Fordyce Branch Women’s Institute

“O what a beautiful morning, O what a beautiful day” was on everyone’s mind as members of Fordyce Branch W.I. met in Davignon Park, Cowansville on Wednesday. July 5, 2017 for our picnic meeting, which began at 11:30 a.m.

President Norma Sherrer welcomed everyone, especially Elaine Bromby and Kathy Stone, back after missing a few meetings. She then read this poem in honour of Canada’s 150th Birthday “God bless Canada – O God, who fashioned Canada to stretch from sea to sea. With mountains, rivers, prairies, lakes, with wilderness and trees. God bless our land, our golden land. God guide our destiny. With all your great and wondrous works. Set us in harmony. O God who crowns the mountain peak. With purest whitest snow. Who sets the prairies wheat aflame in sunset’s crimson glow. Who takes a thousand years to form. The grandeur of a tree. With all your great and wondrous works. Set us in harmony. (Glenna Johnson Maynes)

The meeting opened with the Mary Stewart Collect, Salute to the Flag and O Canada and the Motto “O Canada our home and native land:” No one was celebrating a birthday in July. Because this was a fun meeting there was no Roll Call or business. To celebrate Canada’s birthday the branch will buy and place a bench on Heroes’ Elementary School property.

Following Grace, the members enjoyed a delicious “Pot Luck” luncheon in the shade of trees while enjoying a lovely breeze. This was followed by two contests on Canada, organized by Louise Smith and one on nature by Rose Highfield. It appears that we were all winners, as each one received a gift of either a pencil, pen, flag, etc. Before we parted a dish of ice cream with blueberries was enjoyed by all – the perfect ending to a most enjoyable day. It was decided that our August meeting would also take place at the same place. Lets hope that the weather will be as kind to us as it was in a July.

Everyone was “too laid back” to think of jokes, so I will include a few items from the church notices. “The sermon this morning is ‘Jesus walks on water’, the sermon this evening is ‘Searching for Jesus’”. For those of you who have children and don’t know it yet, we have a nursery downstairs and Mrs. Charlene Mason says “I will not pass this way again” giving obvious pleasure to the congregation. Hope that you are enjoying Summer!! Until next time,

Evelyn Beban Lewis (Publicity)