Wow, what a summer! We have had a sizzling heatwave, football coming home courtesy of the wonderful Lionesses and at the fantastic Commonwealth Games in Birmingham we even had septuagenarians taking gold medals! With that in mind I am now in training for the next Olympic exhibition sport of 10 metre platform jumping because I might have my knee fixed by then. With that image in your head I hope it raised a smile!
Jenny McLean, Barbara Kilkenny and myself recently interviewed three delightful young ladies for this year’s Centenary Bursary and decided unanimously on Libby Pollard, a student at Ponteland High School who hopes to study Journalism at Sunderland University.
While on this subject I do hope that I haven’t misled any WIs over the continuation of the Centenary Bursary. It was started to give an award to any young woman currently in education and going on to further full time education by way of degree course, apprenticeship or any other form. Information was and still is sent to every educational establishment where young women study in a Sixth Form environment. The idea is that every WI in the Federation gives £10 each year towards the bursary which supports the winner receiving two payments of £1,000. This was agreed at a Council Meeting and therefore can only continue, cease or change in any way by a vote of each WI again at a Council Meeting.
I would like you all to discuss this at your next meeting and then ask your delegate to bring your vote to the RGS meeting on 24 September. We are all members of an excellent women’s organisation and our resolutions at National level have had far reaching successes over the years. Hopefully by supporting the next generation of young women we may well be nurturing the next National Chairman who will say she started thinking about the WI when she applied for a bursary from Northumberland Federation of WIs – now wouldn’t that be wonderful?! One of our WI objects is about furthering the education of women and our Centenary Bursary certainly does this but we cannot continue to do it without the support and contributions from our current WIs and so I urge you all to think about the future of this scheme.
The final two Roadshows have now taken place and I wish to thank those WIs who hosted them, Ulgham, Bamburgh and Heddon on the Wall (not forgetting the final one at Cresswell House) and provided marvellous refreshments. Most of all l want to thank all of you who came and supported the events. I hope my History of Northumberland in some of my favourite objects has reminded you of what makes you proud to be a member of such a wonderful organisation and just maybe you all learnt something new about the Federation along the way.
Please note that you still have time to put your name down for the Literary Lunch with Mari Hannah at Hexham Mart Banqueting Suite on Wednesday 5 October. Details of this and all Committee events are with your Secretary or Programme Organiser.
I also look forward to seeing many of you at the Annual Council Meeting on 24 September at The Royal Grammar School in Newcastle upon Tyne.
Enjoy the rest of the Summer because I shall soon be giving you details of events leading up to Christmas, oh yes I will!!.
Marj x
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