Relayed from The Royal Albert Hall
Speeches by The Chairman, The Lady Denman, C.B.E., and Professor Gilbert Murray

The big change which has come over village life in England since the War is due in no small measure to the success of the Women's Institute movement. There are now 4,863 of these institutes in the villages of England and Wales, devoted to the social and educational welfare of country-dwelling women of all classes and types. The members - over 296,000, all told - meet at their own centres at least once a month for friendly intercourse, lectures on music and handicrafts, and an exchange of views on all topics of interest to women, from housing problems to raspberry jam. All this has led to a widening of horizons, a heightened sense of citizenship, and a new bond between the women of each village and ultimately - through this National Federation - between the women of the entire country.