Summary information
| Repository: | South Peace Regional Archives |
| Title: | Alberta Women’s Institute, South Peace Constituency fonds |
| Reference code: | 0117 |
| Date: | 1938-1954 (date of creation) |
| Physical description: | 1 cm of textual records |
| Language: | English |
| Dates of creation, revision and deletion: | Exported from AoR and added to new database July 2022 – TD |
Administrative history / Biographical sketch
The Alberta Women’s Institute is aligned with the Federated Women’s Institutes of Canada, which is in turn a member of the Associated Country Women of the World. The Alberta W.I. is divided into five districts. District 1 is the Peace River District, which is made up of three Constituencies: South Peace, North Peace and High Prairie. Member clubs in the South Peace Constituency were Beaverlodge, Cherry Point, Crooked Creek, East Peoria, Elmworth, Grande Prairie, Kleskun Hill, Lymburn, Millarston, Rio Grande, Sexsmith, Spirit Valley and Valhalla.
The Women’s Institute is strictly non-partisan, non-sectarian, and non-racial in every aspect of its work. It is an educational organization which seeks to provide women with the opportunity to participate in national and international interests. Individual clubs support the ideals of the W.I. by working to improve services for women and children in their own communities. As such, the W.I. was often the organization behind maternity hospitals, waiting rooms, health clinics, libraries, school programs, girls’ clubs, and other social programs.
Constituency conferences were held yearly to provide a unifying social and educational forum for their members. Representatives from individual clubs reported on the activities they had been involved in over the past year. As well, there were reports from standing committees on social and educational issues. These committees changed over the years, but during the 1930s and 1940s, they included Public Health and Welfare, Legislation and League of Nations, Home Economics, Education and Better Schools, and Care Industries.
Women’s Institute organizations are still active in Alberta, although many of the smaller clubs have folded.
Custodial history
The records were preserved by Mrs. Summers, constituency convener from 1952 to 1954. Upon her death, daughter Lorraine Lowe passed them on to Jean Lowe for deposit in the Grande Prairie Regional Archives.
Scope and content
The fonds consists of one minute book recording the minutes and financial statements of the yearly constituency conferences from 1938 to 1954. The minutes include summaries of reports from branch clubs and standing committees.
Notes
Title notes
- Source of title proper: Title of fonds based on contents.
Restrictions on access
There are no restrictions.
Accruals
No accruals expected
Access points
- Textual record (documentary form)
- Women (subject)
- Organizations* (subject)