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Tire (F fficers ’ t m 'erence Leaders of Discussion Groups. let! to righl: Front row, Mrs. R, C. Walk. or, Chairman of District Tweedsmuir History Curators' group; Mrs. George Boll, Mrs. B. Brownie-e. Chairman Home Economics and Health Converters; Mrs. Clarence Mann, Mrs. Elton Armstrong. Choir- mon Presidenls' group. Second row: Mrs. Muryn Purdy. Mrs. F. Moyer, Mrs. J. Sherman, Mrs. B. R. Connell. Third raw: Mrs. J. Hermansen, Mrs. R. Johnston, Mrs. Keith Arnolt, Mrs. H. Durham. resenting about every county and district in the province attended the eighteenth iual Ontario Women‘s institute Ofiicers' nference at Guelph University on May 1th and fifth. This year the conference was Branch Presidents, Branch Conveners of solutions and Home Economics and Health. J District Tweedsmuir History Curators. Mrs. Leonard Trivers. Past President. W.l.0., introduced the new provincial Presiâ€" nt, Mrs. Everett Small, commenting on the -Iginality Mrs. Small had shown in her think~ .g as a former F.W.I.O. Board Member. trs. Small. replying, told that a friend. trying t encourage her when the responsibility of Cr new office seemed very formidable. had aid: “Look at Mrs. Trivers. She carried it or three years and ended with her head on let shoulders and her feet on the ground." The theme of Mrs. Small‘s address to the :onference was the Mary Stewart Collect. She told how the young Colorado school teacher. Mary Stewart had belonged to a women’s club and had found it good except for some of the smallness and pettiness that sometimes crept in 10 Spoil things. So she wrote this prayer and showed it to the president who began using It In the meetings. This was in the early 1900’s. In 1904 it was published in an obscure corner Of a magazine; and by 1910 it was the of- ficial prayer of thousands of women‘s organ- Izations. . :‘AS You Iflpeat the Collect, remember that It ‘5 a Prayer,” Mrs. Small said; and she em- Phasized the special importance of the last clause, “And 011, Lord God, let us not forget JEARLY SIX HUNDRED WOMEN rep~ SUMMER 1966 to be kind." "We feel a special uarmth: its hold our heads higher in the presence of a kind person." she said. A study of the lives of great men and women showed that they all had the quality of kindnessâ€"as for example Florence Nightingale and Edith Cavell. As In- stitute members. Mrs. Small asked the women to check their own habits of kindness Do they speak to newcomers at a meeting and let them know they are glad to see them? Can they listen to another woman's trouble and not divulge a confidence? “Kindness.” said the president "is as much an art as painting or figure skating." Substituting for Dr. J. D. MacLacl-ilan. N. R. Richards. Dean of the Ontario Agricultural College. welcomed the conference delegates, "We are pleased to welcome any group to the University campus.” Dean Richards said. but we are especially glad to welcome those such as the Women's Institutes who have been our friends for a long time.“ The Dean spoke of the marked changes in agriculture in the past decade. One of these was the new emphasis on food. Not long ago we were concerned with surpluses. Now we are assured that we are coming into a period when there will be a market for all we can produce. This means that we will need more people educated in agriculture and home economics. We are short of resource persons. researchers. techniâ€" cians and labor at production level. In order to take more students at the agricultural col- lege and Macdonald Institute an extra semester had been opened to Grade XIII students in April. It was of interest that of the twentyâ€" three students admitted, nineteen came from Ontario farms. 1‘