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An Address by the President of the Federated Women’s In- stitutes of Canada, Mrs. George Clarke of St. John’s, New- foundland -â€" presented at the Annual F .W.I.0. Officers’ Conference. “For the first convention that I attended after I was elected President in my own prov- ince, I took the theme, ‘Opening Doors.‘ It seemed to illustrate what I wanted to convey so well that I have kept it for my theme all through my term. I got the theme from an ar- ticle which I read some time ago comparing life to a corridor â€" a corridor with many doors. We go down this corridor every day. Some of us take no notice of the doors â€" we don't even see them â€"- we do just the hum- drum things every day until we come to the end of the corridor and the last door opens and we have to go through it and that is the end! What a dull existence! On the other hand, just think how interesting life would be if we opened as many doors as we could before that final one opens for us.” The above paragraph is quoted from Mrs. Clarke‘s address. Mrs. Clarke also mentioned the great admiâ€" ration and respect which she had had for the Federated Women's Institutes of Ontario part- ly because it was in Ontario that the Women‘s Institutes were first organized and partly beâ€" cause Ontario has maintained their large mem- bership through the years. The National President reviewed briefly the story of the spread of the Women‘s Institutes to the other provinces. Of her own province, she said, “Newfoundland has been a province of Canada for only twenty one years. Previous to that it was known as Britain‘s oldest Colony. In 1935 Women's In- stitutes came to Newfoundland through the cf- forts of a wife of a governor from England â€" Lady Anderson. She had learned about the Women‘s Institutes in England and thought it would be a good organization for Rural Newâ€" foundland. It was not until 1946 when I moved with my husband to Springdale, where he had been appointed magistrate that I was introduced to Jubilee Guilds, the name by which the Women’s Institutes were known un- til 1968.” One of her most interesting experiences durâ€" ing her term of office, recalled Mrs. Clarke. was the Seminar held in Yellowknife, North West Territories in July 1969. She told also of SUMMER 1970 having visited every province in Canada and her interest in the difference in projects from province to province While maintaining the same basic program. Some themes of Conicr~ ences and Conventions were: The Role of Women In A Changing World; Women‘s Place In the Second Century; Programming for Change; and The Challenge of Change. “The Citizenship Project for the 1970 Con- ference of the Federated Women’s Institutes of Canada is ‘The Second Century Challenge to Woman.‘ " Mrs. Clarke said. “I believe that the greatest challenge to women in this century is the challenge that was greatest in the past cen- tury â€" The Challenge of Bringing Up the Next Generation. Many smaller challenges lead to this, but this is the greatest. No matter what paths women take, whether they are on equal footing with men or not. whether they are gainfully employed or not, whether they are pursuing their own deve10pment or not â€" to mothers will still belong the responsibility of bringing up the children." In closing her address Mrs. Clarke quoted the Serenity Prayer; “God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, The courage to change the things we can. and The wisdom to know the difference." "But even as we pray this prayer in our own minds let us realize that the wisdom will not come by just desiring it. We must see the need, strive fer knowledge and understanding by two- way communication with each other â€"â€"I old and young and in doing so may we continue our endeavours, ‘For Home and Country.‘ " * ‘k * Travel My heart is warm with the friends I_ make, And better friends I'll not be knowmg Yet there isn't a train I wouldn't take, No matter where it's gomg. Edna St. Vincent Mellay. * * ‘k ‘19