Our Chairman’s Message – April 2024

Here we are with Easter already behind us and despite a lot of very wet weather it is a joy to see the trees starting to blossom and all the colourful spring flowers in gardens and hedgerows.
A few weeks ago Pat Tulip announced her retirement as a WI judge and I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of past and present Boards and all the members, to thank her for the work she has done over the years. Pat has also been a member of the Board at both Federation and National level and we wish her well in her retirement from judging duties.
We have also received more donations and my sincere thanks go to Acomb, Newbrough, North Gosforth, Roddam and Wingrove WIs. As you read this letter the rest of the ground floor lighting at Cresswell House will have been updated and plans are now in place to do the staircase and first floor by the end of this year. Those who have recently visited Cresswell House will realise what a difference the new lighting has made in the kitchen/demonstration area.
You all now know the results of the resolution choices and I want to thank Jenny and Nancy for the extraordinary amount of work that they have put into getting everything sorted for the National Annual Meeting. It is no easy task, just sorting the link delegate list when you add the fact that some delegates will be online, or in person and of course some things change as circumstances for delegates change, which can affect hotel arrangements etc.
But I think fingers crossed, that it really is finally all sorted as I write this so once again thank you Jenny and Nancy. I am sure that Moira will have more to say in her Membership Support piece in the Newsletter. I hope that those of you who attended “Hear all about it” with an expert speaker on this year’s resolution feel you now have a little more in depth knowledge on the subject. My thanks go to Karen Wynne and the Committee for staging the event.
I have had the pleasure in recent weeks of visiting several WIs in different capacities and once again I see how much you all do in your local communities and in many cases how many sub groups you have within your own WIs. It does however sometimes make it quite difficult for us to think up new ideas for Federation events, but if you have something that you have tried and think other members would like it, or, if you just have something in your head that you think Federation could do, just send a message into the Office. I promise that we will look at all the ideas and see what could be done.
Out with this month’s mailing is the details for this year’s Roadshows entitled – Marj on a Mission. The money raised will be split between Federation funds and ACWW. The Roadshows are: Beadnell WI – Wednesday 19 June (2.00 to 4.00pm); Cresswell House – Wednesday 17 July (7.00 to 9.00pm); Shotley WI – Wednesday 21 August (2.00 to 4.00pm); Hedgley WI – Wednesday 18 September (2.00 to 4.00pm).
……..AND FINALLY…
We have spoken at the Board about kindness at recent meetings and it is certainly something that comes up at National online Council Meetings and we surely need more of it. I would like to leave you with something I was told at school:
There’s so much good in the worst of us and so much bad in the best of us, so it ill behoves any of us to talk about the rest of us.
Marj x