There was an air of excitement at the Manitoba Women’s Institute annual meeting last week.
For the first time in at least 15 years, three women ran for president-elect.
Added to the election fever was news of a bold, innovative mentorship strategy that members hope will bring a younger generation of women into the WI fold.
Departing president Barbara Stienwandt called the election “a good omen” for the group’s future.
At the start of the annual meeting, the executive had not pinned down a candidate for president-elect.
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After speaking passionately about her experiences as president, Stienwandt told the women that “an invitation turned down is an opportunity missed” and encouraged them to “work the room” to drum up potential candidates.
The president-elect will become head of the group in two years, when current president Helen Rigby’s term is up.
June Kowalchuk from Souris WI, Carol Mravinec from Dufresne WI and Vivian Campbell from Isabella WI came forward. Campbell, a public health nurse for 35 years who helped pioneer home care in the province, won the election.
Membership is holding steady in the Manitoba WI, with a total of 821 members and 54 institute branches.
The members are still taking part in traditional activities, putting in thousands of hours of volunteer work in their communities.
But they’re also lobbying on farm and rural development issues, and have put on human resources skills workshops with other rural groups.
This fall, the MWI will be on the internet in a bid to attract young future members.
Stienwandt said MWI has weathered some major changes in the past few years. She’s confident the group will find the path for survival in the future.
Women “are the conscience of society,” she said, adding MWI has a role to play as the “watchdog for the interests of rural citizens” on issues like health and education.
“I really do believe that regrowth within the organization has started,” said Stienwandt.
Rigby said she’ll be working on health issues during her upcoming two-year term as president.
“Because we have the ear of the government some of the time, and we’re organized for lobbying, maybe we can help make some things come right,” she said.
She’s also excited about a new mentorship program.
The MWI has a grant from the federal government to hire a university graduate with a rural background who is interested in a career with non-profit organizations.
What works for others
The employee will research what other non-profit groups are doing to build their membership, said Janet Sampson, part of the MWI’s membership committee.
The employee will hold focus groups with young women across the province who aren’t members of WI to find out what they need and how WI could help them.
Sampson explained WI members will be mentors to the employee, who will in turn mentor other young women in the province.
The mentorship approach is a natural for WI, said Sampson. Informally, women have always learned from other women in the group. Sampson said the group is open to finding new ways to open its doors to younger women.
“We’re not out to change the constitution, but there are ways we can change,” she said, adding the group has made changes in the past several years to allow individual members and change voting rules.
Sampson hopes the new employee will bring some strategies – and some new members – to next spring’s annual meeting
“I have no idea what will come out of it. That’s what makes it so exciting.”
