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Bay South and Mrs. W. Elmore, Provincial Board Director. The meeting was held in St. Elizabeth Church hall, with Mrs. W. D. Murray, president, chairman for the evening. The general converter was Miss K. McColl, and her committee com- prised Mesdames J. Werstiuk. R. G. Purcell, 1.. G. Hadfield, and W. Elmore. Lunch was served from a table draped with a white cloth, and centered with the Women‘s Inâ€" stitute crest on a blue and gold background, flanked with small flags of various nations and tall blue and gold tapers. KINLOSS KAIRSHEA‘S CALICO BALL by Mrs. Harvey Houston When it was suggested that Kinloss Kairshea Women's Institute have a Calico Ball in the spring of 1949 to swell the treasury, it was not a new idea, but the return of something that had been held in the community about the years of 1897 and before. Mrs. Walter G. MacKenzie, as a little girl, remembered a neighbour telling of the Calico Ball. It was open to all who wished to attend. The ladies wore lovely dresses made from dimity or fine print and long gloves. Dry goods mer- chants in Lucknow always acted as judges, award» ing prizes for the prettiest dresses. (Incidentally. Mrs. MacKenzie was the one who sparked the idea of a Bruce County Museum, which is now a successful venture.) Even the first ball was a decided success, alâ€" though it was with some misgivings that the author went off to the dance attired in a print dress. It was a party open to the public. for which everyone should have a new dress. It proved to be a colorful and bright affair, coming at the close of the winter season. We try to have it as close as possible to the first of April each year. The judging takes place promptly at It pm. At the first ball just one dress was picked from the entire gathering. As already mentioned, in the early days the judges were usually some of the merchants in the town. Later as the ball grew in popularity, three ladies from the town and district were chosen for judges, ladies who Would not have close relatives in the parade and who were themselves style-conscious and good dress- ers. Now our judges are chosen from outside the town and district and are very often business people in Ladies Wear. There is a break in the 26 Members at South Adl’llx't a promising new lnstiluls- mq'um ized this year in a rum Lrhool house in South Simror by ll". District President. Mrs. limit; Spencer, the Federatioi Dome sentotive Mrs, Victor ' a“... and the Area Choirm Mr, W, W. Campbell. dancing, the orchestra plays some suitabl. ML, and the Master of Ceremonies calls our ' ,m: ferent classes, with the judges‘ decisiu- um. given following each class. By 1950 it was thought advisable 3m. prizes, $3.00 and $2.00. By 1953- we r3.- Mm: distinction must be made between tht it. made and home-sewn. (We never use I‘ urn, home-made). One dress was picked fr... m class. By 1955 two prizes of $3.00 an TUE! were given in each class of ready-mu m home-sewn. By 1956 we began to feel unfair competition for the smartly attired run to have to compete with the lithe teen-21g: \tlll this in mind the groupings for ready-ma. .le home-sewu were again divided, making ctr. liar 25 years and under and for 26 years and v With the growing popularity of cotton its: many exciting things which the manut. 1% have done with it, in color and texture, on: . im Ball has flourished. There are usually Eli 25 entries in each class. Our town merchants have been most g. ‘0‘, in some cases refunding all prize \vinnt tilt the purchase price of the dress or mater. ur- chased in their store. Of later years, v. the increased classes, you must now be 1h lhl prize winner to quality for this privilege. ,\ hur food merchant, with an interest in our Li. mi and District High School girls, provides th at: 'lunx Members of another new Institute, Hoy BOY 3” District, organized this year. The membership 15 seventeen. now HOME AND cOUNTRY . tllflA