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Cercles de Fermières de Québec (Quebec, Canada)

image by Ivan Sache, 31 May 2013

Description of the flag

See also:

Quebec

Description of the flag

"Cercles de Fermières de Québec" (CFQ - Quebec Women Farmers' Circles) is an association grouping women's circles, counting all together more than 38,000 members. Less than 2% of its today's members are actually living on farm. According to a Decision adopted during the 1994 Congress, the goals of the association are "to improve the standard of life of women and family and to transmit the cultural and traditional heritage".

The first circles (Chicoutimi, Roberval, Champlain, Saint-Agapit and Plessisville; 240 members) were founded in 1915 by the agronomists Alphonse Désilets and Georges Bouchard. In 1919, the 34 circles, counting 1,753 members, held their first General Congress in Québec and elected the first Provincial Executive Council of the association. During the second General Congress held in 1922, the 74 circles, counting more than 5,000 members, adopted the Statutes and By-Laws of the association, which was placed under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture. Alphonse Désilets was appointed President; he was succeeded in 1929 by Anne-Marie Vaillancourt, who chaired the association until her death in 1953. The Quebec Province granted the right to vote to women in 1940; this prompted the re-organization of the association, which counted 28,000 members, in local Federations. The Provincial Assembly of the Bishops and Archbishops set up on 4 December 1945 a rival organization, UCF ("Union catholique des fermières"), renamed AFEAS ("Association féminine d’éducation et d’action sociale") in 1966. This attempt to "expel" CFQ out of the Roman Catholic church did not decrease its leadership; membership peaked in the 1980s, with 850 circles and 75,000 members.
http://www.cfq.qc.ca/a_propos_des_cfq/notre_histoire/index.asp?sujet=lapetitehistoiredunegrandeassociation - CFQ website

The flag of CFQ, adopted in 1955 during the Second General Congress of the association, is in proportions 1:2, vertically divided red-white- yellow. In the middle of the flag is placed a circular emblem slightly overlapping the green and yellow stripes. The emblem is made of the association's logo placed on a white background. Two blue fleurs-de- lis are placed at 9:00 and 15:00, while the name of the association is written in black capital letters around the emblem.

Green represents the environment. White represents the quest of authenticity and truth. Yellow represents harvest.

The emblem has a map of the province in the background, recalling that the association is rooted in the whole territory of Quebec. Three women represent the range of educational, economical and social activities promoted by CFQ: - the central women, dressed in red, hold a book, representing culture obtained through education, classes, information and personal development; - the woman on the left, dressed in green, holds a baby, representing the woman as wife, mother and educationalist; - the woman on the right, dressed in yellow, holds a knitwear, representing the preservation of the traditions as a means of personal blossoming and creativity.
http://www.cfq.qc.ca/a_propos_des_cfq/notre_histoire/index.asp?sujet=nos_couleurs_nos_symboles_nos_valeurs - CFQ website

Photos
http://pages.videotron.com/cfseo
http://www.beauportexpress.com/Societe/Vie-communautaire/2012-06-14/article-3008241/Le-Cercle-de-Fermieres-de-Giffard-fete-ses-70-ans/1
http://www.hebdosregionaux.ca/abitibi-temiscamingue/2012/05/04/congres-des-fermieresle-cercle-lasarrois-gagnant
http://www.chamblyexpress.ca/Societe/2013-02-11/article-3174717/Marie-Bouille-souligne-les-75-ans-d%26rsquohistoire-des-Fermieres-de-Saint-Cesaire
http://www.hebdosregionaux.ca/chaudiere-appalaches/2013/02/20/elles-transmettent-le-patrimoine-depuis-95-ans
http://www.lapresse.ca/le-quotidien/201209/28/01-4578595-les-cercles-de-fermieres-contribuent-au-projet.php
http://www.beauportexpress.com/Societe/Vie-communautaire/2010-10-21/article-1868414/Le-Cercle-de-Fermieres-de-Beauport-celebre-son-90e-anniversaire
http://www.infodimanche.com/actualites/societe/79408/le-ptit-nouveau-du-cercle-de-fermieres-de-riviere-du-loup
http://www.journalexpress.ca/SociSoci%E9t%E9/Vie%20communautaire/2012-09-18/article-3077908/Un-congres-regional-qui-a-coincide-avec-le-40e-anniversaire-du-Cercle-de-fermieres-de-SaintLucien

Ivan Sache, 31 May 2013