institute Member is very versatile. She can create a thing of beauty from some discarded rags or other material. And nowhere on earth will you find someone like her, who can take enough meat left over for two, from yesterday's dinner and create an appetizing dish for six.
A Women's Institute Member is a great author. She will compose resolutions, fire off letters she has written to government officials about laws for women, beseige companies with letters complaining about their dreadful TV advertizing women's hygienic products.
In fact, Women's Institute Members are normal.
But, the greatest quality of all is when you see the hand of a Women's Institute Member reach out to the hand of another, whether it be large or small, whether it be black, brown, white or yellow, whether it be in joy or sorrow, whether to teach or in guidance, or in just plain friendship, then you know you joined the right organization. You should be proud to be known as a Women's Institute Member. I know I am.
Ina McDowell
I do not know the origin of this above article, but I remember Ina bringing it to a Provincial Board Meeting and reading it there. It bears repeating.
Yours For Home and Country, Ruth Fenner, Provincial Historian, British Columbia Women's Institute
