Speech Promotes Associated Country Women of the World

Notes for speech by Juanita Lagg, Rowan County, dated March 27, 2001

Ever since I said yes, I would talk about ACWW, I have wondered what I would tell someone who is a member about their membership.

First, you should know that ACWW is not an association. The Associated Country Women of the World dictates no programs, and member organizations exist first in their own right, and then they join ACWW. The value and strength of the ACWW results from independent national societies that have more to give to other countries than if they were all directed from a policy-making headquarters.

Second, how old is this group? Early history tells us that in 1927 a committee of three was set up to find out about countrywomen’s organizations. By April of 1929, 23 countries sent representatives to London for the first such meeting of women with a common interest. As they told of their lives and aims it became clear that in different parts of the world, and unknown to another, country women had been facing the same problems in education, health, economics, family and social life. By October of 1929, the Committee published a book, What the Countrywomen of the World are Doing. The book sold so well that the profits enabled the Committee to continue its work. I have a copy that was printed in 1932, the third volume. This book contains 12 pages of pictures and script by Jane S. McKimmon about the Home Demonstration Work in North Carolina. No other society has this amount of space.

The USA claimed a membership of 646,340 rural home makers, which included all Home Demonstration Clubs and Home Bureaus and represented the effort of rural women in the United States who wanted to improve the rural home and community life. In this book it tells that the first record of the organization of farm women dates back to 1797 when the Agricultural Women’s Organization of Finland came into being. In the middle of the 19^th century, the Grange was established in the United States—the only farm fraternity in the world where women enjoyed equal rights with women. The Women’s Institute of Canada was next, followed by Norwegians and Germans. The Finnish Martha’s united in 1899 and by the early 1900s, the Irish, Danish, Swedish, English and Welsh had similar organization, and it continued until today with a host of other country organizations. The last I heard, ACWW claimed 9 million members in 375 societies from over 60 countries and is considered the largest international organization for rural women in the world. A personal note—membership in the USA has decreased while membership has increased in the developing countries.

Third, the aims are the same today as when they began. They are to work together to raise the standard of living of rural women, to promote international friendship and understanding, and to be a voice for country women in international matters.

The second world conference was held in Washington, D.C., in 1936. It was a huge success. Seven thousand American farm women converged on Washington, and as a result of this, it was proposed that each conference have a host day, and let all the members that wanted to attend this special day. I didn’t go, but a Mrs. Appleton—or something like that—who lived in Mocksville and was one of the area presidents at the time, went. Nelle Simpson told me this story, and I know it to be true. She and Mrs. Apple came into Oestreichers to purchase a dress for a reception she had been invited to attend at the White House when the ACWW met there. Nelle said she picked out what she thought was a very nice dress, about #40, and she was told you don’t understand Nelle, I am going to the White House for a reception and I need a really fine dress. So Nelle selected a $55 dress which did not look as nice, but she bought it and wore it to the reception. When she returned from the Conference, she came into the store to tell Nelle that when she got to the receiving line in the White House, wearing her very expensive dress, there stood Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt wearing the same dress that Nelle had tried to sell her for $40.

Lastly, I’d like to touch a little on some of the things that have been accomplished by this wonderful group of women from around the world. To begin with, the three women who were the organizers, needed money to help pay for office expenses and staff. One of them had a brilliant idea that if every individual contributed one of their smallest coins a year in addition to the official dues paid by societies, ACWW would have a better income, and the million members they hoped to gain would put them in a good financial standing. Most countries accepted the idea and the “Million Member Fund” came into being. Later, the Americans named it “Pennies for Friendship” and that is what it is called today. It constitutes the major source of income. These pennies help finance the Triennial Conferences, run the central office, find letter friends for members and provide introductions, link institutes and groups in different countries, publish the ACWW magazine, and extend the work of ACWW through the president’s, deputy presidents’ and area vice presidents’ travel.

At the 1971 conference held in Norway, a resolution was brought forth entitled Welfare of the Blind that stated that there are at least 15 million blind people in the world today, and unless decisive action is taken this number will reach 25 million by the end of the century. The Swedish Housewives had made a study and found that a common cause of blindness in India resulted in a lack of vitamin A and protein in the diet. As a result of this, Save The Sight came into existence, and workers found a leafy green vegetable growing along side ditches that was loaded with vitamin A and available at no cost to homemakers. They had to be taught to include this green vegetable in their daily meals of mostly rice. They set up areas in India where mothers could bring their blind children and massive doses of protein and vitamin A were given to the children and the mothers were taught how to gather, cook and eat this food. Many of these children had their sight restored. The program worked, and now 30 years later, many children of India do not lose their eye sight by the time they are 5 years of age. This is just one of the many worldwide projects that the County Women of the World are responsible for.

Triennial conferences are held every three years in some part of the world. I have been fortunate enough to attend eight—sometimes as a delegate and sometimes as a life member. My first one was in Michigan in 1968, followed by Norway in 1971, Australia in 1974, Kenya in 1977, Germany in 1980, Vancouver in 1983, Ireland in 1986 and my last conference in 1989 in Kansas City when our state president was ill and could not attend. This year, the Federated Women’s Institutes of Ontario, Canada, will host the conference June 11-18 in Hamilton. This is just across the border near Niagara Falls. Actually, you may attend up to three days without being a member or delegate. The theme will be “Volunteers Make Visions a Reality.”

The joy of meeting new people and forming lasting friendships is of greatest value when you attend a conference. In Norway, I met a Miss Doris Richards, who became my friend. She visited me several times and each time she would share her skill and knowledge with the North Carolina Extension Homemakers. I felt as if I had lost a member of my family when she passed away a few years ago at age 96.

I was asked to participate in one of the seminars in Africa and talk about how you make and keep friendships. I related the story of my visit to England during one of their heat waves. The hot 80-degree weather did not really bother me, but it did my host as she was not used to it. She had planned to take me to Oxford University. We took a trip down the Thames River on a boat, arrived at Oxford about noon time when she selected a nice spot on the ground under a tree and suggested we enjoy a picnic lunch she had prepared. 

One of the items she had packed for the lunch was a three-inch section of cucumber. She first peeled her section, passed the knife to me, and when I looked up she had plastered her peel on her forehead. It was a funny sight to behold, but I tried it, and I know for sure where the saying “cool as a cucumber” comes from. Try it on your wrists or temples when the temperature reaches 90 and you will know what I am talking about.