Fonds - Bay View Women’s Institute fonds

The Bay View Women’s Institute located in Loyalist Township (formerly Ernestown), Lennox and Addington County was founded on June 13, 1913 with Mrs. Thomas (Alice) Miller as the first President. Eleven members attended the first meeting. Bay View disbanded on March 31, 1975 due to low membership and its pool of members being located too close to Kingston. During World War I, Bay View branch was involved in sewing and knitting items for the Red Cross. According to the records, which are incomplete, this branch was responsible for contributing over 200 pairs of socks, 100 pillows, hankies, balaclavas, and night shirts to the war effort. They also supplied wheel chairs and pillows for a military hospital. After the war effort, they supplied materials for a room at Kingston General Hospital. Bay View continued to support the community after World War I through its recovery period. Electricity was paid, a music teacher provided, and a piano donated by the branch for the public school at this time. The branch also helped to purchase a canning outfit for use by the community. Bay View made donations to the Lennox and Addington Swimming and Water Safety Committee, 4-H Club, and Haileybury Fire Fund. They also contributed to the Napanee Fair by hosting teas and displays. For the Women’s Institute organization, the branch made donations to the Erland Lee Home Project and to “Pennies for Friendship”. The branch also contributed beyond their own boundaries to the Cancer Society, Heart and Stroke Foundation, Tractor Fund for Greece, muscular dystrophy, and the Canadian Arthritis and Rheumatism Society. In later years, Bay View decided to donate solely to local people and charities. Bay View has two Tweedsmuirs within the fonds, one complete and one partially complete. They include a history of the shoreline after the American Revolution, newspaper articles from 1947-1949 about the settlement of the area, early family histories, local pioneer missions, biographies, histories of buildings and land, and events of interest. A significant section of the complete Tweedsmuir is a history of the region, specifically of Bath Road and of Fairfield House. The completed Tweedsmuir was compiled by Miss Louise Fairfield and Mrs. Mabel Fairfield. The past Women’s Institute Presidents of Bay View were: Mrs. Thomas (Alice) Miller (1913-1915), Mrs. J.B. (Elizabeth) Fairfield (1915-1916), Mrs. J.W. (Phillippa) Baker (1916-1917), Mrs. Chester (Emma) Nicholson (1917-1918; 1923-1925), Mrs. Harvey Amey (1918-1919), Miss Mollie Fairfield (1919-1920), Mrs. G.W. Saundercook (1920-1921), Mrs. Oscar Amey (1921-1922), Mrs. F. (Hattie)Kavaner (1922), Mrs. Walter Frink (1925-1927), Mrs. Fred Compton (1927-1935; 1938-1939), Mrs. Cecil Wemp (1935-1936), Mrs. Beatrice Beckel (1936-1938), Miss Alice Fairfield (1939-1941), Mrs. Andrew (Margaret) Compton (1941-1944), Mrs. Arthur (Hilda) Sams (1944-1945), Mrs. Dora Simpkins (1945-1948; 1974-1975), Mrs. Harold (Olivia) Van Alstyne (1948-1951), Mrs. Murray (Joan) Compton (1951-1954), Mrs. Harry (Eva) Young (1954-1955), Mrs. J.P. (Margaret) McDonough (1955-1959), Miss Louise Fairfield (1959-1962), Mrs. Russell (Mary) Orser (1962-1965; 1971-1974), Mrs. Elizabeth Cumberland (1965-1968), and Miss Mabel Fairfield (1968-1971).