Where to start, that is the question? In my October message I said that I hoped members would be dancing along to the afternoon entertainment at the Council Meeting, well it really was an “I was there moment” and the auditorium really was rocking. What a fantastic meeting from Anna Heslop’s inspirational talk about being the first female helmswoman in the RNLI, to two nonagenarians, Audrey Dixon from Whorlton and Westerhope and Robin Piette from Wylam up and bopping to the Baldy Holly Band.
The following Tuesday was the first meeting of the Board of Trustees for 2023 to 2025 and I am delighted to have been re-elected by Board members. I am honoured to serve as your Chairman for the next two years and shall as always do my very best for you as will all the members of the Board of Trustees. Further on in the Newsletter you will find details of other items mentioned at the Council Meeting.
Glenda Young was a great success at our Literary Lunch and we are already planning next year’s event for you.
Since the last Newsletter I have had quite a busy time attending WIs, either as their Adviser for an Annual Meeting or for special celebrations – I would like to share some of these with you. I went along to the East Coast Group Meeting in Ashington to a concert by the Ellington Colliery Band. It was fantastic and a credit to this group who are down to just three WIs, but, the dedication of their Presidents, Sheila Screaton (Ashington), Norma Smith (Guidepost and Sheepwash) and Margery Tate (Hepscott) are making sure that the group continues for its members. Well done ladies!
I celebrated Kirkley WI’s 60th birthday along with fellow Board member Kim Suleman and had a lovely chat to two delightful long standing members, Mary Cairns and Margaret Young as well as a lot of reminiscing about the Pledge Auctions of past years.
It was on to Newbrough’s Centenary accompanied by several Board members where the welcome was as warm as ever – it’s always good to catch up with former Board member (and sometime partner in crime with me on the naughty step at Board meetings) Dorothy Sowerby. Finally it was a Saturday afternoon and a 140 mile round trip to visit Norham WI and their Centenary celebrations with neighbouring WIs, some Scottish members from over the border and a couple of ladies from Derbyshire Federation with whom Norham are twinned. I can only say it has been an absolute pleasure to see so many of you in a very short space of time and my thanks and good wishes for the coming years go out to you all.
The Board is now in full swing planning the service at the Cathedral and already the readers and carols are in place so hopefully I shall see many of you there to start our Festive season.
The event with John Lewis is being held over until March / April 2024 with a date yet to be fixed. The deadline for hitting our Newsletter was very tight and after speaking with Jane, our co-ordinator at John Lewis, it was felt that members may prefer to come to an event when the nights are getting lighter and the weather more stable and of course new fashions in store for Spring. Hopefully there will be more news on this next month.
I hope that you all read the lovely article in the latest WI Life on page 44 about pastels artist Margaret Robinson, our very own Mags from Shotley WI. Nice to see a Federation member getting a full piece about her and her work in the magazine. Now delve further into this Newseltter for news of the Chairman’s Challenge, the 2024 Marj on a Mission events, new committee structures and the absolutely fabulous bursaries being offered by Sue Malloy.
ISN’T IT GREAT TO BE A MEMBER OF THE WI?
CHAIRMAN’S CHALLENGE – You may remember that I set a challenge for members to write in no more than 500 words what the WI meant to them and I am delighted to announce that the winner is Yolande Lambert of Southridge WI. Thank you to all who entered the competition and well done Yolande.
MARJ ON A MISSION – Following the successful Roadshows and Marj on the Move events around the Federation raising money for Federation funds, I pledged that I would do four more in 2024 but this time the money raised would be split between Federation Funds and ACWW. I announced this at the Council Meeting and was delighted when three Presidents, Elizabeth Freeman (Beadnell), May Wilson (Hedgeley) and Dee Ward (Shotley) all volunteered their WIs to host one of the events. Thank you so much ladies and further details will be announced in the Newsletter nearer the time. As usual the fourth event will be at Cresswell House.
NEW COMMITTEE STRUCTURE – At the Council Meeting I did cover some re-focusing of Committees but it is more with a mind to be able to cover some items such as science, climate, etc. better and to balance the fact that a couple of Committees have lost members making it difficult to both come up with new ideas and carry them forward. Of course we are always looking for more members to join our Committees and this does not change things at all but for now Leisure will join with Combined Arts to become the Art and Leisure Committee. Public Affairs and Education will become the Communications and Engagement Committee which will have responsibility for public affairs, resolution speakers, science, computer literacy and communication strategy. This will have, as well as the existing Public Affairs Committee members, the newer Board members who may not have been on a Committee.
The Craft Committee remains the same but splits into two sections one with responsibility for craft events and one for food demonstrations etc.
Membership Support and Recruitment will belong with the WI Advisers and their elected Chairman.
This slight re-focusing also ensures that each Committee has at least two serving Board members who are able to report back to the full Board if required. All events will be advertised in the usual way and for our members you still apply in the same way. This change will just embrace more issues and give some Committees more scope when planning etc.
BETTY’S BURSARIES – Well not actually Betty’s but Sue Malloy’s Bursaries. As you all know Sue has now stood down from the Board and from carrying out demonstrations. However she has always been famous for her ideas and her latest one I found overwhelmingly generous.
She is offering bursaries for four individual members to attend the Betty’s Cookery School in Harrogate for a one day course of their choice and with travel expenses covered.
This really is a fabulous gesture from Sue and I cannot thank her enough on behalf of all the members of the Federation who now have the chance to apply for one of these bursaries.
All we are asking at this stage, is that anyone wishing to apply sends in their name, WI and contact details by returning the form sent with the Secretary Mailing this month to the Office by no later than Friday 9 February 2024. Three separate applications slips are included on the form which can be photocopied if necessary. The four names will be drawn at the February Board meeting on Tuesday 13th. Winners will be notified following that meeting and we will also draw out four reserve names. If you wish to apply do go on to Betty’s website where you can see what sort of courses are available. Please do not send multiple names on a single slip, we need each application to be a single one. This really is a spectacular offer for four of our members so good luck to all who apply.
Marj x
Congratulations!
To WIs who hit a milestone anniversary this year and were awarded their certificates by Marj at the Annual Meeting.
Clousden Hill – 25 Years
Bygate – 50 Years
Beadnell, Catton Newbrough Norham, Slaley and Widdrington 100 Years.
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