The 1918 Flu pandemic infected approximately 500 million people – or about 1 in 3 of the world's total population at that time. Of those infected, between 20 and 50 million died in the aftermath of the Great War and this horrific disaster, people were understandably concerned that the future of the next generation of the nations children must be assured. The British Columbia Women's Institute reviewed the larger number of recruits who had been rejected for military service and found many were for defects which could have been corrected in childhood. This news gave greater emphasis toward improving public health and public health care.

The BC Federation of Agriculture met late in 1985 in Richmond BC. In attendance were two BC WI members who submitted an excellent report, summarized here.

The Honourable John Wise, Federal Minister of Agriculture, the main speaker for the event, included in his remarks, the following points: FIGURES ARE FOR 1985!

      - BC has the greatest range of different types of agriculture in Canada

–        1 in 7 Canadians make their living from agriculture or agriculture related industries

–        agriculture makes up 10% of our gross national product

–        9.7 billion dollars worth of agricultural products were exported last year  and exports accounted for half of Canada's agricultural sales last year

When I first came to this part of the country, my mother-in-law took me, one evening, to her monthly WI meeting. For one thing, I thought it to be a good way to get to know the people of this area. And as she had shown me a beautiful quilt he group had made, and I enjoy needlework very much myself, I was very enthusiastic in going with her. This was my first acquaintance with the British Columbia Women's Institute.

A woman who has had a tremendous effect on Institute life from local to international is Mary Stewart who, in 1904, composed the Collect for Club Women which is recited at branch, district, provincial, national as well as world conferences.

A Women's Institute Member is a female of uncertain age usually somewhere between 19 and 90.

A Women's Institute Member may come in a variety of sizes, shapes, skin tones, and hair colour. The latter may change frequently. Hair styles vary also, from the plain twist to tassels of curls.

From  the May 1936 “Country Life On BC” and written by Elizabeth Bailey Price an attendee at the  Associated Country Women of the World Conference in Washington, DC, this is a report on the activities at the Conference. The headline to the article is: “City Women Expect Too Much of Rural Areas”. The following four paragraphs explain the headline.

“WYNNDEL ANGRY

Members of Wynndel WI are very angry over the felling of their Coronation Oak tree by a Department of Highways employee to make way for a new sidewalk. The tree had been send to the Institute by the British Government in 1934 and was from the Great Oak Forest in England, to commemorate the the crowning of King George and Queen Elizabeth. Walter Copper, and experienced  gardener, nurtured the small seedling for seven years. The tree was  admired and written about many times and was an historical landmark. WI members in the Creston area are very angry over this needless destruction  without a chance to work out a solution.”

“WYNNDEL ANGRY

Members of Wynndel WI are very angry over the felling of their Coronation Oak tree by a Department of Highways employee to make way for a new sidewalk. The tree had been send to the Institute by the British Government in 1934 and was from the Great Oak Forest in England, to commemorate the the crowning of King George and Queen Elizabeth. Walter Copper, and experienced  gardener, nurtured the small seedling for seven years. The tree was  admired and written about many times and was an historical landmark. WI members in the Creston area are very angry over this needless destruction  without a chance to work out a solution.”

For many years the question on a flower emblem for BC was a matter of debate. Many people felt that it should be the dogwood which grows in such glorious profusion in the Coastal area. But objections came from those living in colder regions of the province where the dogwood did not grow. And then a book on flowers of BC was published by Chess Lyons and in that book he listed the red osier as a member of the dogwood family.

“Women of any nation have  a special part to play

But it is hard to tell it in a simple sort of way.

One Christmas Carol that has always baffled me: what in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially a partridge that won't

come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas?

Every year from November 25 to December 10 is the 16 Days  international campaign aimed at raising awareness and calling for the  end of violence against women and girls. It starts on the International  Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and concludes on  International Human Rights Day, linking gender-based violence to human  rights. The campaign encourages collective action through public events,  advocacy, and supporting organizations that work to prevent violence,  challenge harmful social norms, and support survivors. 

In November our thoughts turn to Remembrance Day and the ceremonies held in our communities to acknowledge the heroism and sacrifices made by the combatants. We remember the military leaders and the young men who followed them – those who never came home - many of them in unmarked graves.

Lord and Lady Tweedsmuir served as the vice Regal couple in Canada from 1935 until 1940. Both were writers of some note in their native England, and Lady Tweedsmuir was an avid supporter of the Women's Institute – in fact she was a member of the British WI as well as a member here in Canada.

In this column I wish to draw the members attention to the diverse programs the Women's Institutes have been involved with over many years.

July 25, 1913 – October 27, 2014

It is with great sadness that the family of Elizabeth (Betty) Golata announce her passing on October 27, 2014 at the age of 101 years, 3 months.

For 75 years the International Peace Garden has been a unique  tribute to the peace and friendship between the people of Canada and the United States of America. Dedication of the International Peace Garden (on the border of Manitoba and North Dakota) took place on July 14, 1932. The simple boundary marker (a cairn built of stones gathered from both sided of the border) bears a plaque reading:

In the early 1920's there were no special health services in British Columbia to serve the special needs of children with health issues. When the Women's Institute were contacted by Mrs. Edith Scott who was seeking health care for her 10 year old daughter who suffered from an injured spine, she could not find the assistance the girl needed. Finally she wrote to the British Columbia Women's Institute with a plea for help.

In the course of the 1939 Royal Visit of King George VI and his wife Queen Elizabeth, the King at one point made this observation: