WOMEN’S INSTITUTES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 April 1940, Page 8

WOMEN’S INSTITUTES

MEETING OF WAIRARAPA FEDERATION GATHERING IN MASTERTON. WELCOME BY DEPU r ®’-MAYOR. The second annual meeting of the Wairarapa Federation of Women's Institutes is being held today in the Masonic Hall. Masterton, Mrs Joblin (president Ibcing in the chair. Apologies for absence ware received from Mesdamc-s Freeman and Kc-ir. members of the executive. The gathering opened with the singing of "God Save the King" and the Ode to Friendship, the Aspiration and Prayer for Peace. The hostess institute is Solway-Ma-naia, assisted by Opaki. Kopuaranga. Te Ore Ore and Upper Plain. A welcome was extended to the delegates by the president of the Solway-Ma-nala Institute and by the Federation president, Mrs Joblin. The Deputy-Mayor, Councillor W. White, in the absence of the Mayor. Mr T. Jordan, extended a welcome to the delegates who, he observed, were present from as far away as Pirinoa. Tinui and Mauriceville. The following institutes were represented:— Kaituna-Fernridge, Upper Plain. Opaki, Solway-Manaia, Kopuaranga. Mt. Bruce, Mauriceville .Tinui. Gladstone, Carterton, Kahautara, Martinborough, Pirinoa. Te Oro Ore. Matarawa. Dalefield and Parkvale. An apology for absence was received from the Dyerville Institute.

Mrs Neil McKay, secretary, presented the annual report, which recorded good progress in the many activities of the federation. There were now 17 institutes in the federation, with' a total membership of 640 members. A good and varied selection of exhibits, was sent to the Centennial Exhibition. The main effort for the last six months had been the war work, the first task being to answer a questionnaire from headquarters for information of accommodation and help in the case of evacuation from danger areas to the country. Many institutes had sent parcels to the Red Cross and to the Finnish relief, and had made comforts for soldiers. The response to the request for parcels for soldiers resulted in 59 parcels being forwarded from the federation. Arrangements had been made for a visit from Miss Johnson, under the Sarah Ann Rhodes Fellowship in Home Science. She would be in the Wairarapa from May 1 to May 17. Three members of the federation were on a co-ordinating committee with the Women's Division of the Farmers’ Union for the Masterton district. and the federation had a representative on Mrs Jordan’s ladies’ auxiliary committee and the District Patriotic Committee. Thanks' were expressed to secretaries of institutes for their co-operation during the year. The following remit was adopted:— “That for the duration of the war all birthday and Christmas parties and presentations to retiring officers be foregone, and that members concentrate on war work." Miss O. Wolters gave a report on the recent Council meeting. (Proceeding.)