Fonds - Atwood Young Women’s War Service League fonds

The organizational meeting of the Junior Patriotic Club was on February 14, 1940 at the home of Mrs. A. E. Anderson in Atwood, Elma Township, Perth County, Ontario. Nell Greensides was appointed leader. The Group divided into Junior and Senior members and the group became known as the “Young Ladies; Patriotic Group until changed to the “Young Women’s War Service League” to comply with the change in name of the Senior Group. The group worked on knitting and sewing projects for the men overseas. The final meeting was held on January 8, 1946. The mission of the Canadian Patriotic Fund was to provide for the wives and families of Canadian troops during their absence from home during World War I. Many large cities started funds to provide for these families, but soon it became evident that smaller centres and rural areas also required funding. The demand for a central or national fund, that would consolidate and support local effort was created by the Government of Canada in 1914 and organized as the Canadian Patriotic Fund with His Majesty the King as patron. It is a body corporate by an Act of Parliament and is empowered “To collect, administer and distribute a fund for the assistance in case of need for the wives, children and dependent relatives of officers, and men, residents of Canada, who during the present war, may be on active service with the naval and military forces of the British Empire and Great Britain’s allies.” The Canadian Patriotic Fund is given by its charter “to establish branches or local organizations throughout Canada and to co-operate with any association or organization established in any place in Canada, for purposes similar to those of the corporation”. Local organizations in Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa who had already begun work were admitted as branches. The Patriotic Fund Association of the Boer War of 1906 decided to donate its balance to the new fund. During World War II many local branches and organizations were still in existence and re-organized to aid the war effort.