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' ""'""'e'r'rT'rv--"r' ". ve - "s ’ _ 1' SANFORD WOMEN'S INSTITUTE l _ " _ 2&9; _’ On August 10th, 1993. the Sanford Women's Institute was organized by Mrs. E I . l . . "$52-14“ , 3"“? '." w. E. lydurd, of Hamilton. at her summer home, "San Souci," Lake Rosseau. 'i, "i-, . _ A V‘ TV '." "" 3-3- 3 Mrs. Willoughhy Cummings, secretary of the National Council of Women, was 5 _ l _ “ _ _ T'. , C C I "j. Present, It? Miss Hunter, of the Household Science Branch, Department of Agri- I. , 'r.." .' cf" _ "rl, _ rl. V 5 culture. Miss Hunter spoke on the organization of the first WI. just six years $1“st Be a #7 r'r' (i. I l i ,5rl,trid"ttpira,1r9i, 13597- c1883 31:0 told the interested group of women that the RV l "rr a, _iiis, 'hi",. _" . f "'.t om an o T . ._ H _ L, = 'ak ‘ -",'-vi.-i-‘;“> 'tr ‘.-' be discussed at the meetings. un ry, and that neither religion nor politics must , " . - Tr', , -. ' ,i' _ _ . " ii Mrs. Sanford presided for the election of offieers whi . - _ tB hiss'riu, V v a ' . _ _ , ch were: resident, Mrs. r w tet, .7... _ X. _ ,William Trouten;_ secretary, Miss Edith Edwards. Sixteen memberl‘js joined, they ' v8MtN' . urfii'r'r' N" as tf l " wer?" Mrs-‘Wllliam Trouten, Mrs. Mex. Fraser, Mrs. Edwards, Miss Minnie We,',':??':)",':'-??:'-',-,,, 1 'm '.".r Edwards. Miss_Edith Edwards. Mrs. Kilian, Mrs. John Davidson, Miss May David- I', E ‘,§N wrfii":7 - " son. Mrs. Bellingham. _Miss Hazel Bellingham, Mrs. William Foulks, Miss Bessie 'tNs'i'1i.ri,?vif/f::'ififi. . _ ' . m" . Knight, Mrs. Boyce, Miss _Evans, Mrs. Cummings and Mrs, Sanford A Miss Bain 2 ' B, we“ 'ru"' a _ _ 1? 23:91:41;ngan 1{Eraser l'iigu,t, thBe _',1,i'i',t, meeting. With the exception of the , IEt tt ' TI , r"' ' s" ' , _ ' ' m rs were min rac enri . At thi ti . _ " v K. v _f"s' ' _ ”it; ' . called the "Erackenrie Women‘s Institute." g " lme the organization was . . . i) . , ' >17 ,' 1,j e ' ,, ‘5 For six years the meetinas were held in Braekenri Mr Ps tr ‘35:; KT.:, 'i ' _ " r . s. Sanford, the . , Pf ‘3» . w, Ks Honorary 2,tidE.te,,iihsi1Tik ii," extend the work, "ar"r'ri'/l'i)s's, a meeting of the ' fiiiiii'f'rdcTQ ""75? Terms}; at Port Carling, With a View to organizing and joining with Brackenrig. I.%8ER.rd'e, " l is p an was adopted and in September, 1909, a meeting was held, and the name "r ' "e'b".v'f' g "tar , l was changed to the "Sanford Women's Institute.” The members from Winder- Mil' ' ' l mere who had belonged to the Brackenrig WI Organized a branch of their own. Ejal . . _ . I 1 It was agreed that. one meeting a year was to be held in Brackenrig. The officers sa 'i'aN ' t?efte.d.,y?ssre: president, Mrs. Killen; secretary, Miss Edith Edwards, and treasurer, d Mrs. William Hanna. Then, as now, money had to be raised to carry on work Mrs. w. E. Senior beneficial to the home and community. Box socials proved to be one of the most popular means of raising funds in those days. When the war broke off: in 1914, this branch of the W1. carried on Red Cross work entirely, and all who could spare the time met in the Victoria Hall to sew, knit,_make surgical supplies, and pack boxes. In December of 1916 the regular meetings were resumed. in 1919 Reeve John Cope asked the “1.1 to co-operate with the council in making fiower beds at the locks. This they did until it was taken over by the Horticultural Suciety in 1934, The W.I. was instrumental in having medical .in- spection for the school children; helping to beautify the cemetery; donating Special l prices, both to the school and Agricultural Society; advocated garbage collection which resulted in_the splendid system we have today. . Always there was money to be raised for repairs to the Town Hall, until it 1ttearryerNtpe" to expend more money on it, so a separate fund was started. Ten shares in the Skating Rink were purchased, and the Wd, sponsored a carnival sugary Winter, the proceeds which of late years have been given to the rink utym- ee. _ . In 1339 the Second World War started and the W.f. once again did war work. At this time Mrs. E. G. Rankin was. president and Mrs. Louis Edwards secretary. Fa11rage campaigns were started to aid the war effort. Gifts were sent to the boys in the service, ditty bags packed for those on corvettes. Layettes were made and sent overseas. Members were asked to bring a tea bag to pack in boxes for over- seas. In 1943 one roll call was answered by taking an article of clothing for the Russians. Tom Temple and Lance Buttler were prisoners of war and special boxes were sent to them. A blood donors' clinic was organized. Fats and grease were collected and sold for the War Charities Fund. _ A . In November, 1945, Blue Cross was first discussed and many members had Joined‘by June of the next year. In November of 1945 the W.I. catered for the first Lions Banquet and cleared $35.88. In February of 1945 it was decided that the money in the War Charities Fund be turned in to the Town Hall Memorial Fund. In 1950 a Memorial Hall_Board was organized and it was agreed that the dishes be turned over to them, with the reservation that the W1. have use of them, tree of charge, as long as the organ- ization exrsts. ' _ In 19-16 Mr. George Blair, who was reeve at that time, suggested that the Town Hall be enlarged and remodelled as a Memorial to the boys who gave their lives in the war, and in September of 1952 his ambitions were realized. During these years the members 0f. the WJ. worked hard to equip the kitchen, with the result that today there IS china, linen, cutlery, cooking utensils, in fact everything needed to serve a banquet to one hundred and fifty people. The must memorable banquet was that which was given to celebrate the Wd. Golden Anniversary on Nevember 20th, 1953.. It was a_ Mother and Daughter banquet, and two of the charter members, the Misses Minnie and Edith Edwards, . were guests of honor: Two other charter members, Miss May Davidson (Mm C. l H. MCCuIley) and Miss Bessie Knight, are still living. " Also seated I' the head table were the ofhcers of 1953, president, Mrs, Ed. Wilson; 1ry:ietr,esjderaters. George Harris and Mrs. Dudley Penney; secretary, Mrs. Claude Duke; district director, Mrs. Gordon Fraser; local branch directors, Mrs. Lionel Cope-and Mrs. Roy Brown, and the gues) speaker, Past Provincial President Mrs. E. A. Duke, In 1952 the Tweedsmuir History Book was startedr and to date it whims the history of the Wd., the three churches, the business places, the organizations, the library, the boats, and most of the pioneer families. d . h t f it The WE. still.caters for the Lions Club dinners, an m t e Pfsf. EW years_i has catered for several wedding receptions. 11,1 fact, the W.1. Shut lives up to its reputation, of working fur everything beneficial to the communi y. ‘ ---,