Strathkinness Women’s Rural Institute

One of the many groups and organisations to use the Youth House was the

W. R. I., as Mrs. Margaret Birrell has explained:

‘The Strathkinness Women’s Rural Institue held their first meeting on 3rd

December, 1918, just after the first World War. By kind permission of Mrs.

Younger, Mount Melville, the meetings were held in the Girls’ Club (Youth

House) on the first Thursday of each month. Unfortunately the Minutes do

not start until 1929, the first ten years being lost along the way somewhere.

The format of the meetings has not changed throughout the years although the

number of members has. There is mention of attendance of 104 at a few

meetings in the years leading up to the second World War. Just as now, some-

times a meeting had to be cancelled owing to stormy weather conditions.

Once, in 1929, a meeting was cancelled because of an epidemic of ‘flu in the

village.

‘Before the days of television, members displayed many talents. There was

a Choir, a Drama Group and a Scottish Country Dancing Team who entered

many competitions and were very successful. The standard of work was high,

with some excellent needlework and knitting done; baking was also very

popular.

‘The Strathkinness Horticultural Society asked help to start up an Industrial

Section at the local Flower Show which was held in August. Inter Institute

visits were as popular then as they are now. The Senior Citizens’ annual Tea

Party was started in the early years and still continues each year. It is stated

that the children of the village were given an annual outing to the West Sands,

St. Andrews. They went by char-a-banc at a cost of twelve shillings, and

Armit, the baker in Church Street (where Fisher & Donaldson now have their

premises) supplied bags of food.

‘Eggs were collected each April, as many as sixty1hree dozen being recorded.

Two thirds of these went to Dundee Royal Infirmary and one third to the

Cottage Hospital, St. Andrews.

‘After the outbreak of the second World War, the W.R.I. could no longer

have the use of the Girls’ Club as it was commandeered for the Polish Army

and later for the Home Guard and the A.R.P.

‘In October, 1939, members of the W.R.I. organised a War Work Party to

knit comforts for the troops. They met in Mrs. Ballingall’s home at Nether

Strathkinness each month, and mention is also made of meetinq in the School

during the light evenings because the School wasn’t blacked out. The amazing

total of 2,334 finished articles were despatched to the Forces during the war

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