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his copy of “Home and Coun- ’ has been prepared with a to make it of value to the ‘ ers and members when con- rmg the work of the various nding Committees at the ‘ ing Conventions and to en- ' them to formulate plans for ir respective branches during coming year. It is generally ognized that the Women’s In» utes and similar women’s or- izations have provided un- cedented opportunities for cation, service to the indi- ual, the family and the comâ€" nity, and wholesome sonial ortunities in many countries, - it has truthfully been stated Mrs. Janet Courtney in her k, “Countrywomen in Coun- " that the Women’s Institutes . e attained “a success so id and so striking that it has passed anything before done women in any part of the rld, or in any age of history.” he Institutes have been such orceful influence in rural life, ely it becomes those who have n chosen as leaders to give st careful consideration to 1 future of this organization. t is impossible to give more n the outstanding features of ivities and suggested prov ms under the various Stand- , Committees in this issue of ome and Country." Where a nch or district officer feels need of a fuller report on i e particular feature the De» tment will gladly send a ‘ cilled copy. In the great ma- ty of cases, however, the out- ; of program for the various nding Committees as given he first number of “Home 3 Country" and the summariz- report under each, presented ewith should give sufficient terial, to enable the branch icers to draft a satisfactory gram. 1 he members have, no doubt, n looking for an Annual Re- i t for the past two years, but - cost of publishing a report I sending a copy to each meni- is very considerable, and it thought that the money can utilized to better advantage other ways; so this issue of ome and Country" must take 7 place of the usual Annual art at the present time and shall hope to place another y of “Home and Country" of eral interest in the hands of members at an opportune months. It is most gratify- and encouraging to find the titutes in general carry on effectively. Lack of finances not prevent the branches i . carrying on a most worth» le educational program, and, r all, the main purpose of the itutes is education in Nutri- ‘ . Housing, Clothing and with problems. Education Convener, Mrs. A. D. MacDuugall, Maxville, Ont. hakespeare says: “ ‘Tis mind makes the body rich." A with intellectual resources never be poor. A well- ned and well-stored mind is ed great riches. Any mind - hich the fountains of knowl- e have been opened, and oh has been taught in any rable degree, to exercise its lties, will find sources of haustible interest in all that ounds it; in the objects of l _re. the achievements of art, imaginations of poetry, the dents. of history, the ways ankrnd, past and present, their prospects in the sac Watts» says: “The Mind's standard of the man." Cer- ly it is a better standard to s within the neat eight or' HOME and COUNTRY STANDING COMMITTEES measure men by than money. One cannot measure by a money standard such men as Emerson, Lincoln, Gladstone, Mozart and Luther. All these men were rich â€"rich in thoughts, in ideas, in the quality of the work they accomplished, and the world is forever indebted to them. The best investment any one can make is in the education of self, and then he Will never be poor. We quote Sir Robert Fal- coner, late Principal of Toronto University, as saying: “No mat» ter what system of education may be employed, the purpose of education is to train young men and women in the art of thinking. We aim to accustom the students to the problems they are going to meet in after life, so that, no matter what comes up before them, they may be able to marshal] all the facts, interpret them, and come to a wise and intelligent solution." We shall discuss the subject under three heads: “Education as related to the schools, as re latcd to Women’s Institute mem- bers; and as related to the com- munity. From the reports received we note a great interest is being taken in our schools. The Institute members are coA operating with the teachers, are taking their places as school trustees and many branches are continuing their assistance in having music taught in the schools. One branch was suc» cessful in having music intro- duced into five public schools, four of these being one«room schools. A new interest in penmanship is being encouraged by competi- tions and prizes, and is being added to Public Speaking and Spelling Competitions. Prizes are also given in the schools by the branches, to encourage neat- ness, regularity in attendance, proficiency in general and one branch reports sending a pupil to High School for one year. Donations to school-fairs are also being continued. Education as related to Insti- tute members: From one source comes the plea for more cultural development of all faculties with which man has been en- dowed,â€"the seeing eye, the hearing ear, the understanding heart, as well as the expert hand. This development will lead to a full life; for every faculty is intended to bring happiness to man when fully developed. Here- in lies the difference between narrow and abundant life. The greater number of things in which we take interest, the wider and fuller our life will be. If one interest fails us we easily turn to some other of the many things which have claimed our thoughts and we are never with- out a source of happineSs. Departmental literature seems to be used very freely in each report received, which shows that we have found out that the Department has a great deal to offer us which is of real worth, and which we can study with profit; all the more so as our Institute pocket-book is becom- ing flat and our money-making activities curtailed. This is quite apparent in the report from the north where their liberal use of literature, their practical pro- grams and interest in libraries contribute to their cultural de- velopment. Educational papers and ad- dresses are being given at branch meetings by the leading men of the community,â€"doctors, lawyers, bankers, ministers and music teachers, as well as by Institute members. The fact is pointed out that the radio, mo: tion pictures and libraries-are valuable adjuncts of educational development if these are wisely and intelligently used. This education of self cannot but react favorably on the life of the community. Interest in debates and drama is being well maintained throughout the branches. Illustrated lecturesâ€" Jack Miner and his bird sanctu- ary; and imaginary trips â€" New York to Japan, via Panama Canalâ€"are contributory factors to the educational work of the Institutes in some communities. Coaching classes, judging com- petitions, sending irls to Girls’ Conference as we! as sending delegates to various conventions and the demonstrationâ€"lecture courses are proving very popuâ€" lar among our branches. A splendid piece of community work followed. A month's course in agriculture for boys and Home Economics for girls, a Junior Farmers’ Club and a Junior Institute were organized, and are carrying on most suc- cessfully._ “These courses and organizations are not so much to keep young people on the farm, but to provide something both educational and recreational for those who choose to remain on. the farms.” In conclusion the present day need seems to be “mind.” We have brain power enough in Canada if we encourage those factors which tend to make Canadians leaders of thought and opinion, instead of followâ€" :rs, which they have so often can. Health and Child Welfare Convener, Mrs. W. F. Parsons, Port Credit. Ont. In these times. when one is accustomed to hear organiza- tions discussing ways and means of retrenching, it is certainly a pleasure to report of Health and Child Welfare, that there has been no retrenchment, but again steady progress has been shown. Practically every branch has held at least one Health meeting and very valuable health educa- tion has been carried on not only by theApapers and demonstra- tions given at these meetings, but by the general distribution of Health literature. A_ great many branches report haVing had medical inspection in the school followed by a clinic where the necessary operations were performed, the Institute bearing the expenses when the parents are unable to do so. The Institutes not only look after the sanitation and general hygienic surroundings of the schools but have equipped them with First Aid Kits. Where there is not a school nurse, some member of the Institute who has had train- ing gives demonstrations to the children on the use of First Aid equipment. In many places it is reported that the children have become most efficient, and seri- ous results have been averted when accidents have happened. Providing School Lunches has not only been continued but is becoming more general, some branches offering prizes for the best school lunches suited to the seasons of the year; this is a means of educating re the value of proper diet for school chil» dren. The branches continue assist- ing the local hospitals and where necessary making provision for a doctor’s services or nursing care to those unable to go to hospital to secure this for themselves. Perhaps the most valuable work has been done along the line of preventive medicine; from all sections of the country come reports telling of the number of children who have been immun- ized, one county alone report- ing over five thousand children having been given immunization treatments. That there is still a great deal to be done in this field is very strikingly expressed by Professor Roy Fraser, of Mt. Allison University, who in a re- cent address stated that he believed from fifty to seventy- five per cent of diseases to be preventable and that the cost of the unnecessary disease and pre- mature deaths in Canada alone exceeded the present national de- ficit. He said, “The blackest blot on our civilization is the tragedy of a little child sufiering from a preventable disease." As a resultof the survey made by the Women's Institutes many children have been given a fair chance in life, the Institutes vis- iting in the homes and reporting all cases where help was re- quired to the proper authorities. In all this work they have been most ably assisted by the exist- ing service clubs. Health means not only a strong and active body but a clear, well-balanced mind. Our programme must be an all in- clusive one embracing individual and community health, health of body, mind and spirit. If our programme is to do all that, it is necessary that we should know our community, therefore members of each branch should make a survey of their community, noting any- thing that is detrimental to health, such as unsanitary hous- ing or contaminated water sup- ply, for any centre of infection is a danger to the entire com- munity Ascertain the number who are ill temporarily or chrom ically, noting whether they are a. public charge or not, for a com- munity is prosperous or other- wise according to the number of people who are self»supporting, or better still, making a contri- bution to the public good. Take a census of the children of pre-school age, and, if pos- sible, have them immunized against contagious diseases. If there are any children suffering from either mental or physical defects, see that they receive the benefit of all that scientific treat- ment can do for them. The case of any crippled children whose parents are not able to give them the necessary treatment should ho reported either to the Society for Crippled Children, Medical Arts Building, Toronto, or a nearby service club. Children who are mentally ill should be reported to the Superintendent of Auxiliary Classes, Parliament Buildings,Toronto. Consult with your school teacher and find out how many children have been absent from the school through preventable diseases, and, if pos- sible, learn the cause. When you have the facts you are in a position to have the de- fects corrected. It has been said that the Women's Institutes have trans- formed the rural school and made it not only a pleasant but r. sanitary and healthful spot. They have provided a pure water supply, necessary sanitary con- veniences, have secured heat and lighting that meet the require- ments for the comfort and health of the children. They have provided hot lunches and, where necessary, given milk, or other- wise supplemented the food of the school children, and while medical inspection has not yei been secured for all schools, we feel that the work the Institutes have done has developed a health consciousness, which will not be satisfied until the proper inspection has been secured. Is your school up to the standard? Have you placed a First Aid Kit in it’.’ What a great help the Insti- tute can be to the young mother who knows that the members are interested in her welfare and are ready to give her practical help and advice if she needs it. What has been accomplished in making maternity safe in Ontario would more than justify the existence of the Institutes if they had done nothing else. Has your branch is layette basket on hand? Have you made use of the Little Blue Books? Practically all of the branch Institutes devote at least one of their regular meetings to health. Respond to the roll call with “What I keep in my medicine cabinet," “Hints on First Aid," or something along this line. It is possible to make a survey and present it to the members who will all be anxious to assist in doing whatever is necessary. Always try to interest your local doctor, and school or community nurse, if you have one, and in- vite them to come to your meet- ing and tell you what you can do to assist them in their work. As each community has i3 own particular needs, we sug' gest that you try to find the greatest need of the community and if possible meet this need. Agriculture Convener, Mrs. J. A. Deviney, Vernonville. Out. As the basic industry of the country, agricultural interests should occupy some of the in- telligent thought of all home- makers. As an organization dealing with the activities of rural homeniakers the Women's Institutes should devote cnnsi - erable time and thought to agri- culture froni the standpoint of both producer and consumer. Some one has said, “The farm- er is God's partner in giving to the World the food it must have," so let us as Institute members boost our business and our com- munity more than ever before and we will be doing a wonderful work for Agriculture. A letter from the Hon. T. L. Kennedy, Minister of Agricul- ture, conveys this message, “In recent years a definite need has been felt for agricultural re- search work and ‘Better Market- ing' of our farm products and these two new activities have been receiving considerable atâ€" tention. In spite of hard times,” said the Minister, “I belieVe this province is in better shape than any other province in Canada, or any state in the Union." Conserve the woodlands by keeping the stock out of new for- est growth and. the water flow will be bigger and steadier. How many are making their own Certo? Some of our meni- bers have done it very success- fully out of green apples (green plums). Kingston Area gives us the recipe. Does any one do her own egg grading? This is done success- fully by members in London Area. Some Institutes pay a bounty on woodchucks a n d rabbits. School Fairs are claiming the in- terest of some Institutfi; in one section a large tent was rented and used by six Institutes where prize competitions were held. Prizes were awarded for displays of vegetables, menu for a child five years old, bouquets and bat pair of chickens. Many Institutes served meals at School Fairs, also at Agriculâ€" tural Fairs. One Branch paid 50c. to each school taking part in the Strathcona exercises. Incomes have been augmented by the sale of home-made lardâ€" by sale of bulbs, roots, shrubs, etc.â€"by sale of fruits, veget- ables. melons, etc, to tourists. When chickens cannot be sold at a fair price théy could be can- ned in tin cans, by use of a cap- per and disposed of at a fair price. Beautification: Institutes are continuing to clean up cemeter» ies, around memorials, waste places in town and country. One branch amumed the care of a soldiers' memorial plot, keeping it free of weeds. Are we as In- stitutes trying to keep down weeds or help the weed inspector by reminding him of his job by pointing out places that need attention? We are glad‘ to note