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N‘â€" WI Volunteers at the Agricultural Museum By Lynn Campbell This year marks the seventh anniverâ€" sary of the large, active Women's In- stilute volunteer program at the Ontario Agricultural Museum in Milton, Ontario. This year volunteers from I-Ialton, Wel- lington, Wentworth, and as far away as Oxford County will help the Museum in a myriad of ways. From interpreting our Mount View Women’s Institute Hall to helpingwith school programs and special events, Women's Institute members make an important contribution to the Museum. The Women's Institute Hall officially opened in 1979, the first yearof operation at the Museum. The Hall housed a small exhibit, including display panels and photographs on the history of the Women’s Institute. New kitchen facilities were built at the rear ofthe Hall allowing visiting Branches to hold meetings. The Hall was very busy hosting groups from all over the province for the next few years. In 1986, however, at a meeting of the Museum staff and the Women’s Institute Hall Committee, it was decided to change the interpretation of the Hall. Instead of being an exhibit building, the Hall be- came part of the Museum's Cross-roads Community, featuring buildings restored to a specific time period between 1910 and 1928. The Hall was structurally sound, but in order to "freeze" it in time, many changes had to be done to the interior. The interior decoration and artifacts associated with a Women’s institute Community Hall in 1928 replaced the exhibits. The kind of furnishings used in community halls during this period was researched and then purchased for the Mount View Hall. The interpretation of the Hall now focused on the important role of the Women‘s Institutes in the community at this time. In keeping with this theme, the Hall appears as if a Demonstration Lecture course in sewing hadjust finished for the day. Demonstration lectures were an im- portant education program of the Women‘s Institute at this time. in- augurated in 1911. these two-week lec- ture courses were held in many com- munities across the province for a mini- mal fee of 25 cents per person. Instruc- tors, hired by the Department ongricuI- ture, taught courses in sewing, first aid, cooking or miliinery. In 1928 alone over 5,000 rural Ontario women took these courses, a point stressed in the interpreta- tion of the Hall. In 1985 the Museum and the Women's Institute Hall Committee decided to exâ€" periment with a volunteer program to staff the Hall on special event weekends. In the first year 20 volunteers worked over 180 hours on special event weekends. The program was a decided success and continued to expand. Last year over 60 volunteers worked almost 700 hours! Now volunteers not only staff the Hall, they work on special school programs, act as hostesses for special events. and offer our visitors a taste of Pictured above are tht four of the many WI volunteers at the Museum. homemadebakingatsomespeciaievents. the proceeds of which go to local In- stitutes. As well, Women‘s Institute members have enthusiastically con- tributed to the Museum in other ways. such as participating in the "Country Quilt“ show. Today, Women's Institute volunteers play a vital role in the program at the Ontario Agricultural Museum by helping us educate visitors about rural life, agriculture and the Women's In- stitule. If you would like to become a Women’s Institute volunteer at the Museum, please contact your FWIO Board Director by April 15, or Dorene Collins at the Museum (PO. Box 38. Milton, Ontario, L9T 2Y3, (416)878- 8151), Each volunteer is required to at- tend a one-day training period in the spring scheduled for May 5, 1992. and to commit to working at specific times. We hope you will join us this spring season. Lynn Campbell is a Researcher at the Ontario Agricultural Museum in Milton. Le pouvoir d’une rose continue de [a page 11 vous puissiez faire est de feliciter quelqu'un on public au moment of; ii s'y attend 16 moins. Au cours d'une reunion d’un groupe d'enseignants a la retraite of: j'avais été invitée a titre de conférencier, des roses ont été données a quatre de leurs fideles membres. Une rose était destinée a la dame qui envoie les cartes de rétablissement, d’anniversaire et de condoléances. Une rose a également été remise a la responable du comité téléphonique, une autre a celle qui par- ticipe a toutes les reunions, et enfin une demiere rose a été donnée a un membre qui semble toujours prét a aider dans des situations difficiles. ll ne fail aucun doute que ces personnes font preuve de leader- ship dans leur organisation. it y a encore bien d‘autres fagons de remercier les gens, par exemple, en décernant des cer- tificats humoristiques, en dormant un colâ€" lage-maison, une rosette crochetée ou des rubans faitde papier de bricolage. Ce sont la des moyens peu cofiteux de faire un compliment. ll existe de nombreuses facons, a la fois simples et économiques, de moliver les membres de votre organisation et de les encourager a démontrer ties qualités de chef. N'oubliez surtout pas que les compliments ont toujours leur place! Cara Whittington est diplomee do Programme uvancé de leadership ogrt'cale. Elle posséde de l 'expérience en travail social e! 2112 présenre des exposés sur l'amaur- prapre, sur la fngon d’élever des enfants pasiufs, sur les communications ainsi que surle leadership organisational a! person nel. Elle et son maripossédem uneferme bovine slluée dans le comlé dc Peterborough. H 11 C January. February. March 1992 Il