Brief History of 
     
     Prince Edward Island Women’s Institutes 
     
    
   
   
    
     :e *s 
     
    
   
   
    
     During the year 1913 the Department of Agriculture intro- 
     
     duced Women’s Institutes into this Province for the improvement of 
     
     home and community life. Mrs. A. E. Dunbrack of Ontario assisted 
     
     by Miss Katharine James, Charlottetown, laid the ground work for 
     
     the organization. 
     
    

    
     Previous to this a group was organized at York in 1911 and 
     
     was known as “Alpha” Women’s Institute. This group did not come 
     
     under the Department of Agriculture until 1914. 
     
    

    
     Many groups were formed following this and the first An- 
     
     nual convention was held on June 29th and 30th, 1914, with 35 mem- 
     
     bers present. Demonstrations were given in dress-making and home- 
     
     furnishings. 
     
    

    
     Mrs. T. G. Ives, who was the first Provincial President, later 
     
    
   
   
    
     acted as Secretary for a number of years. 
     
     ’3 * =3 * * 
     
    
   
   
    
     In 1920 the Provincial Officers met for the first time in the 
     
     old Guardian Office —-— 2nd floor. 
     
    
   
   
    
     asses: 
     
    
   
   
    
     Excellent work was carried on throughout the year so that 
     
     by December thirty-one groups were organized with a membership 
     
     of 750—2111 striving for improvement of schools and assisting with 
     
     war work. By 1923 seventy-two groups were organized with a mem- 
     
     bership of 1500. 
     
    

    
     Then came the Handcraft Work Exchange and articles offer- 
     
     ed for sale at the Technical school building. The Tourist Association 
     
     cooperated in this project and the Exchange proved most successful. 
     
    

    
     Handbooks containing rules and regulations were prepared in 
     
     1925—they contained suggestions for programs, etc. During that 
     
     year the first District Convention was held in Cardigan, and Wom- 
     
     g’sdlnstitutes were first represented on the Associated Board of 
     
    

    
     a e. 
     
    

    
     One of the earliest projects of major importance was the 
     
     move for a Provincial Sanatorium. In the late 1920’s each local In- 
     
     stitute circulated a petition to be signed by their citizens, which was 
     
     then presented to the Provincial government. In 1931 the Provincial 
     
     Sanatorium was ready for occupancy—largely due to the efforts of 
     
     the Women’s Institutes of this province. A member of the Provincial 
     
     Executive at that time, Mrs. Wm. Mutch, was appointed to serve 
     
     on the Sanatorium Commission, and continued to serve in this office 
     
     until the time of her death. 
     
    

    
     During both first and second World Wars our Institutes work- 
     
     ed closely in connection with the Red Cross supplying that organiza- 
     
     tion with thousands of knitted articles for distribution to the various 
     
    
   
   
    
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