Chairman's Message Board - September 2016
Autumn Council Meeting
It’s not too late to book your tickets for the Autumn Council meeting, come and join us for another great day. Michael Bowyer should not be missed!
In line with current Health and Safety regulations we will be asking everyone to register on the day. This should be quick and simple, but we do ask you to bear with us as this is the first time we have attempted this! Remember to bring your entry ticket. More details of procedure involved will be sent out with the tickets.
Summer show results
This year’s competition theme was ‘A Season’ which obviously appealed as there were increased entries at both shows. Check out the photos on our Facebook page. Congratulations to all of you!
Mid Devon Show – Winner and People’s Choice -Withleigh WI. Some lateral thinking on their part as their entry was ‘The Prom Season.’
In the individual competitions the winning Quiche was made by Sally Butler (Tiverton and Bampton WI) and Pauline Pym’s (Uplowman WI) beautiful Otter won her the first prize in the painting class.
Okehampton Show – Okehampton WI was the winner, with ‘Autumn’ and Bridestowe WI the People’s Choice with ‘Winter’.
Even though we did not have a competition at the North Devon Show we still had a presence and my thanks go to members of Foods Crafts and Skills, the Advisers and demonstrators who attended and to South Molton WI who put together their own stand. Inspiring women!
Email Project
Since the beginning of the year we have been working on our email project which will introduce our own domain name devonwi.org.uk. We are one of the first WI federations to do this. As you will see in the next edition of DFWI News all of our Board of Trustees are now using the new email addresses and in the next few months all WI Advisers, subcommittee members and DFWI staff will also be up and running. The long term plan is to introduce the new domain and email addresses to all WIs in Devon. We have already been working with several WIs who have been piloting and testing the new system. If you are interested in getting involved and would like to know more about the project please get in touch with Sheena McDonald, our website editor - sheena.mcdonald@devonwi.org.uk. There will be more information in the next monthly mailing pack.
90 cakes for the Queen
Whilst we did not achieve the target, a number of ladies from WIs around the County did participate in the Upload event at Exeter Cathedral for the Queen’s Birthday. There are now some photos and a thankyou from Reverend James Grier, the organiser, on our Facebook page. Carol Adams from Holcombe Rogus WI was a runner up with her lovely Silhouette cake. Thank you to all who took part.
Perhaps we could try something similar for the Federation Centenary in 2020?
Read Easy - Torquay, Paignton area
Read Easy, a voluntary group that helps adults learn to read, are desperate to recruit some more Reading Coaches in the Torquay, Paignton area. If anyone is interested please contact them via their website torbay@readeasy.org.uk. You will notice that this scheme also runs in other parts of Devon so worth looking at even if you don’t live in Torbay or Paignton and would like to help.
Local Food Resource booklet - Woolsery WI’s project
You may recall (May Message Board) that at the Food Security Day, Jan Ashworth from Woolsery WI described how her WI had developed a booklet called a Local Food Resource, providing information for her own community and visitors to enable them to find local food producers. Jan has since featured in August Devon Life and is now encouraging other WIs to follow her lead and produce their own Local Food Resource booklet, involving farmers, shop keepers, pubs and other local producers.
See Jan’s link for help in setting up your own booklet : woolserywi.wordpress.com/localfood
The role of the WI in the advancement of women's rights since 1915.
Chloe French a Master’s student at the Royal Agricultural University is undertaking the above project and would like to contact WIs who would be interested in participating.
Contact her directly at: chloe.french@student.rau.ac.uk
Holidays in Retirement
Professor Gareth Shaw at the University of Exeter is conducting a project on people’s holiday making before and after retirement. The aim is to develop understanding of holidays and wellbeing in retirement. If you are interested in participating in a questionnaire related to this project please contact either Paul Cleave at pec203@exeter.ac.uk or Isabel Gee at iag203@exeter.ac.uk
