NATIONAL ORIGINS

Founded in 1900, IODE Canada is a national women’s charitable organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for individuals, through education support, community service and citizenship programs.  It is also a women’s friendship network.  Members work locally through hundreds of chapters, provincially through provincially organized projects and nationally in every province and Yukon.

We are women of all ages, interests and educational and economic backgrounds.  Each chapter shapes its own agenda to suit their particular community needs within the parameters of education, social service and citizenship programs.

For more information on the National Organization, click here

OUR LOCAL CHAPTER

The Fergus Thistle Chapter was given its Charter on March 31st 1980. There were 10 members. The first two donations from this group were to the Groves Memorial Hospital Building Fund and the New Arena Fund. The funds for these donations were raised by selling travelling toothbrush holders, prior to the Charter being awarded. Meetings were held in members homes and this practice continued until 1998. As membership had increased to 22, the IODE moved it's monthly meeting to the upper floor of the Graham GIddy FIneral Home - the space is generously provided, free of charge, by Graham Giddy.

Funds were raised in the early years by many hours of volunteer work. Bake sales, money trees, making cheese balls for Christmas, bridge parties, garage sales, selling refreshments at the Highland Games and the Sesquicentennial celebrations at Victoria Park, raffles, craft sales and tupperware parties. In 1987, the first Fashion Show was held - a very popular event. One of the favourite fund raisers is selling flower seeds collected from members' gardens. The seeds are packed for sale at various fundraising events.

In 1991, the first Deck The Halls Home Tour and craft sale was held and has continued annually. The popularity of this tour with out-of-town visitors has increased dramatically and continues to generate substantial revenue for our community. The Thistle Chapter feels that it has contributed a great deal towards "putting the Town of Fergus on the map".

The IODE also aded to its list of fund raising events by the selling of Geraniums each spring.

It is a point of pride and satisfaction to note that all members are volunteers and donate all refreshments used in fundraising. All private celebrations are a personal expense to the members, therefore all funds raised, except for the expenses incurred to organize the events, are returned into the community and help to support some of the Provincial and National projects. The projects include education, social services and citizenship causes.