WI museum tells story of group’s development thy JILL CLEAVER Sta" Writer UNEY CREEK 7 Before usuming her new duties as curator at the Erla nd Lee Museum Home. Jennifer Dunkerson had to do her homework. Having grown up in the anontoarea, she had little contact With the ruralbztsed Women's Insitute 1 WI» which operates the museum "They have always been working for what the y believe in and that’s what / admire mosf. †So the University of Waterloo student set out to learn as much tts possible about the “'1, During her extensive ' arch, she became noted with the WI's history. which began in 1397 when about Ith rural women gathered to discuss ways at intprovtng their humemaktng and child care skills Since then. Wl has grown to a a orId-wide organizatton wtth some 20,000 members in Ontario tllld 43.000 in Canada r . tle portng through the group's htstur)‘. Dunkerson developed a real admiration {or the \\'['s val ues “They have always been norking for what the) heltet e ttt gtnd that'strhztt ladnttrentust.†she said, Dunkerson said the \\‘t has great strength and L‘UmmllmL‘nl to its work and has lasted so long “because it has been n place where women can get together sootally and stand up and speak out about what they believe tn." Jennitar Dunkerson is the new curator at the Erland Lee Museum Home In Stoney Creek, Dressed in a period costume. she ls shown in tron! of the museum. Stun phnta The organization was, and still is: non-denominational and has no political allaehments. Dunkerson says the museum. former home of WI eo-tounders Janet and Erland Lee, ts the perfect local potnt for tractng the histnr} of both the \VI and Untario The home has been in the Lee family since 1801 and relleuts various stages of det'elupmentt says Dunkerson, Located on Ridge ltoad tn Stoney Creek, it has been owned and operated by the Federated \t'onten‘s Institutes of Ontario since 1971! Dunkerson. \t he began her next jttlt.\pl'l| 13, !~ tlt‘lurttttttt‘tl tu lump the ru'lt 't\ l Itm'urj. ttlu I' Ht'ktttgutzlt tttpltwlht urr \- rtt’l\ lttlt'l'l slut ttply rtl>l.tlllttll‘~ at. :' ltrll'llt' "Nut; '_ w llftl‘lt.’ wt lt ltu‘ .tnl‘ t- tt- tntpletttettt .l‘lht‘ltlltu‘Jltl tml }!:_tt!t_ttlw\; t ['t v . u WOMEN’S INS UTE “’ fl Jenmter Dmierson t5 the new curator at the Er» tngtttute month _ celebrated in June - F-arrrh land L Novâ€"rm rlo'ne m Stn'tar Creek The mg today has put together a series 0! articles museum meme; :7-' tne Federall'd Women s on the worldwtoe organizatlon Please see tnstt'utes 0' Ontario ts me tom'th home 0‘ the [3.39252 3 561.8 ‘ ‘ wl 5 :o-Iatmder ln Conturcltort «nth Women s SlattnhalobyllllClEA’E“ Ill-9 ette py‘tlfll'lltlt til the 1 l‘lt \ ~hr»l' Ill ~tt.tn_\ ltt Pllltl cutttes Complr’t’ orttal 3rlllttt‘l5 lmth the ’tlrlnr} at \\l Jul! 0 Dur more proles the museum 3 addtttotmt tu't prolesstomltsnt ttmttted "l' teltttlethttt thatu‘un make a real dtlference In the