YEAR BOOK S9

WOMEN'S INSTITUTES.

All but one or two of the forty Women’s Institutes now in op- eration throughout the Province were established within the past three years—first by Miss Catherine james and afterwards by Mrs. Dunbrack. Miss Hazel L. Stems of Souris is Supervisor of Womenis Institutes.

Seventy-five regular Institute Meetings held during the year, have been attended by the supervisors and fourteen public meet- ings have been held for the purpose of introducing the work and organizing Institutes. A number of additional meetings were ad- vertised to be held but were cancelled on account of inclement weather.

The second annual Women’s Institute Convention was held on July 20th and july ZISt. Thirty delegates and other Women’s Institute members attended. Since the outbreak of the war, Red Cross and other patriotic work has occupied much of the attention of the members. Up to December 3lSt the following amounts were collected by the Institutes for the various patriotic funds: Red Cross, $1850; Belgian Relief, $225; Patriotic, $700. The Supervisor Miss Sterns, reports that in addition to these amounts the following articles were made and sent either to the soldiers at the front or to the Red Cross Society: socks, 1250; sheets, I26 ; pillow slips, 263; handkerchiefs, 368; quilts, 47; shirts, 46! ; pajamas, 186 ; pillows, 36 ; face cloths, 395; towels, to ; Bnlaclava caps and dressing covers, 1569; mouth wipers, 3535; fracture cushions, [21 ; bandages, 123; rest pads, 24 ; cholera belts, 37; mittens, 21 pairs ; scarfs [4.

Besides the work thus performed upwards of $600 were raised and expended on the schools where Institutes were organized. This money was spent on the installation of water tanks and sanitary drinking cups, new seats and desks, school libraries, prizes for pupils, and repairs to school building. The improve- ment of the communities in a general way consisted in the repair- ing and lighting of public bath and the forming and equipping of base-ball clubs. In one district a splendid community library was established. Up to December 3ist 1915, over 350 applications were received for the Household Science Short Courses.