The Institute women cleaned and painted their schools, provided books, water fountains, maps, desks, blackboards, storm windows, a flag and flag pole, and blinds, just to name a few. They also saw to the installation of such things as hardwood floors, modern sinks, drinking fountains, and toilets. The Greenwich Institute Branch even bought an organ for their school.

The work of the Institute women was often recognized in the Department of Education reports. School Inspector Augustus Cairns stated in 1919, “Where one (Women‘s Institute) is found the school or schools in that locality are well looked after." (18) The men saw to the basics, but it was the maternal nature of the women and the mothers that saw to all the necessities. In most of the districts where one—room schools were located in the St. Peters area, branches of the Women’s Institute were in place. Each Institute Branch had a “School Committee" that visited the schools and took note of improvements to be made and items to be purchased for the school.

The work done by the women of the Institutes was recognized and taken seriously. At the March Meeting of the Greenwich Institute in 1929, a letter was read that displays the level of involvement of the Institutes with respect to education:

A letter was read from the school supply branch asking the Institute to buy an atlas for the school and another letter from the Prince Edward Island Teachers Federation asking our support in placing a resolution before the government for increases in salaries. (19*

The Goose River Branch made partial payment for the school loan in March of 1957, scrubbed the schoolhouse and painted the fence in the summer of 1962, and entered their school in a school beautification contest in 1964. (20) The St. Peters South Institute Branch, in addition to attending to its own school on the south side of the Bay, also contributed to the school on the North side. In February of 1953, the Institute “moved and seconded that $32.50 be given to St. Peters North School as a final share in the beautification contest. Moved and seconded that the $50.00 of the South side be left in the bank for later use.” (21)

THE DEVELOPMENT OF HEALTH IN RURAL SCHOOLS:

There is often no yardstick for measuring the amount of help, which can be given a child, teacher or to afamily by a visit ofa Public Health Nurse to a school

- Harold Hynes (22)

l The present Teacher’s Federation was established in 1946.

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