SELF-PROFILE Firmly Planted in WI 8 y Artherm Ht'c’ker I live on St. Joseph‘slsland. an island in the stripping channel where the ships go through the Sault locks and on up to the Lakehead. Our population more than doubles during the summer months and in the fall of the year there are colour tours of the Island. Some years the colours are more spectacular than others. Last fall was exceptional. There is an old maple tree along the road- way to my home - it‘s probably as old as the Institute 7 and its colours were glorious, There were all shades of red. orange and yellow and right in the middle ol'the tree was an area ofgreen. The green offset the brilliant colours making the green appear greener. It was truly a magnificent sight. I thought that old maple tree was like the Women's Institute. The vibrant coloured leaves represented the many changes that our organization has experienced in the past 100 years. and those that are likely to happen in the near l'uture. The green leaves represented the core, that part ofthe organization that will not change. that refuses to change. Roughe ened by the weather and time. the trunk symbolizes the members. and the roots. which hold the tree so securely to the ground. are those who have gone bel'ore us. How like those leaves many ofus are. We refuse to change. or we kick and scream and raise an awful fuss. Change is sometimes hard to take. especially when it affects some- thing with which we are so familiar. Things are happening in our Women‘s In» stitute‘. change is in the wind. Nothing can happen. however. unless the Board of Direcâ€" tors vote on it. It isthe Board ofDireetors who decide the course our Institute will take. Be Tri-Area Visions North Convention :1 Great Success! assured that I will support the decisions made by the Board. Also be assured that when l have to make decisions. they will he thought through with great care. For the past seven or eight years I have worked at the local hardware store. seven miles from the nearest small town. Really. it is in the middle of nowhere, People drive 30 miles from Sault Ste. Marie to Shop there. Why? The answer is service. This includes listening and bending over backwards to ac- commodate the customer, Often. customers do not say exactly what they mean. Working at this store has taught me to be more diplo- matic. to have a great deal of patience and to really listen to people. These skills and my secretarial experience in labour and employee relations. my work teaching 4-H and religious education and my years of volunteering have helped me to grow into the person I am. These are the life expeâ€" riences that I brought to the organization as Board Director. as Nonhern Regional Vice- President and. now. as your President Elect. I believe that the Federated Women's Insti» tutes of Ontario has a great deal to offer members. their families and their communi- ties. AndI will doeverything possible to keep us strong and as ï¬rmly planted as that old maple tree. Artlieriu Het'ker H the President Elert n/ the Federated Women's Inxlrlulr‘x of Ontario, You can also read man tlbtlll/ lief mi page 12 of ritz- Summer ‘95 lJ‘JltL‘ of Home & Counrry. Have you considered a Bi- or Tri-Area Convention? At Visions North last fall. the Northern. North Central and Cochrane- Tamiskaming Areas successfully completed theirsecond Tri~Area Convention in the last live years. Corporate sponsorship, govem- merit grants and business support is more readily available when the participant numbers are increased. Innovative and educational programming stimulated WI members to realize their motto of “personal growth and community action." It you have any questions about how to organize this kind at convention, ask “Mary 1mm Massey." Mary Caldwell can be reached at 86 Pleasant Valley Rd HR 2. Massey ON POP 1P0. (705)865-3076. " 4 Home a Country. Spring '96 Donors to the FWIO Headquarters Fund BRANCHES: Altentord WI. Bruce Centre Aughrim WI. Lambton South Beamsville WI, Lincoln Bethel WI. Lanark South Bornholm Wl. Perth Centre Bowen Road WI, Welland East Brampton WI. Peel South Brooksdale WI. Oxford North Louise WI. Grey Centre Malcolm Wl, Bruce East Moorefield WI. Wellington North Rosehill WI. Peel North South Line WI. Bruce East Uniondale WI. Hastings West Zion Amabel Wl, Bruce North DISTRICTS: Algoma East Dutterin South Glengarry Grey North Grey West Huron South Ontario South Simcoe South AREAS: Central INDIVIDUALS: Bernice & William Gates Janine FIoelens-Grant Dorothy Sloss Jane LeVay Pauline Wetland IN MEMORIAM DONA‘nONS BY: Helen 8. George Bender Rose & Harold Blasing Cambray WI. Victoria West Dunchurch WI. Parry Sound South Lois Elliott Fairtleld Wl. Leeds Gillies Hills WI. Bruce East Gleneden WI. Grey South Gorrie WI. Huron East Laurentian View WI. Rentrew North North Tarentorus Wl, Algoma Centre Dorothy 8t Laverne Fleibling Reid‘s Corners WI. Bruce South Rutherford WI. Lambton South Sudbury West District Nola Tait Waverly wt. Simoce Centre Ruth & Albert Uetz Headquarters Fund as of March 1, 1996 - 5395.951