Women's Institute-Quilts in our bones!

Everyone doesn't know about my favorite non-profit organization, BC Women's Institute, its a  76 yr young women's organization in BC with ties in all of Canada and the world.

If you wish to know more about this powerful women's organization, go to this link

Our district is the Bulkley Tweedsmuir W.I. and we have a Spring Conference each year held in one of our community's. This year it was the lovely hamlet of Hazelton. Delegates and members attended with our various items for the spring judged competition, this year it was Banana Bread, Flavoured Vinegars, a hanging mobile, recycled hat, handmade framed photo.
Here is Nola Weston, our Treasurer of Quick WI holding up her handmade new rendition of our QWI banner. These banners are displayed from each district proudly showing our differences and our common ground.

Nola is holding out new banner she made from scratch last summer! Way to go Nola!

We have tons of  history, as members, we've had awesome women leading our provinicial board, our district boards and our branches. As you can see from the photo below, that managing our historic documents is an ongoing project.


As we move into our 77th year, young women are joining our ranks to learn the ways of the past. Food security is a big concern, with global warming and inconsistent commitment of our Canadian Federal Govt. we are all wrinkling our eyebrows and trying to find the path to local food security. With transportation cost ever more rising as our oil reserves world wide are depleting, BCWI is all about passing on the tips of our past to be frugal, recycle, compost and grow your own. Whether our members live in cities or rural town, we grow food.


The women above dressed specially for this Canada Day 1967 Centennial Celebrations in Houston, BC, 37 women took time, money and energy to sew these dresses, organize this photo for posterity and sadly, our Houston branch closed many years ago. Why? Is the concern for family, women's issues, our economy and our country less of concern and people lost interest? Quite the contrary!

Our BTWI district Spring Conference begins with the "Mary Stewart Collect" where all members and guest recite this prayer in unison. Its a simple creed to live by and work together by. We are all going in the same direction. Its always helped us to think and resolve our differences and means many different things to each member.

Mary Stewart Collect
KEEP us O Lord from pettiness; let us be large in thought, in word and deed ...
LET us be done with fault finding and leave off self seeking...
MAY we put away all pretense and meet each other face to face, without self pity and without prejudice...
MAY we never be hasty in judgement and always generous...
LET us take time for all things: make us grow calm, serene, gentle...
TEACH us to put into action our better impulses straight forward and unafraid...
GRANT that we may realize that it is the little things that create differences; that in the big things of life we are one ...
AND may we strive to touch and know the great human heart common to us all, and ...
O LORD GOD let us not forget to be kind.
 
 
A new member poignantly explained her belief in the revival of traditional skills, pastimes and methods for cooking frugally and growing our own food.
 
We gather and debate, discuss, brain storm new approaches for continued growth our most proud and long standing women's organization in B.C. One of the very ordinary things that we see everyday like the yellow lines on our highways was done as a result of a resolution that BCWI put forth to our BC Government many decades ago.

Another very important and fun thing to do is to compete in our very own District competitions. This year the competition categories are flavored vinegar, banana bread, recycled material hanging mobile, recycled hat and a handmade frame and picture.
Its a lot of fun, we have standards to work with and we all participate in some way. the following four photo show some examples of our competition items what were judged by independent & experienced non-members.
 

 Now I bet, you are wondering how soon we can get to the quilts?
Right?

Here they are, just a few that were at the Spring Conference in Hazelton.
 
All the best,

Carli

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