FOURTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART VIII. 609 



everything to the general secretary of the district, and she alone reports 

 to the superintendent, so that the superintendent corresponds with one 

 general secretary in each electoral division. The greater number of wom- 

 tn's institutes in Ontario hold monthly meetings conducted by their mem- 

 bers. These branch institutes are the strongest and most useful point in 

 our organization. In this way we reach the places where the institutes are 

 most needed and do the most good. 



FUNDS FOR THE WORK. 



The Department of Agriculture gives each women's institute ten dol- 

 lars a year, and each also receives ten dollars from either the farmers* 

 institute or the county council, in some cases from both, thus giving it 

 something to start with. 



Another source of revenue is the yearly excursion to the agricultural 

 college. Each farmers' institute has an excursion during the month of 

 June. The women's institute receives some proportion of the funds pro- 

 vided, and they do all in their power to make it a success. 



The funds obtained from the grants and the excursion are spent by 

 the board of directors for work of the general society. Each member 

 pays a membership fee of twenty-five cents a year. This is within the 

 reach of everyone and gives all some interest in the institute. They 

 belong to it. This money is spent where collected, for renting of halls, 

 heating and lighting. 



EXTENT OF M0\T:MENT AND ELEMENTS OP SUCCESS. 



That this" system has worked well will, I think, be conclusively 

 proved by the number of institutes we have and their large membership. 

 There are in Ontario fifty-two women's institutes, aggregating a mem- 

 bership of over four thousand two hundred. At the same time we believe, 

 with Tennyson, that "the old order changeth, giving place to the new, 

 lest one good custom corrupt the world." We are ever in readiness to 

 change, ready to remodel our system in accordance with the needs of 

 the institute work. 



This year we are trying a summer session for women, as many of 

 them complain that the weather and roads are so bad in winter they do 

 not get any benefit from the winter meetings. The meetings are to begin 

 July 2d and last all the month. This is an experiment, but there is every 

 indication of it being a success. 



Another matter that has suggested itself to me is that we have an 

 institute traveling library, consisting of books bearing on our work. 

 This should be divided into sections, graded if you will, sending one sec- 

 tion to any institute that may desire it for a given length of time. Many 

 of our Ontario institutes are gradually getting a library of their own. By 

 the plan suggested many books would be within the reach of members 

 that they would never otherwise come in contact with. 



Though this movement has had a marvelous growth, the work is no 

 more all sunshine than anything else. We have our difficulties, the same 

 difficulties the farmers' institute met with years ago. For one thing, 

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