Welcome to the WI in Bucks 2008

2008
Why wasn't I surprised at the thundering e-silence that followed my request for advice on whether to continue with this blog or to let it sink into oblivion? Not one comment received on site, but I was told not to stop by various people in conversation because it is about the only thing that moves on the informal area of the BFWI website. I learn that there are WI husbands out there who read my column in order to see what their wives are involved in at the moment! Welcome--perhaps I will receive messages from you.
Another New Year, a new WI diary in breath-taking pink, a new WI calendar to fill up beside the phone, new ideas to put on top of the old ones? Everyone is busy making resolutions or drawing up "mind maps" for the coming year.I shall try and tart my blogsite up a bit to include the odd picture perhaps and I may be able to manage to alter my leapfrog style of making additions which will no doubt confuse me but make things more comprehensible to the reader.
2nd January
I travelled down to Stuart Lodge, the BFWI office at High Wycombe, with loads of paperwork which contained cheques. I needed to be sure they had arrived rather than trust the vagaries of the Post Office after the extended holiday.The forecast of snow the following day also speeded me on. It was lovely to see the decorating work in progress and the new fittings in the upstairs bathroom. The place looks 100% better already after the damage from floods and burglary.The staff deserve the improvement after putting up with the devastation for many months.
In the evening the local WI met in committee to plan the January meeting.It looks as if we are in for another busy year. Subscriptions are due next week: £27 of which each WI keeps almost half and the rest is divided between the county federation and the National Federation.Did you know a season ticket to watch a football team costs around £500? Our programme looks entertaining, finances are secure and we have volunteers for every job to be done. We also have various dates on the calendar when we will playing our part in the life of the community.
5th January
I spotted an article in a colour supplement about the national marmalade making championships. No, I didn't know there was such a thing either! Apparently it is being held this year beside Ullswater. There are hundreds of entries coming from all over the world and of course, who are the judges? WI trained craft and produce judges.
7th January
A bit of excitement today at our WI Book Group meeting. Not only have we a new member but we had to have our photograph taken because we are about to appear in print in WI Life. Just before Christmas two of the group wrote a piece about the readers and enclosed a written book review. We sent it up to the County Library Reading Group Newsletter and that appeared in late December. Then we sent it to WI Life and the editor said he liked it but wanted a photo! The review was of A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon but at the January meeting we were discussing The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. This is well worth reading as it gives an insight into events in the Congo which is poignantly topical today for what is happening in poor Zaire at the moment.There was so much to talk about in the book that we were ready for a cup of tea to wet our whistles by 4 o'clock.
9th January
Wow! Our first meeting of the year and seven potential new members showed up! We knew to expect some but not seven, so everyone had to work together to ensure that the visitors felt welcome and would come again.It was certainly a full house and Thank Goodness the speaker was very entertaining.She also managed to talk very positively about the process of vetting and consultation which the BFWI puts speakers through before they are included in the Speakers' Yearbook. We have set up a working group to liaise with the Town in Bloom event in June, have 3 people going to mastermind our entry for the NFWI Healthy Lifestyle Competition but have had to scrub our entry for the BFWI Quiz in March as it clashes with our own meeting and no one wants to miss that.
We are going to join in with Westbury and District WI which is filling boxes with items for the military personnel in Afghanistan. This is not just for Christmas but an on-going activity. It cannot be termed as political as it is not about judging whether the forces should be there or not, but supporting those who have been sent there.We will try to fill 6 boxes over the year.
10th January
Today the Education & Current Affairs Sub-committee met and we spent the time putting the final touches to plans for the Health Day It's a Woman's Thing, pre-planning a Polish Day and dreaming of a huge undertaking for 2010, the BFWI anniversary year. I'm not going to tell you what that may be!
We need volunteers for this committee because when our term ends in April this year some members are calling it a day.BFWI needs more people on Executive too. Dear Reader, please think about enquiring into what is involved, remember what pleasure you have taken in WI events and consider what time you could spare to put something back into the organisation.
Guess what? NFWI Public Affairs are going to have a blogsite--copycats!