acwwsouthwest UK: NFWI Day

Tuesday, 25 November 2008

NFWI Day

Well - had a good time on our London Visit. Went up on 24th staying overnight - went to 'Spamalot' at The Palace - it was a good fun evening!!! Enjoyed our journeys on the tube - excellent transport system (when the line is not shut!!).

Was able to collect ACWW leaflets etc which was great (saving postage) and good to see Herminia, Juliet, Jan, John and Ian. Also got details of a new project in Africa that we are interested in. The best bit of the day, of course. was meeting ACWW 'friends' Jackie, Sue W (Derbyshire), Esme, Eunice, Gwendoline, Valerie and Sue A. (Hampshire) during intervals.

Harriet Harman gave a good account of herself - tho' my friend said she'd heard better speeches. Whoops - sorry Harriet - it sounded OK to me - typical politician wriggling around facts at times!!! BUT.... did you know that the % of women involved in public life in the UK has gone down we are now 13th on the world list - slipped two places!!! So good on Greet who told us she is now a Councillor - (how do we find time to do all these things and see our families too!!!).

Very emotional 'true' story from lady from Wiltshire re: abuse - I could have cried with her and am glad she has such a supportive husband now, but disappointingly the talk by the lady from Zarfur (Ikhlass Mohammed) and Liz Kelly EVAW chair was left until the end of the afternoon and we missed it. {Actually as you can see we missed the last two speakers - if only the workshops had been cut short}. Because of this I felt the day was slightly disjointed - if we had had both speeches in the morning after the lady from Wiltshire, I feel it would have given real impact to the Violence against Women Day. Have emailed Emily / Yetunde to see if there is any written report of those speeches - and as yet no reply! Two members told me they enjoyed the last speaker but one has told me she couldn't hear properly - so that has cheered me up a bit - that must have been frustrating!!

It was good to see Becs again (WRW) and she gave an excellent presentation - she has such a gift for talking quickly and still making us understand!!! Film 'Sisters of the Planet' still very moving - especially Martina from Uganda (you can almost feel her worry about water shortages and her childrens futures) although Jackie, who visits Gambia almost every year said she felt it didn't show the real Africa(spots and all!!). Sue A's talk about the Southampton conference was cut short as the meeting was running late due to Harriet Hs late arrival. Janice got in a good punch-line for ACWW and sheets were given out in the lunch hour for the proposed ACWW concert next March. Very tasty lunch. Workshops (debatable value!) but final sheet could be really useful - in fact I hope I can use it if we have the event we are thinking about.

As I said earlier - very disappointed to miss last speakers due to having to rush for train at Paddington. Went for the tube but Circle line was shut!!! So it was a taxi after all - but lovely sunny journey past Buckingham Palace and view of the London Eye through the back window made the £11 (shared) fee worthwhile - and we got the train!!! It was good to have the extra time in London and I enjoyed the show but really I think I prefer to come up via Templecombe and Waterloo as I would have been able to stay until the end!!! (it is cheaper too!!!)

Remember, - the best way to help ACWW is to encourage individuals or WIs to join ACWW as members. Let's take that as a challenge for 2009 - and encourage this via our county newsletters - more members or groups will improve the circulation of the 'Countrywoman' magazine. Print run was 13,000 now down to 4,000 approx!!

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26th ACWW Triennial Meeting in the USA

For: ACWW South West Supporters Group

Hi - everyone - this blog is for you to have your say on future events within the group area of Avon, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Somerset and Wiltshire.
Your comments and events will add to the interest of this blog.
NB: If you click on the smaller pictures in the main part of the blog they do get larger!!! Handy to see a few more details!! Sometimes it doesn't work - but give it a go anyway!!
2nd meeting due to take place on 18th May 2009 at Taunton - just gathering names of those who can attend. 3 speakers booked!!

Now we have polo shirts and sweatshirts

Well the polo-shirts were given an airing at the European Area Conference - where they caused quite a lot of comments. Also some were worn at Wincanton (see Valerie our 1st speaker) thanks for that, Valerie, Esme, Mary, Roma. If you would like one - contact Somerset ACWW Rep at County office or email at eileen.hurd@btinternet.com. They are for anyone who wants to support ACWW in the South West.

The sweatshirts have been delivered - they are comfy - but probably too hot to wear at a conference!!!

Merja Siltanen, European Area President and May Kidd, Deputy President

Merja (on the left in the Countrywoman front page shown below) chaired the recent ACWW Conference in Southampton. Merja with the help of Terhi ran an excellent event which was much enjoyed by all. Although, English is not Merja's mother tongue - she is from Finland, the conference ran very smoothly.

May Kidd was also present and a great support to us all. She is an excellent Deputy President and was able to help us through the complexities of resolutions, and recommendations. Her musical sessions were an added bonus and also added to the several collections for Pennies for Friendship held during the conference.

Mrs Madge Watt

The founder of the WI in Wales, followed by England and Scotland. Madge was then one of the founders of ACWW - she was the person who wrote 'Associated Country Women of the World' on the blackboard at the meeting in 1933 in Stockholm. Initial plans to start this worldwide association, although in Madge's mind from 1919, were discussed at the meeting in 1927 in Geneva and then were agreed on April 30th 1929 at the International Conference of Rural Women held in London.

1929 is considered the date when this association really 'started' - it was just that the name we recognise today came later. Three ladies were influential in the start of ACWW - Lady Aberdeen, Miss Elsie Zimmern and Mrs Madge Watt. (see more about this in the ACWW History Book - available for £5 from ACWW HQ).

NB: Did you know that near the Peace Bridge between Canada and the USA, near Niagara, there is a brass plaque on a stone in a garden which is a memorial of friendship? The plaque marks the crossing from the USA into Canada of a delegation from ACWW and is dedicated to rural women of that continent dated: Peace Bridge, June 12, 1936. Mrs Alfred (Madge) Watt, BME, MA, co-founder and first president of ACWW dedicated this plaque at a ceremony at the centre of the Peace Bridge on June 16 1936. It was accepted by representatives of the New York State Federation of Home Bureaux and the Federated Women's Institutes of Canada on the occasion of the 1936 Washington DC Conference of ACWW.

With the cooperation of The Niagara Parks Commission, this plaque was re-dedicated during the 23rd Triennial Conference of ACWW held in Hamilton, Ontario in June of 2001.

Turku 2007 - the last World Triennial Meeting

The flags are paraded 'in and out' at the beginning and end of this meeting. They are carried by the host country in national costume and make a wonderful and colourful display. There are approximately 365 Member societies in over70 countries. Each society has its own customs and runs its own meetings BUT they all come together to work internationally for the benefit of rural communities all over the world.

The next Triennial Meeting in 2010 will be held in Hot Springs, Arkansas and the 2013 meeting is scheduled for ShenYang, China.

(No picture - many have been 'wiped' from the blog - the penalties of a free blog I suppose!!)

Jackie Gregory, ACWW Speaker

Jackie spoke to us at the SW Supporters Group first meeting in Taunton on 30th June. Jackie told us about her visits to the Gambia (monitoring an ACWW project) and about her own work sending garments, sewing machines etc to a village. She specialises in making jam and brought some to sell on the day. It was delicious and we enjoyed it with scones and cream after lunch. Originally, the money from selling the jam (£1,000 a year) was used to pay for transport of items to the Gambia BUT now the money goes to ACWW as Jackie's own 10yr project has been completed. (Goodness me how many lbs of jam makes £1,000?) Certainly a full time job!!! Well done Jackie.

The picture below shows Jackie during a talk in Hereford at an ACWW lunch organised by Brenda Drake to raise funds for ACWW.

Vanilla Farm

One of Somerset's Projects was involved with starting a Vanilla Farm in Uganda. This picture shows the beans growing on the vines and some of the farmers involved. (I don't know if our Farm is prolific yet - it sometimes takes up to 3 years before the first flowers appear - also the flowers have to be fertilised manually - unless some African bees have adopted them)! Vanilla originally came from Mexico and the flowers were fertilised by the Meliponna bee. Vanilla was known as Uganda's Green Gold at one stage, as the profits from good crops were excellent. In some areas the beans are branded to protect them - even when shrunken during harvesting the brands are still visible. The vanilla vines improve with age rather like grape vines in vineyards.

Alison and Somerset

Alison and I met years ago whilst on our WIA training course. She was already very involved with ACWW and I had been an ACWW (non-active) member for years. Later, because of this interest (I was also ACWW Rep for Somerset at this stage) I was invited to a lunch in Gwent. I really enjoyed the speaker and decided to book her (Anna Boshoff from S Africa) for a lunch in Somerset (subject to the support of BOT). Unfortunately, as the lunch date approached Anna could not travel due to ill-health - so Alison stood in.

Alison is co-founder, with Kathleen Martin, of the ACWW Wales Supporters Team and both encouraged me to start an ACWW South West Supporters Group. I travelled with them to Turku and they have proved great friends. I have been to several lunches and meetings in Wales and thanks to them my knowledge of ACWW friendship has expanded.

In Turku we (Alison, Kathleen, Therese and I) stayed in a hotel with many women from Eastern Europe. It is thanks to some of these European ladies that I have managed to make some penfriend links in Europe.