acwwsouthwest UK: March 2012

Saturday, 24 March 2012

Sun Visors for Women Walk the World

Made enquiries about green sun visors from: S. Africa - no response as yet and probably realistically the timespan is too tight - Magdie gave us one that she had arranged for her walk and both Jo and I were impressed with them. (see further details below).

Re: Chennai

Made enquiries from our local Fairtrade members who recently visited Chennai - I was lucky to get their opinions of the YWCA - that could be a cheaper option than the hotels mentioned in the brochure about the conference. I also looked up prices for flights and will need to be looking at £590 + by the time next year arrives. I will save the info in a Chennai folder. Haven't made my mind up yet about attending - but the information will be useful.

Tuesday, 13 March 2012

ACWW Promotions and Publicity Meeting - London HQ

Fingers crossed the horrid fog today will clear for the journey to catch the train tomorrow!! - 14.03.12 - well there was fog but 'driveable with care' - got to the station with minutes to spare. Good train journey and very quick taxi ride arrived just after the start of the meeting. (I had warned them I would be delayed!).

Very interesting meeting - it was good that everyone had managed to attend and good to meet the new office manager Lisa who is running for ACWW in the Brighton Marathon - her expertise was a very welcome part of the proceedings. A lot of interesting decisions were made. It was good to have Jenny, Lisa and Sharon plus (when they could) May, Alison, Anphia and Jo during the day.

Magdie had brought some promotional sun-visors (sample) to show what she had ordered for her walk in S. Africa - a very good idea. Jo making enquiries about ordering some for her walk in America (later I emailed for info re: them too as a promotional tool - tho' it would depend on timings as the timespan is fairly short now). A very positive meeting. Learnt more about the Chennai Conference -a wonderful event is planned
.
Walked back to Waterloo and after a bite to eat and a wander amongst the building site at present prevalent in the station I got the train and arrived home about 9.30pm (no fog on the way home) -BUT - it return until after lunch the next morning - I do hate it!!

NEWS from Somerset - had to cancel my visit to a WI due to the fog on 13.03 - but they still talked about ACWW and thanks to their (maybe persuasive President) they've decided to join ACWW as a WI - hurrah and I didn't even go - that's certainly a success - perhaps that's the way to go!!

Friday, 9 March 2012

International Women's Day - 8th March 2012 - Long Sutton Village Hall

Speakers covered Ceylon (elephant sanctuary and beaches) and S India - visiting
Chennai and the train to Ooty (not for the faint-hearted evidently) due to the
precarious bridges and N. Ghana (women's rights and how they are gradually being
introduced) and Tanzania (land-grab problems caused by multi-national firms) in
the morning. In the afternoon Sparks Beattie from Leigh on Mendip spoke about
her classes for 'Let's Cook Local' and Alison Burnett ACWW World Treasurer
talked of finances and Women Walk the World. During the lunch hour some members
were able to walk to the village green and visit the church which was reported
as well worth a visit. Many thanks to the ladies of Long Sutton WI for all their
work in the kitchen and hall preparation.

Alison was encouraging individual membership so that they would be able to attend the Triennial conference which will be in Chennai. Earlier we saw views via Kath Shortley of the colour, history and sqalour of parts of the town plus craft workers for Tearfund. She said she hoped she hadn't put us off going!! Details of this conference will be in the next issue of the Countrywoman.

Saturday, 3 March 2012

International Women's Day - 8th March

Lots of speakers planned for International Women's Day at Long Sutton Village Hall. Delighted that Alison Burnett, World Treasurer is due to speak to us. Alison is show on the right of the picture in white with a long waistcoat. This photo was taken at the conference in Lesotho.

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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.