BELGIUM. 



I. THE THIRD CONGRESS OF FARJ^IWOMEN'S ClyUBS AT GHENT. 



SOXJRCES : 



I,ES ASSOCIATIONS DE FeRM^IRES - lyE R6lE PROFESSIONNEL DE LA FERJUfeRE - I^A FERMfeiRE 



m6re DE FAMiLLE ET MfeNAGERE. {Farmwomeu's Clubs. — The Professional Role of the 

 Farmwoman. — The Farmwoman as Mother and House-wife). Reports preserted at the 3rd. 

 Congress of Farmwomen's Clubs at Ghent, 1913. Brussels, "National Committee of the 

 Federations of Farmwomen's Clubs"; 1913. 



IvES PRES'CIPAUX VCEUX AD0PT6S PAR LE III6ME CONGRi;S DE3 CERCLES DE FERMIERES ; 12-13 



JuiN 1913 {Principal Resolutions approved at the ^rd. Compress of Farmivomen's Clubs: June 

 i2th.-i$th., 1913) "Village Moderne ", Brussels, Goemaere, 1913. 



§ I. Programme of the congress. 



We have already had occasion to deal with the organization and 

 objects of the Farmwomen's Clubs in other numbers of this Bulletin (i) . 

 First started about ten years ago in Canada and the United States, they 

 were soon widely established also in Europe, especially in Belgium, where 

 they were recognised as among the most effectual means for educating the 

 rural classes and arresting the depopulation of the country districts. 



Belgium, with its large experience of the benefits of associations, under- 

 stood that in order to facilitate their delicate mission for the peasant women, 

 it was necessary to unite their efforts, to show the young women and the 

 mothers the advantages of country life, to train them and give them 

 professional instruction, to fit them to carry on the small industries in 

 connection with the farm. 



On this basis, the first farm women's clubs have arisen, in which the or- 

 ganization is simple and the contributions are small, provided with rich 

 libraries of hooks on health, rural economy, etc. Lectures and lessons are 

 given in them periodically, and shows and prize competitions etc. held. 



(i) See uumbers for May 31st., 191 1, pages 43 et stqq., and October, 19x3, page 

 et seqq. 



