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I has strong roots Roots! With the return of spring . d summer I always get that primeval rge to muck about in the garden. othing rekindles my enthusiasm and ptimism like the smell of freshly urned earth liberally laced with 1 anure! When times were less hectic -:nd my children were smaller, we : ways enjoyed watching our carefully lanted pea seeds sprout and grow in he cool of the early spring. It was asy to forget that under the ground, . nseen by us, were the beginnings and trength of those plants, plants that . ould mature later and fill our freezer. We need to be reminded often of ur roots. Rural Ontario has long, enacious roots which have provided nd will provide the strength of our ociety. We in Junior Women’s Insti- ute are proud that our roots reach ack to 1915 and the loving nurture f the Federated Women’s Institutes f Ontario. In those early days, eenage girls and their older sisters et monthly and worked under a i onstitution similar to that ‘of FWIO ranches. Dr. Ethel Chapman was nstrumental in providing worthwhile rograms and spreading the JWI essage to as many as 88 branches. in 1944, the group amalgamated i ith the Junior Farmers’ Association f Ontario. This arrangement con- 'nued until 1968 when the JWI opted to reform as a separate organization. ince that time, we have reaffirmed ur commitment to the Institute‘s ims and objectives. With the emerâ€" ence of a strong 4-H movement. I any of our youngest members have hosen to find their roots in that :4 up. The typical JWI member today ’s between 25 and 40 years-old with children still at home. Many of these embers work away from home and a substantial number of our members do not live on farms. The roots of the WV] are strongly rural, yet we have been flexible to realize that we need 0 meet the needs of our new. rural community which may include dis- placed urban women. The growth of JWI has not been spectacular since 1968. Yet there is a solidness there. Our rural groups strongly maintain an interest in the working farm. its strengths and its weaknesses, while our more urban groups help to bridge the gap between rural and urban lifestyles by supportr ing friendliness, communication and shared learning. Yes IV“ is like the pea plant in my garden. It has strong roots in the 90 yearâ€"old values of the Women's 1118“ mic and good gardeners in such people as Jean Scott and Dr. Chapman. We are not a mere seedling. nor are we a withered, old plant. We are a maturing plant which is hearing trim for the communities in which we ll\€ and work. We are a hybrid, Shaped by the w0rld in which we live and. I hope. stronger for being that hybrid. May your summer be filled iiiih many growing plants! Carol Hyde JWIO President Between the Lines Margaret Mu nro As I sit here writing, looking out at the snowflakes falling, thoughts of spring are on my mind. At the moment I am merely an observer watching nature create a beautiful, white wonderland. Shakespeare wrote, “All the world's a stage and all the men on it are merely players”. i think nature not only sets the stage, but also the rules. My favorite scene is spring. At that time, I stop being an observer to be- come an eager and enthusiastic par» ticipant. I always feel it is a chance for a fresh start to a new year. Once again, we prune, discardl plant and nurture in order that life may progress. Another phenomenon takes place. I am referring to the fever of spring cleaning where we copy nature by discarding the obsolete, the unrepair~ able in order to make room for the new or restored. We feel rejuvenated and full of vigor, ready to tackle anything. By the time you read this, spring will be here and you will have already started the process of the revised con- stitution by electing a program coâ€" ordinator and her committee. Take time to study and understand the constitution. It has been pruned â€" parts that no longer work, discarded. WI rejuvenated this Spring The scene has been set and you as members are the players. Your attitude your actions are what makes our organization and they will help to smooth the transition. We are celebrating 90 years this year. i hope you will all do something special to commemorate it and lrtClULlL‘ your community. Share with others your enthusiasm and achiewments. l know you can do it. I am sure you will do it, I know I can count on it and we can look forward to our town anniversary! Margaret Munro FWIO President AALP grads available as speakers The first group of participants of the Advanced Agricultural Leader- ship Program (AALP) completed their course in February. There are now 30 young men and women across Ontario who are equipped to speak to groups on various topics. A complete list of the graduates was sent to your district Wl secretary. if you are interested in learning more about these people. contact her, or write directly to Pat Mighton, Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program, Guelph Agri- culture Centre, P.O. Box 1030. Guelph, NIH 6N1. _â€"â€"#â€"-â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€" H & C April. May, June l987 5