Lady Tweedsmuir - A Countrywoman at Heart
“I am a Women's Institute member before anything else – immensely interested as I am in other organizations, both men's and women's, I feel happier and more at home at an Institute gathering than at any other meeting,” declared Her Excellency, the Lady Tweedsmuir, who attended three Women's Institute gatherings, Victoria, Port Hammond and Point Grey during her recent holiday at the Pacific Coast.
“I am proud to be a member of the Women's Institutes in Canada, as well as in England, because I feel that in doing so, I am participating in what is perhaps the greatest adult education movement in the world”, said Her Excellency in her formal addresses at two of these meetings. “The Women's Institute stands for the highest kind of education -- the kind we give ourselves. And so we must be a body of intelligent, well informed, scientifically minded women, we must aim to make our work – handicrafts, drama and music – FIRST rate not third or fourth. We should not be content with these being just 'good'; we should strive always to make them ‘better’.
“I'm a countrywoman like most of you,” Her Excellency declared at the Point Grey meeting. “I find there is a steadfastness, stability and fineness of character in rural women. Perhaps it is because they are up against greater odds of nature.”
Lady Tweedsmuir went on to visit with two hundred officers and members of the Women's Institute on Vancouver Island in the old historic Craigflower school house near Victoria. Her Excellency inspected a small but high quality exhibit of Institute crafts. This included rugs of Indian and Oriental design, made from wools grown, washed, carded, dyed and spun on Vancouver Island; buttons of wild spirea wood; small pine cone brooches; artistic baskets from local reeds and several fine specimens of weaving.
During her time in Port Hammond, she visited the local WI which had recently taken over the management of the Carnegie Library substation, now located in the fine new Women's Institute Community Hall. Her Excellency was charmed with the attractively furnished library and its efficient distribution. She expressed amazement at a so large and well equipped hall in a rural district and warmly congratulated the Hammond WI on it's courage in undertaking so great a task.
This visit was in spring time, and everywhere Lady Tweedsmuir went she was presented with beautiful fresh flowers from members gardens including a box of wild flowers sent by a member of Cloverdale.
A great visit!
Ruth Fenner, Provincial Historian, British Columbia Women's Institute
