As I write this message I realise that the shops are beginning to put out their stock of, dare I say it? Christmas cards and the evenings are definitely getting longer!
You will see the disappointing news about future National Annual Meetings and the fact that after next year’s event at the Royal Albert Hall only every third one will have an option of real and virtual attendance. I think we all understand cost implications but there is nothing to beat the experience of attending a National Meeting in person.
Last week I did the final Marj on the Move at Alnmouth where I was able to meet up with some members I have not seen for quite a while. I had the pleasure of sitting and chatting to Elizabeth Hogg MBE, a member at Lancaster Park who is 94 years young and still a very keen WI member, well done Elizabeth. Thanks are due here to all the WIs and their committees that have been instrumental in making these events so successful with their generosity and fabulous refreshments, so Widdringon, Bardon Mill and finally Alnmouth please give yourselves a huge round of applause. Thanks also to the members of the Board of Trustees who did the refreshments and the work at the Cresswell House event. Once again these efforts have realised a significant amount of money for Federation funds and I sincerely thank all of you who attended one or more of the events. I am still wondering whether the time has now come to part with the 60’s chain belt or frame it. Any ideas ladies?
The Literary Lunch with Glenda Young will have been and gone by the time you read this letter, as will the heats for this year’s Federation Quiz. Congratulations go to those of you who were successful in coming in the top two at your respective heats and I wonder if you are now busy swatting up for the final at Creswell House. Once again I must thank Sue Malloy for setting the questions and providing everything ready for the heats.
I hope that those of you who attended the Annual Council Meeting enjoyed the experience especially if it was your first time and were you up and dancing along to our afternoon entertainment.
Those who were there will be very aware of Barbara Kilkenny’s message about the role that fundraising plays and the need for Federation and individual WIs to remember this when planning their programmes and budgets for the year ahead. It is also a good time to think about the aims and objects of the organisation and how you do this within your own WI.
We are now busy putting together the order of service for our Celebration at the Cathedral which for many of us really does start our WI Christmas events and is always enjoyed by all who attend so I do hope that I will see many of you there.
I hope that in the next Newsletter I will be able to give you a date for the next event with John Lewis which looks like being Wednesday 31 January but has not yet been “rubber stamped” by their Board so watch out for the news next month as if this is confirmed then the applications will have quite a tight turnaround time.
Don’t forget you still have the opportunity to make a bid for the Aspinall bag featured in last month’s Newsletter as the last day for bids to be accepted is Thursday 30 November.
See you all soon
Marj x
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