INSTITUTE FOUNDER

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 168, 3 June 1940, Page 6

INSTITUTE FOUNDER

SACRIFICE FOR WAR EFFORT The following is a strong appeal to . the Women's Institutes of the Dominion which has been received for publication from the founder of the institutes in New Zealand, Miss A. E. Jerome Spencer:— "There is no need to stress the extreme gravity of the international situation," writes Miss Spencer. "The responsible heads of the 33ritish Government and of all sections of the Empire and of our Allies are urging every man and woman to give at this moment their utmost of assistance in work and resources and to make every sacrifice to assist our armies' supreme efforts^ "I appeal to the Women's Institutes to sacrifice their great general meeting fixed for July next and contribute the aggregate funds so saved (in the neighbourhood of £4000) to some part of the total war etfort. We all know that, if- the Allies fail to win, there will thereafter be 110 women's institutes here or elsewhere in the Empire. We know, too, that now is the moment to act. This meeting is not due to be called again for two years. The agenda for this year, while of importance to the organisation internally, contains nothing (not even the revision of the constitution) that cannot be held over till better times. "The decision to sacrifice participation in the meeting is one for each individual institute to make (some have already so decided), and it can then write to headquarters and direct that such money as it may have already paid over be transferred to a fund for war purposes. It is the responsibility of the institutes in such an emergency to express their individual will. In a recent broadcast the French Prime Minister declared lhat* men and women in all parts of the world are coming to realise that this struggle directly affects their own countries, homes and lives. Like him I pray that they (and we members of the Women's Institutes) may not. do so too late."