LoW W.I. holds annual meeting

Ruth Brett
Contributor

The Lake of the Woods Branch of the Women’s Institute held their Annual meeting on April 19 with 10 members present. This past year they have collected $21.55 in pennies for the Associated Country Women of the World project “Water for All”. The total number of volunteer hours the Branch members spent on community projects in the WI name was 2550.
The executive for 2006 - 2007 is as follows: President - Ellen Chojko-Bolec; First Vice President - Marjorie Meek (summer) and Carolyn Kreger (winter); Secretary - Karen Sepers; Treasurer - April Chojko-Bolec; District Director - Ellen Chojko-Bolec and her Alternate - Ruth Brett; ROSE coordinator and PRO - Ruth Brett; Tweedsmuir Curator - Carolyn Kreger.
Correspondence was received from the FWIO International coordinator, asking Branch members to consider writing letters and / or interesting the school children to participate in writing letters to our Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan. It is a nice thought and members are looking into it. The Canadian Mental Health Association and the Lung Association have become new ROSE (Rural Ontario Sharing Education) partners. The ROSE is a part of the Women’s Institute which is actively pursuing ways to bring health ( and other) education to our rural communities.
The Sewing for Beginners, with Margaret Helder leading the 7 week instruction, at the school in Bergland has finished. The 6 girls are a keen bunch and have finished several good projects including a cuddle quilt. They were a real pleasure to work with and didn’t want to quit! WI members have promised that classes will begin again in the Fall.
The Branch annual Spring Tea held in the Bergland Hall in March was well attended and the guests enjoyed a humorous presentation on “Etiquette and Manners”. The mystery auction was rousing fun and raised $283.50 for the WI Museum - LoW ladies would like to thank their guests for their generosity and good sportsmanship.
Those members who are able will clean and organize their storage room at the Bergland Hall at 6pm on Monday, May 8, as the room will be shared with the LoW Recreation Committee as well as the 50 Plus Club.(Seniors)
Bedding plants will be purchased from Bergland Store and placed into the Cemetery flower pots and garden.
LoW Branch are hosting the Museum Spring Tea on Saturday, May 13 from 11am to 2pm at the Museum in Emo.The WI women will serve a delicious lunch. There will be a bake sale table (and these ladies are gooood bakers) and a craft sale with all the proceeds going to support their Museum.