Fonds - Lennox District Women’s Institute fonds

The Lennox District Women’s Institute was founded in 1910 with Mrs. D.H. Allison as the first President. Lennox District amalgamated with Addington to form the Lennox and Addington District Women’s Institute in 1993. The Lennox District was comprised of numerous branches over the years. The following were branches which were within the Lennox District and each corresponding date of creation and disbandment: Amherst Island 1900-present, Adolphustown 1901-1995, Conway 1909-1942, Bay View 1913-1974, Maple Leaf 1914-2002, Napanee 1921-1989, Wilton 1925-present, Violet 1926-1942, Mill Creek 1926-1981, Ernestown 1926-1974, Bath 1928-1943, Roblin 1931-present, Mt. Pleasant Pioneer 1933-1978, Maple Ridge 1933-present, Victoria II 1936-present, Napanee Jr. Branch 1950-1953, Grandview 1951-present, Millhaven 1955-1994, Hay Bay 1960-present, Centennial 1967-present, Hawley 1967-present, and Mount Pleasant Jr. W.I. 1983-?. The main responsibility of the Lennox District Women’s Institute was to oversee the finances of each Branch under its jurisdiction and to hold annual meetings, as well as monthly Directors’ and Executive meetings. Lennox District achieved many things through its history by working cohesively as a group. In 1932, the Lennox District promoted consumption of Canadian goods for the betterment of Canadian industry. Lennox District was involved with relief work for World War II, such as fundraising for the Red Cross. They were also involved with the Annie G. Haggerty Women’s Institute Scholarship, which was established in the Kingston area when Mrs. Haggerty, a past President of Lennox District, was the Provincial President. A full list of recipients of the Annie G. Haggerty Women’s Institute Scholarship can be found in the Lennox District Tweedsmuir. The following types of reports were given at each Lennox District Annual meeting by a representative: Canadian Industries and Agriculture, Community Activities and Relief, Legislation, Education, Canadianization, Peace Education, Home Economics, Health, Publicity, War Work, and Historical Research. After the reports were given, a representative presented the resolutions sent in by each branch, and the whole District level decided the next course of action. A number of these resolutions were executed within the Lennox District, many directed towards the Ontario Government. A few examples were: a request to remit to municipalities two cents per gallon tax on gasoline as many communities found the tax burdensome, an appeal to enact wartime prohibition, and an appeal for a clinic in Lennox for children to get immunized against diphtheria. Tweedsmuirs were made at the District level in order to provide brief histories of each branch. This is especially useful as it is otherwise difficult to find multiple histories of branches in one location. The Lennox District Tweedsmuir contains the Constitution and by-laws, names of branches with individual histories, past officers, a life members list, scholarships, special projects and events, and programmes from annual meetings. The curators were Mrs. Robert Cumberland and Miss Louise Fairfield (1963-1972) and Mrs. Charles Young (1972-). The past Women’s Institute Presidents of Lennox District were: Mrs. D.H. Allison (1910-1912), Mrs. Bruce Robertson (1919-1922), Mrs. W. Haight (1923-1925), Mrs. James B. Miller (1925-1928), Mrs. Fred (Mary) Hamm (1928-1930), Mrs. Ernest (Isobelle) Wright (1930-1931), Mrs. Shore Loynes (1932-1935), Mrs. H.R. (Belle) Paul (1935-1937), Mrs. H.M. Johnston (1937-1939), Mrs. G.H. (Mary) Claringbold (1939-1941), Mrs. R.H. Benn (1941-1942), Mrs. J.R. Ackerman (1942-1943), Mrs. James (Annie) Haggerty (1943-1947), Mrs. A.M. (Lillian) Graham (1947-1949), Mrs. Bernard (Gertrude) Davey (1949-1951), Mrs. D.W. (Beatrice) Weese (1951-1953), Mrs. E.H. (Genevieve) Fleming (1953-1954), Mrs. Fred (Grace) Perry (1954-1956), Mrs. K. (Evelyn) Lipsey (1956-1958), Mrs. Andrew (Margaret) Compton (1958-1960), Mrs. C. (Annie) Milligan (1960-1963), Mrs. George (Vera) Collings (1963-1965), Mrs. James (Patricia) Moore (1965-1967), Mrs. Don (Eleanor) Simpson (1967-1969), Mrs. Clarence (Mae) Wayte (1969-1971), Mrs. R. (Flora) Pomeroy (1971-1973), Mrs. Richard (Stella) Hill (1973-1975), and Mrs. Robert (Dorothy) Brown (1975-1976), Mrs. Clinton Baker (1977-1978), Mrs. Douglas Clarke (1979-1980), Mrs. Grant Huyck (1981-1983), Mrs. Willis Morgan (1983-1985), Mrs. Lyle Smith (1985-1987), Mrs. Majorie Littlefield (1987-1989), Mrs. Lorraine Martin (1989-1991), and Mrs. Barbara Weese (1991-1993).