The Women’s

InstitutesLesson 1: History

Alison Parvin

ADED 380, Sumer 2013

Started Febuary 19th 1897

Founder, Adelaide Hoodless

Farmer’s Institute meeting in SaltfleetTownship

Instigated women’s own meeting a week later.

Erland Lee chaired first W.I. meeting

The Institutes would meet

once a month.

Their focus was on ‘agricultural extension

work, health and education policy, and all

house-wifely activities’ (Dennison, 1970, p56).

Implemented through a series of lectures or

demonstrations.

Later, there were printed materials: The

Women’s Institute Quarterly, Agriculture

Journal and other institute publications’

(Dennison 1970 p57).

Educational ElementElementary education was not compulsory, at least in British Columbian schools, until 1921 and so the W.I.’s provided instruction that ‘overcame the lack of education, and therefore lack of self-confidence,’ in the women (Dennison, 1970, p57).

Education in the W.I.’s was

offered in five subject areas:

Institute work and methods

Legislation

Home economics

Agriculture

Health

Later, there were printed materials: The Women’s

Institute Quarterly, Agriculture Journal and other

institute publications’ (Dennison 1970 p57).

‘For Home and Country’Motto was Adelaide’s suggestion. Adopted in

Ontario then across the world.

Government aid

As the ‘government began to give

attention to the living conditions on

farms,’ it sponsored the Farmer’s Institutes

to educate farmers so their ‘labours would

be easier and more productive’

(Dennison, 1970 p55).

Government aid

In the same vein, ‘by organising the W.I.’s

it promote (d) its agricultural policy;

educating ‘women in ways of making the

farm more inviting’ and enlist the

women’s aid in making agriculture more

appealing to their children’

(Dennison,1970, p55).

Government aid

Dennison quotes an extract of a

government article in which it is stated

that,

‘Agriculture is the basic industry of our

country; the child is the greatest asset

and the status of womanhood is the

standard of civilisation’

(Dennison 1970, p55).

Community Involvements:

‘preserving historical sites,

beautifying public areas, and

sponsoring ‘clean-up’ days’ (Dennison,

1970, p62).

Some ‘purchased land for cemeteries

and took active part in their upkeep and

improvement.’

Community Involvements:

‘Acquisition of garbage disposal sites,

Better sewer systems, and

Implementation or building fire halls’

(Dennison, 1970, p62).

‘It was a priority of all institutes to

implement library facilities, either travelling

or permanent’ (Dennison, 1970, p60)

Community Involvements:

World War I: conserving food by canning, and occupied in ‘practical sewing including remaking of old clothes.’

World War II: preserving by drying food stuffs: canning was limited by the sugar rationing.

BC Children’s hospital: initial donation made to start Crippled Children’s Hospital www.bcwi.ca

End of Lesson 1TASK: Write a journal entry with yourself as either a) a

woman attending a W.I. meeting or b) from a family

member’s perspective. Submit to: (*********)

NEXT: The W.I.’s five core elements of education

References: British Columbia’s Women’s Institutes, Notes

on BCWI’s motto (n.d.) Retrieved from http://www.bcwi.ca/

Crowley, T., (1992) Civic Housekeepers: The Halifax Local Council of Women, 1910-1921. In Welton, M. R. (Ed), Educating for a Brighter Day: Women’s Organisations as Learning Sites.

Dennison, C. 1970, Houskeepers of the Community – The BC Women’s Institutes 1909 – 1946. In Welton, M. R., Knowledge for the People: The Struggle for Adult Learning in English Speaking Canada 1828-1973