What was Oliver like 90 years ago when 15 women got their heads together to try and help the community get more services to help the young families and farmers struggling to make a living?

They called themselves the Community League and met every month. Perhaps you are related to these enterprising women – Mrs. MacNaughton, Mrs. Fehr, Mrs. Scurryall, Mrs. B. Thorbow, Mrs. Walsal, and Mrs. Hall.

The Penticton Women’s Institute was started in 1909 and Okanagan Falls in 1922, and they suggested to become incorporated under the Farmers Institute and Women’s Institute Agricultural Act of 1915.

There would be a home economist from the Department of Agriculture to superintend their work and hold two workshops in each district a year to help educate women with their needs in raising families, growing gardens, health care, raising chickens, etc.

On August 1, 1923 at the community centre the Oliver Women’s Institute was incorporated and these were the founding members: Mrs. A. MacNaughton, Mrs. M. Fehr, Mrs. A.G. Thompson, Mrs. M.M. Scougall, Mrs. M.B. Thornton, Beatrice Ede, Isobel Cochrane, Helen Wors, Olive McKenzie, Beatrice MacPherson, Annie Griffin, Mary Cameron, Marion Mitchell, Elsie Boone, and Lucy Cameron.

On August 18 (this Sunday) we are going to celebrate the work of this great organization that was helping us work together and build a good farming community. It will be held at the Oliver Community Stage from 11 am to 3 pm with a few dignitaries.

This will be followed by Helen Overnes showing how we communicated, types of transportation, how we dressed without Velcro, zips and elastic, without modern conveniences in most homes, how we cooked and the amenities that were in Oliver.

This will be followed by 33 projects we have had over 90 years.

Paul and Friends, well known at the Oliver Senior Centre, will bring us some music.

There will be time for a family picnic, followed by some games for children and an obstacle race for parents. We’ll have face painting for the little ones, posters to look at, a quilt raffle and old friends to meet and reminisce with.

We hope to see you there – so bring a picnic. Refreshments will be provided; bring chairs, rugs, hats – children, grandparents who can remember what it was like before all the new technology, and it should be fun for children to realize what a wonderful fruit, vegetable and grapevine growing area it has become.

We’ll end with birthday cake made by Marie Bourgh, and some ice cream.

 

 Helen Overnes

Special to the Chronicle