by Gertie Hawkwood pg 173 More Big Hill Country 2009
The Glendale Women’s Institute has been an active organization in the Glendale, Cochrane district for eighty-two years. It is the second oldest organization in the area after the King Solomon Lodge in Cochrane.
The Glendale School district was a mixed farming area with young families scattered through it. With no phones or cars, women were often very isolated.
Some of the ladies had heard of the Women’s Institute organized in 1897. A lady, Adelaide Hoodless, had lost a child to diphtheria and she thought if she had known more about sanitation and better ways of managing her home she could have saved her child. This movement soon spread across Canada with rural women learning about Agriculture Education, etc.
Women’s Institute’s are now throughout the world. Our motto is “For Home and Country”.
The first meeting was held at the home of Mrs. Thomas Wearmouth on March 31, 1925, for the purpose of forming a Women’s Institute, a branch of Alberta Women’s Institute. Dues were 50 cents a year. Eleven members joined then, and three more the next month.
Their main focus at that time was to supply the school with some necessities. Soon the school was the hub of social events, card parties and dances, everyone having a good time and meeting their neighbours. Money was raised for a piano and Christmas presents for the children in the district, ice cream and goodies for picnics at Bowness Park.
When fathers were busy on the land in the spring and at harvest time children went with Mothers to the meetings and all became good friends, some of which have lasted a lifetime.
Throughout the Depression and drought years of the 30’s, the W.I. carried on its activities. Then with WWII the ladies supplied care parcels for the boys overseas and made quilts for the Red Cross.
The 1950’s saw a change in the community. The country schools closed and the children went to Cochrane by bus. The ladies from Bearspaw and Westminster joined the Women’ Institute.
The Bearspaw Lion Club, chartered in 1953, provided the community with a hall. They have very generously let the Women’s Institute hold its meetings there. Showers were also held there for the young people getting married, and farewell parties, catering and other functions. Many good times!
The Women’s Institute is an educational organization for both rural and urban women, just as it was 100 years ago. We have conveners for the many things we study: Health, Home Economics, Agriculture and now Environment is a priority.
Our membership has changed with many young women from the acreages joining and sharing their skills with us. Flower arranging, pottery and cake decoration are some that have brought new interest to our meetings.
Schools are no longer our priorities. We have reached out to help the Activettes in Cochrane, also many social agencies in Calgary that help needy women with clothing for themselves and their children
Our big focus for over fifty years has been raising money for the Canadian Cancer Society. Every year we also send about sixty buckets of cookies to the Tom Baker Centre for people waiting for their appointments.
The Women’s Institute and the Bearspaw Lions Club organized the first Bearspaw and District Country Fair in 1968 and the W.I. is part of the Fair presenting prizes for the handicraft and baking sections.
The Women’s Institute has been a great way for us to learn many new things as well as meeting a great many wonderful people in the community, and beyond.
