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By Lorna McGrath 5 your Women' s Institute interested in get- ‘ng new members? Try the three P’s - be Positive. be Professional and be Prepared. Visualize the perfect Women‘s Institute Branch. Is it much like your's. but just a little improved? Think about it and draw a picture of this vision. This vision or dream is your goal. Plan your strategy. Think about why you joined the WI and write it down. What have you learned as a result of being a member? Write each point on separate notes. Group them together in categories. Doing these two exercises in a group setting will generate a greater variety of ideas. These thoughts are ammunition for your membership campaign. Compile the results and prepare invitations or brochures. List a wide range of activities. Practice inviting someone to your meeting; practice with a friend or in front ofthe mirror. Think of ways to improve your message and get right to the point. Write the key points down on cue cards to help you keep your facts straight. Include when and where the meeting is and the topic of the program. Get into action! Knock on doors! Invite people to attend the meeting as opposed to joining. Invite them to three interesting. well~ planned meetings, offering to pick them up each time. before asking them to join the organization. Think of all your members as “young at heart" - not as being young, middle-aged or old. And remember, every member is of equal value to the Women's Institute. If we describe ourselves as a rural organi- zation mainly interested in agriculture. some people will be deterred fromjoining. In fact. many of our current members are urbanites. not rural-based. We are all interested in the production ofsafc food. But our interests also include health, citizenship, leadership. com- munity projects, environmental issues and anything else that ensures a safe and healthy community. We are a caring society that believes in moral values and in families. The Women‘s Institute has three R‘s. They are Roots. Relevance and Recognition. Use these to our advantage, We could double the membership of the Women's Institute ifeach person was to find one new member. What about organizing a contest? Reward the member who brings in the most new mem- bers. This could be clone at the District and Area level as well. Don‘t get old - think young! Let age im- prove your attitude! Women's Institute is an educational organization. not a service club. We like our members to think young and stay involved. Encourage others to belong to the WI that thinks and acts young. Remember that the best advertisement for Women‘s Institute is right under your nose - your mouth. Make sure that what you say is positive. professional and planned. The best of luck to you in recruiting many new and enthusiastic members. Lav-nu ML'Grutll Lt the Membership Coordinator for the Federated Women ‘s IrLrIrruIet nfOnIarlu. She can be reached at RR 1, Elmvale 0N wL 1P0. Phone: (70513224320. Fur: (705)322-2761. .HUMAN INTEREST STORY: THE CHILDREN OF BELARUS By Heather Rasr April 26. 1986. an unauthorized experi- ent at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant caused the explosion of the reactor, spewing several tens of radioactive materials into the air. The power plantls located eight kilometers south of the Belarusian border and the winds were blowing north into Belarus that day. Belarus received 70 per cent of the radioactive fallout from Chernobyl. Over 18,000 square kilometers of agricultural land (22%) received fallout. Ofthis. 2,640 square kilometers was removed from agricultural pro- duction. Ton per cent of the milk produced was contaminated with excessive levels of radiation. The fallout affected 2.2 million people, of which 800.000 were children. In some areas of Be- larus. the rate of Thyroid cancer is 125 cases per mllllon children, as opposed to the worldwide average of one or two cases per million. The Canadlan Relief Fund for Chernobyl Vic- tlms In Belarus was founded in 1969 by Canadians ol Belamsian descent. Beginning In 1991, It was responsible for bringing children who were victims of Chernobyl to Canada. Over 500 children were invited to Canada in 1996. At present, the organization is oomplatelydev pendent on local community tund raistng. Currently. there are over 1.000 active volunteers and 4,000 donors in 82 communities across Canada. The Canadian Relief Fund invites children, including orphans lrom the contaminated re- gions of Belarus. into Canadian homes for six to ten weeks each summer. The children return to Belarus with strengthened immune systems and better able to resist the long-term effects at radiation. Even after this short period of recu- peration in a radiationâ€"tree zone. children have reported the disappearance of headaches, diz- ziness. irritability and leadulnoss, and they experience improved sleep patterns and a desire to participate in sports. Because of their involvement with Scouting over the years. Heather and her husband Ron volunteer their time to help Chernobyl victims because they believe all children should have the opportunity to live in a clean and healthy environment. They balleve that volunteerism, at the local. national or lntomational level. is the best work one can do in life. They also believe that organizations like The Canadian Relief Fund can help foster a spirit of understanding among the people of the world. Heather and Ron Floss are pictured above with two young children from Belarus, Andrei (right) and SB- sha (loft). They welcomed them into their home last summer for Six weeks. The children enjoyed swim- ming, biking and playing soccer, as wall as visiting many 0/ Ontario's summer fun sites. Heather and Ron wish to thank everyone for the generosity they showed the bays. Andrei will be returning this oom- ing summer. Healhzr is a member :1] the Avnnmn Women’s Institute in Perth South. She r'.r also the Office Assistant at the F WIO Provincial 0172:: in Guelph. Home 8- Country. Winter '97-93 13