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Centennial Update By Katherine Garwood he “countdown” is on! One hundred years of the Women's Institute is on the horizon! Each of the fourteen Areas across Ontario has now been designated a project to help celebrate the Centennial » so there are a total of fourteen projects! Members are encouraged to call their Area Secretary to find out more about their Area's part in the Centennial celebrations. Now, for a bit of a review: Who is the Centennial Committee? What do they do? The first meeting of the Cen- tennial Committee was held in October of 1988. Margaret Zoeller was selected as Chair, heading three members and the President Elect. Later, a Treasurer, Helen Duffield, was added to keep the Centennial books balanced! The Centennial Committee oversees and coordinates Centennial Celebrations en~ suring that all Areas across Ontario are involved. The first “seed” money to support the Committee‘s projects was raised through the sale of Blue Bags across the Province, A big “thank you" to the Arkell Branch in the Guelph Area who so competently han- dled blue bag sales and distribution. Since 1988, we‘ve seen the acceptance of aCentennial Logo, designed by Evelyn Tinkers of Avonmore, Ontario Requests to use the logo on Institute projects for sale are to be made to Ruth Crump of 6771 Middle Side Road. RR], McGregor. Ontario, NOR 110. The London Area did a wonderful job organizing at Centennial Plate Competi» tion. A preview of this limited edition plate was unveiled at the Provincial Board meet- ing in March; remember. the membership will receive their orders after June lst. There are less than 800 plates remaining with orders still steadily coming in. At present. there are two more competi- tions on the go, The Grey-Bruce Area is busy with the Quilt Competition » “Pat» terns of Time." Already, the interest 4 Home &Country, Summer'94 The Women’s Institute 1897 - 1997 - 100 ANNIVERSARY For Home and Country generated in this competition is extremely high. We encourage all members across Ontario to enter a quilt. We would like to fill the Gambrel Bam at the Ontario Agriâ€" cultural Museum in the summer of I995, so please ask your Branch Secretary for a copy of the Quilt Competition brochure. Happy stitching! From the Cochrane-Timiskaining Area, Branches will have recently received a arochure/entry form for the Song Compeâ€" tition. This song will be sung first on Women's Institute Day at the Ontario Ag. ricultural Museum planned for June 14, 1995. Not only is the Women‘s Institute capable of producing artists, designers and fine quilters, we are confident there are some excellent composers out there! Once again, the Centennial Committee encourages each member to enter every competition and each Branch to keep their community abreast of the Centennial plans. Please send your ideas for celebrat- ing our Centennial to the Centennial Committee, c/o Margaret Zoeller, 2206 â€" 6 Willow St., Waterloo, Ontario, N2] 483. Katherine Garwood is the Secretary of the Centennial Committee. By Peggy Knapp In this International Year of the Fam- ily, I wonder if we all know the way it began, or that it began here, in Can- ada! In 1983, at the ACWW Triennial Conference in Vancouver, Les Cercles de Femiieres brought forward a Resoâ€" lution for ACWW to request the United Nations to declare an International Year of the Family. Eleven years later, around the world, the value of the family unit is being looked at, its importance to the community being rec- ognized, and its contribution to the social structure evaluated. It is a year for us, as Women’s Institute members, to support and encourage family life and to recognize the changin g family and its need for inclusion in our organization and in our communities. May 15, 1994, was International Year of the Family Day; if you missed cele- brating it, you still have seven months. Do let me know what you did so I can report to the ACWW Board. May I also suggest a way for you to support and encourage participation of women from our international family in About ACWW the developing world to attend the next .ACWW Triennial Conference to be held in Christchurch, New Zealand, next February. If you. as an individual, or as a Branch, District or Area, can spare even a few dollars, please send your contribution to ACWW, Vincent House, Vincent Square, London SW1P ZNZB, England. Remember to mark it “Sponsorship Fund." Through this sup- port of our sisters, all of us will be enriched. One more Note: We in Ontario have never hosted an ACWW Area. Conferâ€" ence. In August. FW'IO will have an opportunity to do so, and will welcome our Society members from Quebec and Western Canada to share together “Challenges in a Changing World." If you have not registered. do check with the Simcoe Area Hostess, Barbara Cook, at RR3, Coldwater, Ontario, IJOK 1E0, to see if there might still be room for a late registration. Peggy Knapp is-Ihe ACWWArea President f0? Canada. Write to her at 61 Woodland 619" Drive. Guelph, Ontario. N1 G 333.