Glenmoriston WRI
From Moriston Matters Issue 27, February 1982
50 YEARS.Part 1. - Beginning to war.
The SWRI movement began in Scotland in 1917, having originated at Stoney-creek, Ontario in Canada in 1897 when a woman spoke so persuasively at a Farmer's institute meeting on the need to educate girls for the sphere of life for which they were destined - home making - that the chairman, with his wife, was moved to visit women throughout the area and invite them to a meeting the following week. More than a hundred turned up.
The idea spread across the Atlantic and caught on in Scotland in 1917 at Longniddry, East Lothian, whence it reached Inverness-shire at Fort William, also in 1917, and Glenmoriston in 1931, when the institute opened on 30th November with 38 members, at the instigation of Mrs Grant of Glenmoriston and Lady Cooper of Ceannacroc. Since then there have been twelve presidents, eighteen secretaries and seventeen treasurers and countless committee members and others who have given of their time and enthusiasm and talents to carry the institute forward through its fifty years.
Unfortunately the records dealing with the pre-war period have been missing for many years, but Miss Elizabeth MacKinnon (who lived in Culnacarn Manse and whose sister was one of the early secretaries) wrote as follows when asked some years ago if she could supply any information to fill the gap: "My sister tells me that the Branch was formed in the early 1930's by Mrs Grant of Glenmoriston and Lady Cooper, the latter lady being Hon. President and taking no active part beyond providing free transport for the Glen ladies. Meetings were held monthly, in Invermoriston and Dalchreichart alternately. Speakers came from Headquarters in Perth, among them, one I remember very well a very capable person, Miss MacLaren, who afterwards married. The Board of Agriculture also sent speakers and demonstrators and more than once a Poultry class or Cheese-making class was held under the auspices of the WRI. On many occasions cookery demonstrations, etc, were given by the members themselves and Mrs Haig Stuart took a very keen interest and often "took an evening" when she did "character parts" very ably. The late Mr MacKenzie, Home-wood, gave demonstrations as did also Miss. K. Fraser, who then lived in Dalcattaig, now in the Street. My mother once showed how to make bread, brown and white, while my sister did pastry-making. Miss K. Fullarton of the Post Office was the first secretary. It certainly was a very active Branch then, and it's a pity that all the records have disappeared".
During the war years the meetings were discontinued and the members, like so many other people, devoted themselves to knitting comforts and sending parcels to those in the forces.
M.E.F. (Margaret Fraser)
Miss MacKinnon's death on December 25th in Edinburgh was reported in the Inverness Courier.
To be continued.