Countrywoman International Magazine of the Associated Country Women of the World
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THE COUNTRYWOMAN INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE OF THE ASSOCIATED COUNTRY WOMEN OF THE WORLD OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2015 WOMEN’S INSTITUTES ANNUAL REPORT CELEBRATE CENTENARY INSIDE CARIBBEAN, CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA Highlights from the Area Conference GETTING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK ACWW Triennial World Conference August 2016 Reg Charity No. 290367 COUNTRYWOMAN | OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2015 significant features of their first 100 years. Cover Photo credit: WORLD PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Whilst there we made contact with the Chief National Federation of Women’s Executive of the Fairtrade Foundation and Institutes and Rebecca Miller. hope this might lead to us working more Maggie Simons, ACWW closely in years to come. The following day I Communications & Marketing Ruth Shanks A.M. was privileged to be a guest at the historic WI Deputy Chairman, presenting ACWW World President AGM at the Royal Albert Hall. I must say that the WI Centenary Baton to memories of 5,000 women singing Jerusalem HRH the Queen. in unison will stay with me for ever and still ACWW Connects & Supports sends a tingle down my spine when I think Women & Communities Worldwide of it. June also was the time for ACWW’s Caribbean, Central & South America Area The Countrywoman, distributed to over 70 countries worldwide, is the magazine of the Conference held in Kingston Jamaica with Associated Country Women of the World approximately 150 participants. This was a (ACWW), NGO Official partner of UNESCO great opportunity to speak with the members DEAR FRIENDS from this area and also to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the host organisation, ISSN 0011-0302 DID YOU REALISE that we have less than the Jamaican Women’s Federation. twelve months before the Triennial World Congratulations to the Caribbean, Conference being held at the University Central & South America Area President, Named in 1933 by Mrs Alfred Watt, MBE, of Warwick, England? It seems no time Dotsie Gordon, for an interesting and MA First President, ACWW at all since we gathered together for that informative Conference. wonderful conference in Chennai, India. I Mary Sumner House July and August was a time where many 24 Tufton Street know the Triennial Conference Committee undone things could be done and for a little London SW1P 3RB (TCC), under the watchful leadership of the quiet time with the family. The end of August England Chair, Henrietta Schoeman has all matters Tel: +44 (0)207 799 3875 was the time for The Country Women’s in hand and are working towards an Fax: +44 (0)207 340 9950 Association of Australia Triennial Conference Email: [email protected] enjoyable, fulfilling and worthwhile conference with about 150 participants from around Website: www.acww.org.uk for all to attend. Australia and it was great to be “beside the Reg Charity Number: 290367 When I look back on my diary for 2015 seaside” for a few days. there has certainly been a lot going on, March EDITORIAL & DESIGN September in Tulsa, Oklahoma was the USA Digital & Print Media Manager/Editor of course was the Board meetings with Area Conference, this Conference was a great Jennifer Atigolo | Email: [email protected] associated committee meetings. It was great occasion and well organised. The great thing to have Board and Committee members about the various Area Conferences is that meeting and sharing time with each other CENTRAL OFFICE CONTACTS they are all totally different in organisation, Operations Manager and get a broader picture of ACWW’s work. speakers, day trips, entertainment etc., but the Tish Collins | Email: [email protected] There was also, at this time, a visit to North one common theme amongst them all, is the Yorkshire East for the Spring Council meeting, Finance Manager interest and enthusiasm in working together Amit Patel | Email: [email protected] giving us the opportunity to promote the to make this world a better place. work of ACWW. October is the time again for Committee Finance & Membership Administrator April saw ACWW day, 29th April, and meetings and venturing forth with new ideas Manisha Vora | Email: [email protected] Women Walk the World in all its various for our continuing work. I hope you have forms around the world. Some of the stories Office Administrator(General enquiries) all been impressed by the e-newsletters Poonam Gill | Email: [email protected] we have received have been wonderful, coming from Central Office. If you have refreshing and it never ceases to amaze me not supplied your email address to Central Projects Administrator how women think “outside the box” to Juliet Childs | Email: [email protected] Office, please do so and then you can also involve others in these activities. receive the newsletters. This has come UN & Agriculture Administrator May included The Country Women’s about because it was felt that we needed to Dr Sam Page | Email: [email protected] Association of New South Wales Annual communicate between the publication of The General Meeting and Conference with Countrywoman magazine and it has been a DEADLINES approximately 600 participants, and again, a really successful innovation. great time to network and renew friendships My wise words for this edition are: Please note the following deadlines for from around the State. This was also the submitting articles and photographs to We live in a wonderful world month for The Countrywomen’s Association the Editor for ‘The Countrywoman’. Make a decision - whether it’s right or wrong, of Victoria with about 700 participants, to make a decision. January-March: November1st conduct their Annual General Meeting. This Get out of your comfort zone and into it! April-June: February 1st was a flying visit for me as I was to leave And when you’ve done all that, do that July-September: May 1st Australia the following day for London and little bit extra. October-December: August 1st the June ACWW Committee meetings. Because it’s that little teeny weeny little bit The timing of our June Finance and extra, that makes all the difference. Editor’s guide on submitting Executive meetings could not have been articles & photos on page 4 (Tom O’Toole) better. I enjoyed a pleasant evening at Cheers for now and until next time, have fun! THE EDITOR’S DECISION ON the NFWI special reception for partner ACCEPTANCE IS FINAL organisations where we listened to an entertaining talk on the history of the WI and Ruth Shanks A.M. 2 | www.acww.org.uk COUNTRYWOMAN | OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2015 INSIDE THE COUNTRYWOMAN 09 Area Conference held in Kingston Jamaica 16 WIs Celebrate Centenary 19 Girls & Boys Workshop in South Africa 21 CENTRAL OFFICE NEWS This summer England and Wales were all a-buzz with celebrations for the Women’s’ Institutes Centenary. The WI even managed to dominate our television screens, which was wonderful. I attended a special reception for WI partner organisations on the eve of their AGM, along with members of the Executive where we received a very warm welcome. I also met with representatives of the Scottish WI and the Northern Irish Federation of WIs and it was great to put faces to names I’d been in correspondence with. Greenhouse Development in Mongolia In the last issue, (CW July- September 2015), the Giving Machine was brought to your 4 FINANCE COMMITTEE 15-19 SOCIETY FEEDBACK attention. It is now even easier to join and select Reminders for all Societies and How did you Celebrate 100 years of the ACWW as the cause you wish to support. Once Individual Members Women’s Institute? registered, click to ‘go shopping’ and all your purchases started through a link from www. 5-6 ACWW NEWS Congratulations Sally Garrington and thegivingmachine.co.uk will yield a donation to Tea Time with ACWW Thank you! ACWW at no extra cost to you. Big companies use it as a form of advertising and that is where My visit to West Sussex FWI Women’s Institutes Celebrate Centenary the donation comes from. In Memory: Ria Becker Oxfordshire Federation Collects Foreign In September I had the good fortune to meet Coins in Aid of ACWW with ACWW Southern Counties Support Group 6 AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE UK at their annual meeting. This was held at Year of the Soil Buckinghamshire Federation Promote Central Office and gave me a good insight into ACWW at WI Centenary Garden Party the invaluable work of our ACWW Reps. It also ACWW & the Zero Hunger Challenge provided the opportunity for me to give more ACWW’s European Area President information about the forthcoming Triennial 7 COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING Visits Germany World Conference and answer some of their COMMITTEE questions. Our website is the first port of Planning a Successful Meeting Celebrating 40 years of West Midlands call and is being kept up to date – follow the Federation with 100 years of WI link button on the home page. The Triennial 8 UN COMMITTEE Koster WAU Celebrate Conference Committee (TCC) meets in Turn the World UN Blue, Marking the UN International Day October, after which, further information should be available. 9-10 AREA CONFERENCE Making Hats for Pennies for Friendship One year after he started, the sad news is Caribbean, Central and South America that Samuel Godolphin, Projects Development Rustenburg WAU Branches Girls and Administrator is leaving us to work for the Boys Workshop Safer World charity. We all wish him well for 10-14 WORLD CONFERENCE the future. The post has been advertised and I Getting to the University of Warwick Francistown Women’s Institute hope to be able to announce a new member of visits Lephoi Centre for the Blind staff shortly. Poonam Gill, Office Administrator, Open Mic - Entertain the World and Visually Impaired will continue to write and send the ‘Woman A Call for Unwanted Costume Jewellery Visiting Dullstroom Epilepsy Centre in to Woman’ e-newsletters.