WI ready for Christmas season
From the youth cooking contest to the WI levee, there are many activities
The P.E.I. Women’s Institute Board of Directors is extending various invitations to members and residents across Prince Edward Island during the upcoming holiday season.
The PEIWI Board invites all visitors to share in the festive Christmas spirit by visiting the WI Christmas Treat Tree. Now lit at the WI Office foyer at 40 Enman Crescent, the tree is once again laden with traditional candy cane treats for all to enjoy.
With the Dec. 15 nearing, students in grades 7 through 12 are invited to send in recipes containing at least three agricultural or fishery based ingredients to PEIWI’s fourth annual cooking contest. Top entries in four categories will be selected to prepare appetizer size portions of their recipe during the final cook off during WI’s Founder’s Day, Feb. 13. View details online at www. peiwi.ca.
To assist with gift giving during the upcoming Christmas period, WI members and the general public are encouraged to visit the WI Office to view WI themed gifts. Items available include a variety of generational recipe books, napkins, pins to pens and pencils. New this year is the boxed jam sets made by the P.E.I. Preserve Company, with proceeds going towards the Federated Women’s Institute of Canada. Each box contains two 125 ml jars, with wild blueberry and orange marmalade with Chivas Regal flavours. The gift boxes are $15 each, and are available through the WI Office. Limited quantities are available.
WI members and residents across P.E.I. are encouraged to donate a new, small, unwrapped gift to the White Cross Christmas Gift Campaign, as part of the Canadian Mental Health Association of P.E.I. Item examples include hats, gloves, socks, movie or coffee gift cards, playing cards, cosmetics or shampoo. These are given to those who may be alone this time of year and have mental health or emotional issues. Gifts can be dropped off to the White Cross Program: 178 Fitzroy St. in Charlottetown. Call 902-5663034 for further information. Gift Deadline is Dec. 15.
The board of directors of the P.E.I. Women’s Institute, in conjunction with the Farm Centre Board and P.E.I. 4-H, look forward to the annual WI Levee on Jan. 1. The levee will be held at the Farm Centre, 420 University Ave., Charlottetown, from 10:30 a.m. until 12 p.m. A mini brunch will be served, and if last year’s reviews were any indication, it could be said that WI had the best refreshments on the levee schedule. WI is also pleased the P.E.I. 4-H will be joining this year’s levee as they kick off its 100th year anniversary.
In other news, branch members across Prince Edward Island are invited to compete in two national WI competitions.
The first contest is the past FWIC president membership award. Members can submit a 500-word short story on “My Most Memorable WI Moment.” It can be mailed directly to the attention of past president Marie Kenny of P.E.I. c/o of the WI office by Jan. 1.
The second challenge is the Tweedsmuir Competitions. In 1945, Lady Tweedsmuir, wife of Lord Tweedsmuir, Governor General of Canada, donated three silver cups to the Federated Women’s Institutes of Canada for competitions to be held each triennium. The trophies, with awards winners’ names, are displayed at the Adelaide Hunter Hoodless Homestead in Ontario. Any Women’s Institute member in Canada may enter. Entries can be sent to the P.E.I. provincial office for judging by Jan. 1 and 15, respectively. More information is online at www.peiwi.ca.
The P.E.I. WI Board and staff wish a joyous and safe holiday season to all residents across Prince Edward Island.
This article is prepared by Ellen MacPhail, Executive Director for the PEIWI and appears in the Guardian the second Thursday of every month. For more information on the above items or to join a WI branch near you, please visit www.peiwi.ca or contact the Provincial Office at902- 3684860 or by emailing wi@gov.pe.ca.