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Between The Dear Women‘s Institute members: I would like to share the theme of my area’s last convention with you, and discuss it as it pertains to the Women‘s Institutes. The theme was, “Self-knowledge is the beginning of self-improvement.” Self-knowledge, â€" the capability to know oneself, to be able to acknowl- edge our weakness, to develop our talents and to share ourselves with others, is the first step to self- improvement. Do we as Women‘s Institute members know what strengths we have? Do we acknowledge that we have the homemaking skills so vitally necessary for a wellâ€"run and comfort- able home".I Are we aware of the leadership talent we have developed among our members by encouraging them to be 4-H leaders, or Junior Farmer leaders, or even by preparing a good program and presenting it to our members at a meeting? Are there among us former career women who have book-keeping skills, nurse’s training, teachers, women who can manage a cattle herd, or maybe even weld? Are we providing an opportun- ity for these people to enrich our lives by sharing their skills with us? More importantly, are we reaching out into the community and sharing our skills with non-members. It is vitally imâ€" portant to the survival of the Women‘s Institutes that we inform other women in the community of our programs and our goals, that we reach out with an offer to help them become better informed, more aware citizens of the community and the world. In return, if there are pro- grams offered by other groups, we as Women‘s Institute members can par- ticipate in them. Is our image in the community what it should be? Can we say to others, and mean it, “You 4 will find benefits in your life by join- ing us”. Do we know ourselves. as W.I. members, and our organization and its purposes well enough: 0" are we going along day by ‘33)! W‘thou‘g a vision. but just "hanging in there. ? At a recent Provincial executive meeting. a session was held to discuss the future of the Women’s Institutes. In summarizing, the issues most recognizable were; 1. Improving our organization, 2. Personal develop- ment of our members, and 3. lm- proving our community. This year we hope to tackle the first one by giving a renewed meaning to the role of the convener. To pro- vide help to our provincial conveners. the executive planned workshops at the spring semisannual Board meeting. We hope that after this meeting, the conveners will be better informed about sources of informa- tion, have some new ideas, and be better prepared to train other con- veners. It was felt that the role of the convener is to train others, to give advice, to take leadership, and to report. It is important to summarize our activities, but more impertant to provide leadership for those activities. I challenge every cenvener in the branches to recognize a need in her community that is related to her par- ticular portfolio, to present that need to her branch, and to initiate action directed at that need, Conduct a survey, get a Speaker for a meeting, gather information for a study ses- sion, or use any method that will stimulate members to take an active interest in the subject at hand. Elsewhere in this issue you will find a questionnaire, “How are our vital signs". We would like each branch to use this questionnaire at a meeting, preferably your annual meeting, and to compute your scores. The provinâ€" cial executive has already used it, and it was a very good indication of our feeling about W.I. Can we get more life into our District Annuals? They are coming up quickly. The feeling that they were “boring” was rather general. There is no better year than this year of the Bicentennial to get material for an in- teresting meeting, and one that will encourage more members to attend. 'Conveners, you are the initiators, not just reporters. The second issue, personal development of the membersI seemed to be a direct outgrowth of better programming. As well, we will be participating in a Rural Women's Conference coming up in NovembW This will be a conference for women who wish to learn or devalop leader. ship skills to use in their communi. ties. We have representation 0,, [he planning committee, and also hope that some of our members will have the opportunity to attend. RSVP workshops haVe been a source of personal development Officers conference gives om} branch an opportunity to hem a member. Within our own comnrim. ties there is the opportunity to x ,.n_ sor courses, and to attend Workshops and forums. We have been asked to respo; i to a study on the need for protectin vhe occupational health and safe or people who work in agriculture he Ontario Task Force on Healtli my Safety in Agriculture will invest tie and report on the health and salt of farmers, farm workers and met. in of farm families engaged in m work. Watch for hearings in ‘lll' areas in the fall. If there are any concerns that in branch feels should be addressi in this subject, be ready to ma a presentation to a hearing. A d .. sion starter, if you haven’t all it used it, is a safety check printed v .u April, May, June 1983 i551: i: Federated News. Could the bra .‘s prepare a record of farm acct ., that have occurred in their comi r ties, either as a result of I ll- machinery or from the m it pesticides or chemicals, and init 1 Farm Safety program. Medical tors could be used as consul‘ , information obtained from n: Workmen‘s Compensation Boa. -r a study of the safety featurt r equipment could be made. From these studies perhaps w- it determine where the need for pi tion exists, what age groups at ‘- fected, and ways of protecting pr 6 against health and safety hazai 'i farm work. These concerns have been r l because of the high accident L among farmers, and because far 3 are at present not covered unde E Occupational Health and Safety Action will be necessary if we d- i wish legislation for farmers u r this Act. It will be an interesting year. «i one in which we will accomi 1 many things that will give ti J stronger and better image in our L - munities. Yours sincerely, 14/