The objectives of ACWW have not changed since its incep- 
     
     tion in 1933: “To promote and maintain friendly and helpful relations 
     
     between the Countrywomen’s and Homemakers’ Association of all 
     
     nations, and to give any possible help in their development. To 
     
     promote the common interests of these organizations in the economic, 
     
     social, and cultural spheres, while avoiding political and sectarian 
     
     questions for such a controversial nature. To encourage the for- 
     
     mation of organizations working for such common interests in coun— 
     
     tries where this need has not already been met.” ACWW is the 
     
     only organization of countrywomen in the world and represents 
     
     more than 6 million women in 142 constituent societies in 102 coun- 
     
     tries, states and provinces. 
     
    

    
     For the individual member, the Associated Country Women of 
     
     the World links the members together by means of letterfriends and 
     
     by arranging “Exchange Programmes” between groups in various 
     
     countries; it gives introductions to other countrywomen when mem- 
     
     bers go abroad; provides its members with the opportunity of 
     
     offering hospitality to countrywomen of other lands; brings news of 
     
     countrywomen throughout the world in its monthly news-sheet “The 
     
     Countrywoman”; speaks for countrywomen at meetings of the 
     
     United Nations and provides them with first hand information about 
     
     the various activities of the UN. Organization. It is, in short, the 
     
     eyes and ears and the voice of countrywomen in International Affairs. 
     
    

    
     As long ago as 1797 farm women in Finland were united in 
     
     an Agricultural Women’s Organization. In 1867 the Grange was 
     
     established in the USA. In 1895 the Countess of Aberdeen became 
     
     President of the International Council of Women. In 1897 the first 
     
     Women’s Institute was organized at Stoney Creek, Ontario, by Mrs. 
     
     Adelaide Hoodless to improve the physical, cultural and intellectual 
     
     conditions in the home; to raise the standard of homemaking. This 
     
     Institute Movement spread across Canada. Norwegian women were 
     
     working along similar lines as were the Finnish Women. The In- 
     
     stitute Movement spread from Canada to England and Wales and 
     
     then to other parts of the British Isles. We find the Countrywomen’s 
     
     movement spreading to Sweden, New Zealand, Australia, South 
     
     Africa, Rhodesia, Ceylon, India, and into Belgium, Holland, France, 
     
     Germany and other countries. 
     
    

    
     During the time when these many rural women’s organiza- 
     
     tions were working to build a better life for farm people, the idea 
     
     was presentng itself that there should be some kind of an Interna- 
     
     tional Bond linking together the members of rural women’s organ- 
     
     izations. And so in 1930 at Vienna at the meeting of the International 
     
     Council of Women a liaison committee of rural representatives was 
     
     established with an office in London, England. This then was the 
     
     beginning of the A.C.W.W. Leadership was at this time centered in 
     
     Lady Aberdeen and Mrs. Watt with Miss Pratt and Miss Zimmern 
     
     in the London Office. 
     
    
   
   
    
     In 1933 when the International Council met in Stockholm, the 
     
     rural section outnumbered any other group and so a formal separ- 
     
    
   
   
    
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