WOMEN'S INSTITUTE REPORT. 



Institutes are far apart and lack the stimulus o'f visits from one another 

 and the isolated Institutes have suffered considerably, partly for this 

 reason and partly because they Were originally organized in an incomplete 

 manner arid since left to themselves. 



Through the medium of the Secretary of the Board, papers by Women 

 Institute members are now being .exchanged among the Institutes and u 

 friendly feeling is thus engendered. If the reports from the Secretaries 

 could be made in triplicate so that the Secretary of the Board could have 

 a copy, there would be still better connection with the Institutes. Still 

 another means was the publication of our Women's Institute Bulletin. 

 This publication with its department, "Notes From The Institutes" was 

 a happy medium in closer connection. The Board has tried also during 

 the year to keep in touch with the work of the Institutes by sending out. 

 articles to different publications dealing with thei r special work. These 

 articles bring a direct message from the outer world and have often led 

 to free discussion at the meetings. Pamphlets of a special interest 

 published elsewhere have from time to time at the request of the Board 

 been purchased by the Department and sent to the Institutes. This has 

 been another feature in linking up our Institutes. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



Tl.t'3 main work of the (Secretary of the Board has been the corre- 

 spondence. Some idea of how this has increased may be judged by ths 

 fact that in April and May over 300 letters were dealt with. An average 

 <?f 100 letters a month has been kept up. As has been explained little 

 of this is routine correspondence, as every Institute presents different 

 problems, and requires varying attention. Great care has had to be 

 exercised with the letters sent out from the Board. The members are 

 new to their position; to acquire the special official view point, to give 

 sympathetic attention to the divers problems suggested, and yet not in 

 any w<o to exceed their duties, but in every way to fulfil! their responsi- 

 bilities was not an easy task for women occupying for the first time, 

 positions of this nature. That, however, we have succeeded in fitting 

 in without trouble. It must be recognized as in part due to the care with 

 which the correspondence was conducted. This part o? the work has 

 been most interesting, and the members feel that they have been able 

 to be of some direct benefit. 



LITERARY WORK. 



Tho literary work of the Board has naturally devolved upon the 

 Secretary, and has been an important and pleasing part of the work. 

 Manuscript has been sent from time to time to the Cranbrook Prospector, 

 The Victoria Times, The Vancouver Chronicle, and regularly since it was 

 selected .as our official journal, to the Canadian Home Journal. Attention 

 is drawn to the fact that although matter has been sent regularly so far 

 only the introductory notice has appeared and even that not headed as 

 sent. The Secretary should be instructed to take the matter up with the 

 journal. A number of other newspapers and magazines on the Pacific 



