Teaching in the Community, Women's Institute

Two of the major goals of Women's Institutes are education and the preservation of community history.

Women's Institute branches have always had a strong educational focus. Not only are meetings an opportunity for community members to network, but they are also a chance to learn new skills. In the beginning of the Women's Institute movement, the focus was on domestic science education. Beyond domestic science, many women have been empowered to learn public speaking or develop leadership skills, and have become advocates for change through their Women's Institute membership.

Women's Institute branches have also contributed to the bodies of historical knowledge in their local communities. In the mid-1930s, Lady Tweedsmuir (wife of Sir John Buchan, Lord Tweedsmuir, Governor General of Canada) took an interest in Canadian Women's Institutes and encouraged branches to document their local histories. This cemented a trend that began in the 1920s and by the 1960s over 1,100 branches had created Tweedsmuir books. These Tweedsmuir Community History Books document early settlers in an area, local industries, churches, schools, and the activities of Women's Institute branches. They now form a valuable resource for local history research.

Browse a digital copy of the Tweedsmuir History book of the Grand Bend Women's Institute.