6th October
Eleven of the local WI members spent the day learning how to cut glass and we all produced a frame for a mirror and a hanging mobile thing to catch the light wherever we chose to exhibit it.I must admit that I expected to need the first aid kit either immediately or in the days following the activity but the Health & Safety people would have been very relieved as we escaped accident-free.These craft schools are very enjoyable as everyone gets to know each other while taking part in a common project. The stumbling block is being able to find a meeting place which doesn't raise the cost beyond a reasonable level or indeed finding a hall not taken up by playgroups.This was our second craft session and both times we have had to hold them in private houses which is very pleasant for the guests but a bit daunting for the hostess.
8th October
This evening two of our members attended a meeting up at Emberton for the WI Press reporters. This event is one of two called by the Federation Press Officer which is a good idea as she is new to the job and this way members get to know her. The speaker was John Falding, a retired editor from the Financial Times.I think those attending would have liked more practical advice on writing their columns as most of them have built up or inherited good contacts with their local papers. There were a lot of different papers represented on our evening, stretching across all our county borders. We have always given reports rather than blatantly advertised forthcoming events which our Press Officer seemed to want us to do. However most local papers do not welcome advertising except as straightforward paid for advertising so we have always "sneaked" in forthcoming events. Also we did not see the point of passing our press reports through her for the papers, although we were quite willing to advise her of events planned. The Press Officer in history has been the link with WI Life and the national papers and local media so I don't know whether the WI reporters will be very happy or co-operate with this new idea.WI reporters are aware of the benefits of e-mail for photos for the newspapers and many are using this method to good effect. We were able to cite good examples of coverage as well as those which did nothing to enhance the WI image--and it was those that we hoped would be helped by the evening held.
Friday, 10 October 2008
Sunday, 5 October 2008
Tickets to ride
30 September
The best part of today was spent sending off tickets for our health day event "Eat, think and be Healthy" to which there has been an excellent response. It is however interesting to note that only 2 WIs from south of Aylesbury have applied: this proves that it is a firm belief held among members that it is further to travel up the county than it is for us northerners to travel down! Many of us spend hours travelling down to the High Wycombe area for events when those from the Thames Valley look upon anything North of Aylesbury as the outskirts of Birmingham and quite beyond consideration.Perhaps it is because in north Bucks there are gaps between our towns and villages where there appears to be no human habitation. Should we go back to the practice of putting on maps "Here be dragons"?
Another hobbyhorse brought on by a closing date, closely followed by another. If I see another 2"x2" gold envelope sent as an SAE for 6 tickets to an event, I shall be heard screaming for miles around.Luckily the travellers to Norwich do not commit this sin so it was trouble-free to send off their final instructions for the November break.
1 October
The local WI met tonight and we enjoyed a very professional talk from the founder of the Ethical Food Company which is very local to us.It tied in well with the work we did last year on the Great Milk Debate and members were interested and felt challenged in matching their beliefs with the practical economics of buying ethically. Food for thought, dare I say? We have more names now volunteering to help with the Big Tidy Up but I'm not sure we have many new people willing to stand for next year's committee which is a shame. Anyway we welcomed 4 new members and there are a couple more in waiting so that is good news.
3 October
Three Bucks members left today for a holiday in the Canadian Rockies. I taxi-ed one down to Heathrow but the other pair went under their own steam. I must admit that I wanted to do this to make sure they all met up safely before leaving and I could relax and know they were on their way.I need not have bothered as we all found each other easily and were soon swept along with what looked like half of Devon and Wiltshire WI Federations.Those federations are experienced travellers with the Collette Worldwide people: some have been to New Zealand with them whereas we have gone only as far as Sicily which was a bit of a test run.I hope some more of our Bucks members will ask to go to Norway in 2009 and the Oberammagau trip in 2010 which will be promoted at the Autumn Council Meeting this month.It was freezing at Heathrow but the sunshine made our countryside a joy to drive through.
4 October
A local lady phoned tonight to enquire about joining the WI. She said she didn't know the WI did things like quizzes and holidays but she had read in the Parish Magazine about our activities and wondered whether she and a friend could come along next month. I heard myself saying that it might not be the best as it was our annual meeting and we wouldn't have a speaker etc. and then I thought what a negative response I was making. I have now delivered to her house a copy of our programme and a list of diary events and our extra interest groups and a copy of the WILife and the Green Letter so now I have probably scared her off completely! I'll keep you informed or maybe not...
The best part of today was spent sending off tickets for our health day event "Eat, think and be Healthy" to which there has been an excellent response. It is however interesting to note that only 2 WIs from south of Aylesbury have applied: this proves that it is a firm belief held among members that it is further to travel up the county than it is for us northerners to travel down! Many of us spend hours travelling down to the High Wycombe area for events when those from the Thames Valley look upon anything North of Aylesbury as the outskirts of Birmingham and quite beyond consideration.Perhaps it is because in north Bucks there are gaps between our towns and villages where there appears to be no human habitation. Should we go back to the practice of putting on maps "Here be dragons"?
Another hobbyhorse brought on by a closing date, closely followed by another. If I see another 2"x2" gold envelope sent as an SAE for 6 tickets to an event, I shall be heard screaming for miles around.Luckily the travellers to Norwich do not commit this sin so it was trouble-free to send off their final instructions for the November break.
1 October
The local WI met tonight and we enjoyed a very professional talk from the founder of the Ethical Food Company which is very local to us.It tied in well with the work we did last year on the Great Milk Debate and members were interested and felt challenged in matching their beliefs with the practical economics of buying ethically. Food for thought, dare I say? We have more names now volunteering to help with the Big Tidy Up but I'm not sure we have many new people willing to stand for next year's committee which is a shame. Anyway we welcomed 4 new members and there are a couple more in waiting so that is good news.
3 October
Three Bucks members left today for a holiday in the Canadian Rockies. I taxi-ed one down to Heathrow but the other pair went under their own steam. I must admit that I wanted to do this to make sure they all met up safely before leaving and I could relax and know they were on their way.I need not have bothered as we all found each other easily and were soon swept along with what looked like half of Devon and Wiltshire WI Federations.Those federations are experienced travellers with the Collette Worldwide people: some have been to New Zealand with them whereas we have gone only as far as Sicily which was a bit of a test run.I hope some more of our Bucks members will ask to go to Norway in 2009 and the Oberammagau trip in 2010 which will be promoted at the Autumn Council Meeting this month.It was freezing at Heathrow but the sunshine made our countryside a joy to drive through.
4 October
A local lady phoned tonight to enquire about joining the WI. She said she didn't know the WI did things like quizzes and holidays but she had read in the Parish Magazine about our activities and wondered whether she and a friend could come along next month. I heard myself saying that it might not be the best as it was our annual meeting and we wouldn't have a speaker etc. and then I thought what a negative response I was making. I have now delivered to her house a copy of our programme and a list of diary events and our extra interest groups and a copy of the WILife and the Green Letter so now I have probably scared her off completely! I'll keep you informed or maybe not...
Sunday, 28 September 2008
Denman College Diamond Celebration
23rd September
I think it was 24 of us from the Bucks Federation who had spent the weekend making cakes for the Denman College Diamond Anniversary celebrations. The neighbouring federations around Marcham each undertook to do the refreshments for one day during the week of celebration. The Denman kitchen provided the ingredients for the rolls and sandwiches but it was up to us to make the cakes. It was an early start and because this was the first day Bucks were the guinea pigs to see whether it would work. There were too few urns and problems with the water supply but besides that, it was with a sense of achievement when we finished the day having looked after over 600 guests plus staff and stewards over lunch and tea.A heavy shower of rain at lunchtime ensured that everyone came in to eat at the same time but the atmosphere was sunny both sides of the serving tables. No one commented on the fact that two out of the 24 Bucks caterers had black eyes. I thought there would be the usual quips plus mention of the current WI campaign re. Violence against Women but narry a one.I hasten to add that both eyes were the result of accidents with bicycles which is pretty noteworthy as one lady must be well on towards her eighties!
Those of you who didn't go to Denman missed a treat. The flowers were wonderful dotted around the grounds all very modern but absolutely beautiful. It was good to see Diana Kerley the former Denman College Head of Staff flying about in her black boots just like old times. She never walks when she can run! There were masses of things to see and do in the marquees and across the gardens but I left the inside activities until later in the week when I was to steward and not fill rolls all day.
24th September
This was a long committee which got a bit out of hand as we heard of mutters against the rise in the subscription, about the last year's rather dull speakers and general dissatisfaction with the amount of things organised in the run up to Christmas. Have you noticed how the car has become a sort of confessional box these days? People air views that would not be heard elsewhere.What gets me mad is when the same people who complain about the subscription don't turn a hair at agreeing to an extra event eg Christmas dinner which costs the same as the sub. but is eaten in one evening! There was the usual complaint that it was no use circulating the sheet for nominations to the NFWI Board of Trustees because "We don't know anyone". I would have thought the arrival of WI Life would have helped with this problem but no...
The committee will wear name badges for the next meeting as would you believe some members are not sure who we are either. Perhaps I was tired, but I admit I was looking round for a bag of lime!
25th September
Back to Denman this morning and the weather was bright and sunny. I was stewarding inside the Main House which would have been where I would have picked, if given a choice. I just love that place. The flowers inside the house were wonderful and so imaginative. And then the quilts were on display which had been on view when we went to the NEC in Birmingham and I got to talk to the lady who had created the winning quilt.Then there was the sound of the piano being played wafting up from the drawing room and then two harpists. Magic! Ann Stamper the WI Archivist was in attendance upstairs giving advice to members worried about their WI scrapbooks and memorabilia.Lots of visitors were not WI members and they were enquiring into how they could attend courses and many were absolutely bowled over by the bedrooms. I went over in the lunch break to see the new Holly Cottages and the Ferris Home Economics hall. Everything is impressive and state of the arts with equipment and I really believe that the College will go from strength to strength from now on. Lots of Bucks members visited over the days when I was there so there were lots of positive comments which restored my belief in the WI after last night's blues.
26 th September
Spent the morning on the phone sorting out a muddle created by the travel firm which is dealing with the November holiday. What on earth possessed it to send the invoices direct to the travellers who wanted insurance instead of me I'll never know. Luckily most people said they had thought it rather strange to be asked to pay twice and had waited to see what would happen next, but one had dutifully sent off a cheque to the firm because they had put a closing date on the invoice and she didn't want to miss it!
WI Life arrived and as the members who went to the training session said, it had another extremely young face on the cover. Could we not feature the members of the Board of Trustees: then members would have no excuse to say they don't know what they look like.
I think it was 24 of us from the Bucks Federation who had spent the weekend making cakes for the Denman College Diamond Anniversary celebrations. The neighbouring federations around Marcham each undertook to do the refreshments for one day during the week of celebration. The Denman kitchen provided the ingredients for the rolls and sandwiches but it was up to us to make the cakes. It was an early start and because this was the first day Bucks were the guinea pigs to see whether it would work. There were too few urns and problems with the water supply but besides that, it was with a sense of achievement when we finished the day having looked after over 600 guests plus staff and stewards over lunch and tea.A heavy shower of rain at lunchtime ensured that everyone came in to eat at the same time but the atmosphere was sunny both sides of the serving tables. No one commented on the fact that two out of the 24 Bucks caterers had black eyes. I thought there would be the usual quips plus mention of the current WI campaign re. Violence against Women but narry a one.I hasten to add that both eyes were the result of accidents with bicycles which is pretty noteworthy as one lady must be well on towards her eighties!
Those of you who didn't go to Denman missed a treat. The flowers were wonderful dotted around the grounds all very modern but absolutely beautiful. It was good to see Diana Kerley the former Denman College Head of Staff flying about in her black boots just like old times. She never walks when she can run! There were masses of things to see and do in the marquees and across the gardens but I left the inside activities until later in the week when I was to steward and not fill rolls all day.
24th September
This was a long committee which got a bit out of hand as we heard of mutters against the rise in the subscription, about the last year's rather dull speakers and general dissatisfaction with the amount of things organised in the run up to Christmas. Have you noticed how the car has become a sort of confessional box these days? People air views that would not be heard elsewhere.What gets me mad is when the same people who complain about the subscription don't turn a hair at agreeing to an extra event eg Christmas dinner which costs the same as the sub. but is eaten in one evening! There was the usual complaint that it was no use circulating the sheet for nominations to the NFWI Board of Trustees because "We don't know anyone". I would have thought the arrival of WI Life would have helped with this problem but no...
The committee will wear name badges for the next meeting as would you believe some members are not sure who we are either. Perhaps I was tired, but I admit I was looking round for a bag of lime!
25th September
Back to Denman this morning and the weather was bright and sunny. I was stewarding inside the Main House which would have been where I would have picked, if given a choice. I just love that place. The flowers inside the house were wonderful and so imaginative. And then the quilts were on display which had been on view when we went to the NEC in Birmingham and I got to talk to the lady who had created the winning quilt.Then there was the sound of the piano being played wafting up from the drawing room and then two harpists. Magic! Ann Stamper the WI Archivist was in attendance upstairs giving advice to members worried about their WI scrapbooks and memorabilia.Lots of visitors were not WI members and they were enquiring into how they could attend courses and many were absolutely bowled over by the bedrooms. I went over in the lunch break to see the new Holly Cottages and the Ferris Home Economics hall. Everything is impressive and state of the arts with equipment and I really believe that the College will go from strength to strength from now on. Lots of Bucks members visited over the days when I was there so there were lots of positive comments which restored my belief in the WI after last night's blues.
26 th September
Spent the morning on the phone sorting out a muddle created by the travel firm which is dealing with the November holiday. What on earth possessed it to send the invoices direct to the travellers who wanted insurance instead of me I'll never know. Luckily most people said they had thought it rather strange to be asked to pay twice and had waited to see what would happen next, but one had dutifully sent off a cheque to the firm because they had put a closing date on the invoice and she didn't want to miss it!
WI Life arrived and as the members who went to the training session said, it had another extremely young face on the cover. Could we not feature the members of the Board of Trustees: then members would have no excuse to say they don't know what they look like.
Sunday, 21 September 2008
September:season of meetings
1 September
This morning three of the local WI committee got together for a cup of coffee to discuss a plan of campaign for the NFWI initiative the Big Tidy Up. We were keen to take part in this as the WI really kickstarted the Keep Britain Tidy scheme way back in the nineteen fifties.We are going to invite other organisations in the town to join us and try to have a public gathering to start off together to cover our various areas. We need more equipment so will try to borrow litter-pickers from the Council and we already have the kit ordered from Encams. So we worked out publicity and a draft letter and we will tackle the local paper nearer the time.It should take only a couple of hours if we have the volunteers and gather together the right bags for disposal etc.
2 September
Another small meeting --this time in the evening to make arrangements for the next WI Group meeting in October. I enjoy group meetings when five or six WIs get together for a bigger meeting twice a year, taking turns with being the host under the general direction of the Group Convenor. Each WI does its own thing about catering and reports on the successes and disasters of the previous year.We are lucky that our Group Convenor also arranges a coach outing as well, usually in the summer. These are very popular as of course the initial pickups for the coach are all so local that we avoid the long drawn out starts to the Federation trips: Bucks has an awful county shape to find an easy solution.Eighty miles long and forty wide is quite a logistical problem.
3 September
Tonight was our local WI meeting which was well attended considering it was the September one. Many members are free of childminding this month so take their own holidays then. We enjoyed a good speaker talking about bee-keeping. Isn't it the way that the person who requested this talk was on holiday so missed it! We all enjoyed it anyway so will be able to tell her enthusiastically what she missed. We heard a very favourable report from a member who had been on a course at Denman College. What enthusiasm she showed, so one can only hope it will encourage others to go along. It is true that once they get a member through the door at Denman she will return for more.It's just that initial visit which is so difficult.I hope we will get lots of people putting £1 in an envelope for the Dip for Denman draw at the council meeting next month.We have volunteers for catering at our fundraiser quiz in November and also for litter picking for the Big Tidy Up--that was a bit slow as people thought litter included dog dirt but that is another department and we need only alert the Council to the worst areas for that Thank Goodness!
8 September
We certainly have to pay for doing very little WI business in August because so far September has been non-stop! A small working party meeting tonight about the November Quiz. Publicity and tickets again to plan and to check up on the hall and bar arrangements and the buying of raffle prizes. I heard someone mutter that we will not make money on this event and we should stick to what we always do for fund-raising. However when pressed she had to admit that there is not something which we always do as we try to ring the changes each year. A lot depends on the people on the committee who come up with ideas which of course reflect their own strengths eg flower arrangers go for that sort of event, caterers for cookery demonstrations but at present a quiz is very popular to people living in our town.It is better for the WI if it attracts money into funds from non-members and it is good publicity to gain new members. We have three waiting to join now who have come in through interest groups run as offshoots of the WI.
11 September
A Federation meeting of the Education and Current Affairs sub committee which also involved lots of planning of a future event was held this morning in High Wycombe at our County Office.Again correspondence had mounted up over the summer. We had been in touch with Postwatch over Post Office closures, with the various councils over their getting closer to communities scheme, with NFWI over the Violence against Women initiative and other environmental issues. It all takes time but shows what a valued role the WI plays in society. Our Health evening is looking good but we are having trouble arranging a brain games mini-school for February 2009.
15 September
A rather select group at the local WI Book readers met this afternoon. We are starting on a new list of the collections on offer from the County Library but feel we would like to go back to the Mail on Sunday selection to run along side of this. We want some more biographies to choose from and we have more members now who like historical novels. We have an Amy Tan book to read for next time.
17 September
Tonight a WI training session was held in the town so two of us went along.It was well run and it was good to be introduced to some new WI Advisors in training. A lot of hints and strategies are swapped at these events in a fairly relaxed atmosphere. Opinions expressed about the WI Life magazine were on the whole positive and also on the NFWI website but oh dear! the Bucks website was roundly criticised, and justly so. It is not kept up-to-date on the campaign side of things and it ought to look more lively with photos of people and events. What we need is someone designated just to deal with the editing of the website. There is nothing wrong with the setup of it: it is just the use made of it. But then who am I to talk as I haven't added pictures to my blog which I promised to do this year!
18 September
Great news! I have just heard that Twyford Post Office is to be saved. Padbury still loses its but I think people thought that would happen as it has been precarious for a couple of years now. A muted review of the stage show of Calendar Girls appeared in today's national papers. I am looking forward to its arrival in High Wycombe and hope a lot of WIs will run outings to see it. Can anyone improve on Helen Mirren and the film cast? Let's wait and see.They are a real hard act to follow.
This morning three of the local WI committee got together for a cup of coffee to discuss a plan of campaign for the NFWI initiative the Big Tidy Up. We were keen to take part in this as the WI really kickstarted the Keep Britain Tidy scheme way back in the nineteen fifties.We are going to invite other organisations in the town to join us and try to have a public gathering to start off together to cover our various areas. We need more equipment so will try to borrow litter-pickers from the Council and we already have the kit ordered from Encams. So we worked out publicity and a draft letter and we will tackle the local paper nearer the time.It should take only a couple of hours if we have the volunteers and gather together the right bags for disposal etc.
2 September
Another small meeting --this time in the evening to make arrangements for the next WI Group meeting in October. I enjoy group meetings when five or six WIs get together for a bigger meeting twice a year, taking turns with being the host under the general direction of the Group Convenor. Each WI does its own thing about catering and reports on the successes and disasters of the previous year.We are lucky that our Group Convenor also arranges a coach outing as well, usually in the summer. These are very popular as of course the initial pickups for the coach are all so local that we avoid the long drawn out starts to the Federation trips: Bucks has an awful county shape to find an easy solution.Eighty miles long and forty wide is quite a logistical problem.
3 September
Tonight was our local WI meeting which was well attended considering it was the September one. Many members are free of childminding this month so take their own holidays then. We enjoyed a good speaker talking about bee-keeping. Isn't it the way that the person who requested this talk was on holiday so missed it! We all enjoyed it anyway so will be able to tell her enthusiastically what she missed. We heard a very favourable report from a member who had been on a course at Denman College. What enthusiasm she showed, so one can only hope it will encourage others to go along. It is true that once they get a member through the door at Denman she will return for more.It's just that initial visit which is so difficult.I hope we will get lots of people putting £1 in an envelope for the Dip for Denman draw at the council meeting next month.We have volunteers for catering at our fundraiser quiz in November and also for litter picking for the Big Tidy Up--that was a bit slow as people thought litter included dog dirt but that is another department and we need only alert the Council to the worst areas for that Thank Goodness!
8 September
We certainly have to pay for doing very little WI business in August because so far September has been non-stop! A small working party meeting tonight about the November Quiz. Publicity and tickets again to plan and to check up on the hall and bar arrangements and the buying of raffle prizes. I heard someone mutter that we will not make money on this event and we should stick to what we always do for fund-raising. However when pressed she had to admit that there is not something which we always do as we try to ring the changes each year. A lot depends on the people on the committee who come up with ideas which of course reflect their own strengths eg flower arrangers go for that sort of event, caterers for cookery demonstrations but at present a quiz is very popular to people living in our town.It is better for the WI if it attracts money into funds from non-members and it is good publicity to gain new members. We have three waiting to join now who have come in through interest groups run as offshoots of the WI.
11 September
A Federation meeting of the Education and Current Affairs sub committee which also involved lots of planning of a future event was held this morning in High Wycombe at our County Office.Again correspondence had mounted up over the summer. We had been in touch with Postwatch over Post Office closures, with the various councils over their getting closer to communities scheme, with NFWI over the Violence against Women initiative and other environmental issues. It all takes time but shows what a valued role the WI plays in society. Our Health evening is looking good but we are having trouble arranging a brain games mini-school for February 2009.
15 September
A rather select group at the local WI Book readers met this afternoon. We are starting on a new list of the collections on offer from the County Library but feel we would like to go back to the Mail on Sunday selection to run along side of this. We want some more biographies to choose from and we have more members now who like historical novels. We have an Amy Tan book to read for next time.
17 September
Tonight a WI training session was held in the town so two of us went along.It was well run and it was good to be introduced to some new WI Advisors in training. A lot of hints and strategies are swapped at these events in a fairly relaxed atmosphere. Opinions expressed about the WI Life magazine were on the whole positive and also on the NFWI website but oh dear! the Bucks website was roundly criticised, and justly so. It is not kept up-to-date on the campaign side of things and it ought to look more lively with photos of people and events. What we need is someone designated just to deal with the editing of the website. There is nothing wrong with the setup of it: it is just the use made of it. But then who am I to talk as I haven't added pictures to my blog which I promised to do this year!
18 September
Great news! I have just heard that Twyford Post Office is to be saved. Padbury still loses its but I think people thought that would happen as it has been precarious for a couple of years now. A muted review of the stage show of Calendar Girls appeared in today's national papers. I am looking forward to its arrival in High Wycombe and hope a lot of WIs will run outings to see it. Can anyone improve on Helen Mirren and the film cast? Let's wait and see.They are a real hard act to follow.
Sunday, 31 August 2008
Showing off
21st August
Every year BFWI invites every member who serves on any sub-committee or who holds a special responsibility within the organisation to join them for supper somewhere in the County. I hasten to add that we all have to pay for the privilege: there is no such thing as a free supper either! Even so it is a nice gesture and we appreciate it. It is about the only occasion when we all get together and can talk over our plans and ideas for the coming year. This year we met at Naphill and the local WI did the catering. Excellent, of course.One of the best things about the evening was that no one rushed us and we were able to do a lot of talking or should I call it networking these days?
22nd August
The local newspaper has done us proud with the article about the WI's opposition to the closure of the Post Offices in our area. I hope that lots of people will write this week to the Consultation Team and express their concerns. The trouble is that if we save one, another will be for the chop as the Post Office maintains it has to fulfil its quota.
25th August
Thank Goodness it stopped raining even if there was no obvious sunshine for the Winslow Show. It was great to see the animals back in the show-ring after last year's ban because of foot and mouth disease restrictions. We had lots of visitors to our stand which had a new location this year, right next to the pig roast so we were sure of people dropping in to look at our exhibit. We majored on the Big Tidy Up campaign which NFWI will launch in September. Winslow WI is hoping to do a litter pick around the town sometime in October so we were asking people where they thought the trouble spots were to be found. We are going to invite other organisations in the town to join us. Our knitted house exhibit was popular with the children, as was the little free quiz which was organised for them. I hope we attract some new members but it was nice talking to our own members and visitors from around the country. These events are a lot of work but well worth the effort.At the end of the day everything was packed off to go to the County Show at Aylesbury where I am pleased to see we have a couple of tables for promotion in the Shopping Tent.
30th August
Front page spread in the Daily Telegraph about the "sexiest WI in Britain"! All publicity is good publicity except one's obituary they say and personally I don't think this will do the WI any harm. The matter that I question is talk of re-writing the rules. There is nothing in the rules to stop WI members making nude calendars or learning pole-dancing but a group is not a WI unless it obeys the constitution. WI Lite is a WI drawing up its own programme and providing what its members want which is exactly what every WI should do. One of the things people who enquire about joining the WI are always told is to look around, visit lots of WIs and see which suits you. It is a shame the members of Bramley WI complained about the new one but it is ever so irritating if a new WI is formed in one's locality and one sees it as a threat: there is room for both.
We may not want to have speakers and demonstrators who will teach us how to appear beautiful and sexy enough to appear in glossy magazines.We have all had our moments! Quite frankly there are a lot of younger people who don't want that either. They are turning their attention to learning traditional crafts and skills which recent education has missed out.We are learning from them the modern technology for communications--each generation benefitting from the other and appreciating what the other can provide. It was ever so and the WI programme should cater for the membership. The first WI members fought for emancipation and the education of women and without their efforts and dedication WI Lite would never have been able to strut their stuff anywhere accept in the privacy of their own homes.
The WI is alive and well but its members reveal it in different ways!
There must be something in the water in Hampshire these days.
Every year BFWI invites every member who serves on any sub-committee or who holds a special responsibility within the organisation to join them for supper somewhere in the County. I hasten to add that we all have to pay for the privilege: there is no such thing as a free supper either! Even so it is a nice gesture and we appreciate it. It is about the only occasion when we all get together and can talk over our plans and ideas for the coming year. This year we met at Naphill and the local WI did the catering. Excellent, of course.One of the best things about the evening was that no one rushed us and we were able to do a lot of talking or should I call it networking these days?
22nd August
The local newspaper has done us proud with the article about the WI's opposition to the closure of the Post Offices in our area. I hope that lots of people will write this week to the Consultation Team and express their concerns. The trouble is that if we save one, another will be for the chop as the Post Office maintains it has to fulfil its quota.
25th August
Thank Goodness it stopped raining even if there was no obvious sunshine for the Winslow Show. It was great to see the animals back in the show-ring after last year's ban because of foot and mouth disease restrictions. We had lots of visitors to our stand which had a new location this year, right next to the pig roast so we were sure of people dropping in to look at our exhibit. We majored on the Big Tidy Up campaign which NFWI will launch in September. Winslow WI is hoping to do a litter pick around the town sometime in October so we were asking people where they thought the trouble spots were to be found. We are going to invite other organisations in the town to join us. Our knitted house exhibit was popular with the children, as was the little free quiz which was organised for them. I hope we attract some new members but it was nice talking to our own members and visitors from around the country. These events are a lot of work but well worth the effort.At the end of the day everything was packed off to go to the County Show at Aylesbury where I am pleased to see we have a couple of tables for promotion in the Shopping Tent.
30th August
Front page spread in the Daily Telegraph about the "sexiest WI in Britain"! All publicity is good publicity except one's obituary they say and personally I don't think this will do the WI any harm. The matter that I question is talk of re-writing the rules. There is nothing in the rules to stop WI members making nude calendars or learning pole-dancing but a group is not a WI unless it obeys the constitution. WI Lite is a WI drawing up its own programme and providing what its members want which is exactly what every WI should do. One of the things people who enquire about joining the WI are always told is to look around, visit lots of WIs and see which suits you. It is a shame the members of Bramley WI complained about the new one but it is ever so irritating if a new WI is formed in one's locality and one sees it as a threat: there is room for both.
We may not want to have speakers and demonstrators who will teach us how to appear beautiful and sexy enough to appear in glossy magazines.We have all had our moments! Quite frankly there are a lot of younger people who don't want that either. They are turning their attention to learning traditional crafts and skills which recent education has missed out.We are learning from them the modern technology for communications--each generation benefitting from the other and appreciating what the other can provide. It was ever so and the WI programme should cater for the membership. The first WI members fought for emancipation and the education of women and without their efforts and dedication WI Lite would never have been able to strut their stuff anywhere accept in the privacy of their own homes.
The WI is alive and well but its members reveal it in different ways!
There must be something in the water in Hampshire these days.
Monday, 18 August 2008
abuse and exploitation
3rd August
Well of course they had to pat the WI on its collective head and say that it was sweet of it to care and ho! ho! you are dear innocents in a world you have no idea about. The WI Guide to Brothels on Channel 4 chose to go along this route and I think the two ladies from Hampshire Federation rather played them at their own game--TV production not prostitution, I hasten to add.If you want to present a resolution which will tackle violence against women where prostitutes are at the mercy of some of the worst perpetrators of violent abuse, then you must get the attention of thousands to support you and what better way than through the home TV set? The aim is to license brothels, not to ban them, and to afford these women some form of protection. This is what the police wish too. Think of the employment opportunities for the bureaucrats of Health and Safety, Hygiene Inspectors and their ilk!
It was a very informative programme and amusing in the same way as the WI Alternative Calendar was amusing because of the juxtaposition of the WI's image and the shady world of nudity and sex. But you had to admire the bravery of those two to even think of doing what they did. Could you have talked to some of those people, gone into those places?
4th August
Almost a full house for the local WI Book Group this afternoon. We have been reading several books over the summer but Joseph O'Connor's Star of the Sea was the "official" choice this month. We agreed that it wasn't a book we would have taken off the library shelf if we had been left to our own devises. However it was much enjoyed and admired as a novel which described the horrific conditions in which the people of Scotland and Ireland dispossessed by either the clearances or the potato famine travelled to a new life in America.
I had been reading Two Caravans by Marina Lwycka (the Tractors in Ukrainian woman) which was another depressing and horrifing story, even more disturbing as it was set in modern day Britain. Talk about violence to women and rampant abuse of the immigrants coming to our shores and it is not much better than on board the Star of the Sea hundreds of years ago.It was funny too but I felt ashamed that I had almost forgotten about the cocklepickers drowned on Morecombe Sands and the exploited flowerpickers in Cornwall.Mind the flowerpickers were helped by the Cornwall WIs but we know of youngsters working for next to nothing in hotels and restaurants in London, fleeced by unscrupulous agents but travelling up from the respectable Home Counties.
7th August
The local WI had planned a summer outing to Waterperry Gardens and then tea with an Oxfordshire WI but the numbers dwindled and dwindled until we had to cancel the tea which was very embarrassing. In the end only ten of us went as even more baulked when they saw the morning weather but they need not have worried because we had no rain at all while there. The gardens are well worth seeing and the items for sale are interesting but rather expensive to buy--well, the things I was eye-ing were! There were few people there because of the weather forecast so we enjoyed a leisurely walk round and on the way home stopped for a lovely cream tea at one of our own Bucks villages' post office plus shop plus cafe. Who wants to think about cholesterol levels at a time like that!
Well of course they had to pat the WI on its collective head and say that it was sweet of it to care and ho! ho! you are dear innocents in a world you have no idea about. The WI Guide to Brothels on Channel 4 chose to go along this route and I think the two ladies from Hampshire Federation rather played them at their own game--TV production not prostitution, I hasten to add.If you want to present a resolution which will tackle violence against women where prostitutes are at the mercy of some of the worst perpetrators of violent abuse, then you must get the attention of thousands to support you and what better way than through the home TV set? The aim is to license brothels, not to ban them, and to afford these women some form of protection. This is what the police wish too. Think of the employment opportunities for the bureaucrats of Health and Safety, Hygiene Inspectors and their ilk!
It was a very informative programme and amusing in the same way as the WI Alternative Calendar was amusing because of the juxtaposition of the WI's image and the shady world of nudity and sex. But you had to admire the bravery of those two to even think of doing what they did. Could you have talked to some of those people, gone into those places?
4th August
Almost a full house for the local WI Book Group this afternoon. We have been reading several books over the summer but Joseph O'Connor's Star of the Sea was the "official" choice this month. We agreed that it wasn't a book we would have taken off the library shelf if we had been left to our own devises. However it was much enjoyed and admired as a novel which described the horrific conditions in which the people of Scotland and Ireland dispossessed by either the clearances or the potato famine travelled to a new life in America.
I had been reading Two Caravans by Marina Lwycka (the Tractors in Ukrainian woman) which was another depressing and horrifing story, even more disturbing as it was set in modern day Britain. Talk about violence to women and rampant abuse of the immigrants coming to our shores and it is not much better than on board the Star of the Sea hundreds of years ago.It was funny too but I felt ashamed that I had almost forgotten about the cocklepickers drowned on Morecombe Sands and the exploited flowerpickers in Cornwall.Mind the flowerpickers were helped by the Cornwall WIs but we know of youngsters working for next to nothing in hotels and restaurants in London, fleeced by unscrupulous agents but travelling up from the respectable Home Counties.
7th August
The local WI had planned a summer outing to Waterperry Gardens and then tea with an Oxfordshire WI but the numbers dwindled and dwindled until we had to cancel the tea which was very embarrassing. In the end only ten of us went as even more baulked when they saw the morning weather but they need not have worried because we had no rain at all while there. The gardens are well worth seeing and the items for sale are interesting but rather expensive to buy--well, the things I was eye-ing were! There were few people there because of the weather forecast so we enjoyed a leisurely walk round and on the way home stopped for a lovely cream tea at one of our own Bucks villages' post office plus shop plus cafe. Who wants to think about cholesterol levels at a time like that!
Sunday, 3 August 2008
As others see us
20 July
An early start to help steward in the WI tent at the Chiltern Show at Great Missenden. Our site was very close to the main stage so we were able to follow the various items featured throughout the day. It was very rewarding to see that most of the recommendations for the awards for work in the community were put forward by WI members. These were not just for local members but for people who had been spotted as making a worthwhile contribution to the life of others in their home area. The WI was also well represented in the prize list for the original writing competition. One of our own WI members was highly commended so we felt very proud about that.
Apparently attendance had been low the day before but it was fine on the Sunday. However it does work out very expensive for the families visiting and it may be wise for the organisers to make more favourable terms for family tickets in order to increase the gate figures.We were promoting the WI of course and had lots of members drop in to see us and the usual amount of people saying that they will join as soon as they retire! We joined when we were mothers and working part-time too, a lot of us so why can't others? I don't believe it is any harder for the modern younger mother than it was for us.
22 July
This evening I attended the meeting arranged by Post Offices Ltd re. probable closures in North Bucks. The WI has been fighting these closures nationally for several years now and we have been writing letters to all and sundry in the hope of influencing the powers that be against adding to rural isolation.There was a representative from Post Watch, an organisation which has been fairly sympathetic towards our concerns but which in reality has very few teeth to alter these rulings. The meeting was attended by about 50 people and all the old arguments were aired both for and against. We were told that we could make our concerns known and send up more information to back our cause during the consultation period but one felt it was a foregone conclusion. The inadequacies of local transport had not been fully considered in a practical fashion. OK one can get a bus from Twyford to Marsh Gibbon to visit the Post Office but with the best will in the world what can one do in Marsh Gibbon for two hours before starting the return journey! And why consider closing a branch which is growing in its custom in favour of one where the trader wishes to retire?
The writing was on the wall for Post Offices when the Government altered the payment of pensions and removed other services from the PO counters. And then to keep saying to the elderly "Look this up on the Web and pay this over the Web" is ludicrous! Why should they be forced to have a computer or to have to ask a family member to do it for them ?
25 July
The local WI craft group enjoyed a really amusing session working on the exhibit for the Winslow Show. It is great fun working together and coming up with solutions to problems and arguing the feasibility of someone else's mad ideas.It is also amazing what strange things people keep which they think may come in useful..and they do! Adaptation is the name of the game on these occasions.
30 July
The local WI committee met tonight over a glass of wine to discuss the results of the questionnaire which we had sent round our members last month. There was a 60% response which is marvellous and better still the majority had positive comments to make. We discussed each question and our WI secretary has prepared an immediate report for our September meeting and the committee has the beginnings of an action plan built on the replies. It was a very useful exercise to see whether we were providing the members with the WI which they wanted. We have gained new ideas for speakers, suggestions for extra activities and constructive comments on the running of our meetings. I will write more about our findings at a future date when we are a bit further along the line with planning. I do recommend that WIs do take a look at themselves every now and again. This idea came through a meeting which two of our members attended which had been organised by the Member Services sub-committee. There is another one planned for September so watch the Green Letter for dates and time.
An early start to help steward in the WI tent at the Chiltern Show at Great Missenden. Our site was very close to the main stage so we were able to follow the various items featured throughout the day. It was very rewarding to see that most of the recommendations for the awards for work in the community were put forward by WI members. These were not just for local members but for people who had been spotted as making a worthwhile contribution to the life of others in their home area. The WI was also well represented in the prize list for the original writing competition. One of our own WI members was highly commended so we felt very proud about that.
Apparently attendance had been low the day before but it was fine on the Sunday. However it does work out very expensive for the families visiting and it may be wise for the organisers to make more favourable terms for family tickets in order to increase the gate figures.We were promoting the WI of course and had lots of members drop in to see us and the usual amount of people saying that they will join as soon as they retire! We joined when we were mothers and working part-time too, a lot of us so why can't others? I don't believe it is any harder for the modern younger mother than it was for us.
22 July
This evening I attended the meeting arranged by Post Offices Ltd re. probable closures in North Bucks. The WI has been fighting these closures nationally for several years now and we have been writing letters to all and sundry in the hope of influencing the powers that be against adding to rural isolation.There was a representative from Post Watch, an organisation which has been fairly sympathetic towards our concerns but which in reality has very few teeth to alter these rulings. The meeting was attended by about 50 people and all the old arguments were aired both for and against. We were told that we could make our concerns known and send up more information to back our cause during the consultation period but one felt it was a foregone conclusion. The inadequacies of local transport had not been fully considered in a practical fashion. OK one can get a bus from Twyford to Marsh Gibbon to visit the Post Office but with the best will in the world what can one do in Marsh Gibbon for two hours before starting the return journey! And why consider closing a branch which is growing in its custom in favour of one where the trader wishes to retire?
The writing was on the wall for Post Offices when the Government altered the payment of pensions and removed other services from the PO counters. And then to keep saying to the elderly "Look this up on the Web and pay this over the Web" is ludicrous! Why should they be forced to have a computer or to have to ask a family member to do it for them ?
25 July
The local WI craft group enjoyed a really amusing session working on the exhibit for the Winslow Show. It is great fun working together and coming up with solutions to problems and arguing the feasibility of someone else's mad ideas.It is also amazing what strange things people keep which they think may come in useful..and they do! Adaptation is the name of the game on these occasions.
30 July
The local WI committee met tonight over a glass of wine to discuss the results of the questionnaire which we had sent round our members last month. There was a 60% response which is marvellous and better still the majority had positive comments to make. We discussed each question and our WI secretary has prepared an immediate report for our September meeting and the committee has the beginnings of an action plan built on the replies. It was a very useful exercise to see whether we were providing the members with the WI which they wanted. We have gained new ideas for speakers, suggestions for extra activities and constructive comments on the running of our meetings. I will write more about our findings at a future date when we are a bit further along the line with planning. I do recommend that WIs do take a look at themselves every now and again. This idea came through a meeting which two of our members attended which had been organised by the Member Services sub-committee. There is another one planned for September so watch the Green Letter for dates and time.
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