LOOKING FORWARD…….

A TOAST TOTHE FUTURE

We end eight decades of the WI Federation in Shropshire and we look forward to celebrating our 90th birthday in 2009. We enter this phase with new heart, having ended this year with an increase in membership and an increase in the number of WIs. It may be small—just 66 new members in the county but the slow trickle of falling membership has been reversed and this year we celebrate the formation of two new WIs—Oswestry and Upton Magna—as well as seeing the first birthday of our other ‘baby’, Frankwell Little Boro.

High Profile

The WI always seems to be in the news and perhaps this is one of the reasons for the upturn in our membership. Whether it be the flippant and fun—such as when Rupert Maas, art expert, described a woman in a painting as having a ‘Shropshire ankle’ and we were called on to defend our legs—to the serious when we have been calling to stop the trafficking of women for the sex trade and campaigning to end violence against women.

County Office - 6 Claremont Bank

We have a flat on the top two floors of the building, the income from which offsets the costs of upkeep on the premises as a whole which is a listed building. Earlier in the year there had been a ceiling collapse through overflowing guttering which required extensive repairs. We found more checks and improvements were needed which meant that the flat remained empty for seven months but now we have a new tenant. The matter did lead the Board to discuss our long term future here and all WIs have been asked for their views.

CHAIRMAN’S STATEMENT

We have had another good year in the Federation, meeting the aims and objects of the WI. Membership has increased and no WIs have closed. We welcomed Oswestry and Upton Magna WIs early in the year. Our team of WI Advisers, ably led by Glenys Wheeler, must be thanked for all their hard work and involvement.

We have put on events providing members with a varied programme. ‘Meet the Board’ days have again been well supported, members have been interested to see Liz Woodall’s amazing collection of WI memorabilia as well as get to know the Board of Trustees.

Several WIs celebrated their 90th birthdays in 2008 ahead of our 90th celebrations in 2009. We naturally look back, but it is just as important to look forward and make sure the WI is well equipped for the next generation.

As this is my last Chairman’s Statement, may I close on a personal note, by saying thank you to everyone for having made the last four years so enjoyable, it has been a privilege and honour, and I have been very proud, to be your representative.

I have met many interesting people from all walks of life and I trust I have done my bit for putting Shropshire WI on the map.

Rosemary Hamilton
Federation Chairman for 2008

Book Club Lecture given by Rob Woodward of Shropshire Libraries

FEBRUARY

Symphony Hall, Birmingham - Ever popular outing

Poetry Evening featuring comic verse

Denman College Weekend - The WI’s own college in Oxfordshire was taken over by Shropshire members for a variety of different courses

MARCH

Finishing Touches - an evening giving tips for showing craft items.

Meet the Board at Coalbrookdale. The Board met members who came for lunch or dropped in to look at the displays and to chat about their concerns for the Federation.

Box Lids - This year’s Coronation Cup Competition was to design and make a box lid. These were judged and the joint winners were Beryl Carter, Little Wenlock WI and Carole Garland, Bucknell WI. The entries were displayed at the Council meeting and later in the window of Watson & Thornton in Shrewsbury

Trustee Training - The Board members are the Trustees of the Charity, just as WI committee members are Trustees of the individual WI charities. Each two years or so NFWI offers training to make sure the Federation works as effectively as possible.

APRIL

Darts Final - The climax of the competition held over the winter months came at Greenfields Bowling Club, with Pitchcroft & Church Aston being the victors.

Conveners met to discuss Group Meetings, share ideasand get together lunch

Annual Council Meeting - our last at the Music Hall. The afternoon speaker was TV Vet Steve Leonard.

Brockton Ramble - Over 100 members went to the Corvedale for one of the   Federation Rambles.

International Evening  Every organiser’s nightmare… what do you do when the main speaker phones up 24 hours before the event and says his wife has been rushed to hospital? This is what happened when Oliver Moss of the US Embassy was unable to come to an event to be attended by over 100 people in Minsterley. Glenys Wheeler stepped into the breach and spoke about her life in the States and All Stretton Line Dancers entertained.

MAY

Skittles - Evenings at Pulverbatch and Loppington

Open Evening - Yeaton, Fitz and Walford came to the office for a Cookery demonstration by Sue Bradley.

County Lunch - the speaker was Jen Green with stories of her Aunty May.

JUNE

Annual General Meeting in Liverpool. We were able to go as a day trip. The speakers were Sandi Toksvig, Baroness Susan Greenfield and Prof Averil MacDonald

West Mid Show is our showcase and this year the displays and quality of exhibits were as high as ever.

Farm Visit to Shropshire Petals - As part of our links with the NFU, each year we visit a farm, this year’s was particularly special seeing how a farm has diversified into growing flowers for dried petal confetti.

Officers’ Get Togethers - We organised events at Tilstock and at Morville for WI Presidents, Secretaries and Treasurers to share ideas and express concerns.

JULY

Lady Denman Cup - This national competition was for a ghost story in 500 words. We had over 30 entries, the best number for a writing competition in many years. Alix Nathan of Mainstone WI came 2nd in the national competition.

Chester Mystery Plays - This event only happens every five years and was a wonderful spectacle.

Open Evening - Shawbury WI came to the County Office for a cookery demonstration by Pauline Greenhough

AUGUST

Secretaries’ Day - Shropshire played host to Federation secretaries from other counties and shared ideas and ways of working.

SEPTEMBER

Beaded Christmas decoration workshops - This proved so popular we organised a second event—and still left some members disappointed.

Llansilin Ramble - Many thanks to Llansilin WI who hosted one of the Federation rambles

Dinner with …. Christine Hamilton - The Shrewsbury Town Football Club’s Prostar Stadium was the venue for this event and over 200 members attended.

Multi Faith Visit - The second in our series of visits was held, this time visiting a Sikh Temple and a Quaker Meeting House, both in Birmingham.

OCTOBER

Meet the Board - Another outing by the Board to meet members in the Knockin area.

Scrabble - An afternoon’s competition after lunch at County Office.

The Butcher and the Cheesemaker - Local food producers spoke to a packed hall at Tilstock.

NOVEMBER

Poetry Evening  on the theme of favourite readings

Conveners - a second chance this year for organisers of Group events to get together

County Lunch - St Chad’s Hall with John King on Charles Darwin.

Resolution Selection Meeting in Dorrington looking at this year’s shortlisted resolutions.

DECEMBER

Nutcracker Ballet in Birmingham. Very enjoyable but heavily over-subscribed.

WI Advisers - We have a team of six who are on hand to help WIs, officers and members with any problems they may have.

Book Club meets in County Office monthly to discuss a book circulated the month before. Books are kindly loaned by Shropshire Library Service.

Art Club is a similar venture and meets at County Office or arranges visits.

Judges - Our Judges’ Co-ordinator, Sue Elliot, has continued to support our network of judges in the county.

County News - Pauline Greenhough, Christine Briggs and Jean Williams meet monthly to put together the newsletter. A packing team, led by Anne Harris and Dorothy Wilde, comes into the office every month to make sure the packages get to every WI.

Speakers Lists - We are hugely indebted to Anne Pipkin and Flora Mackie who keep the speakers’ lists up to date.

Calendar - We tried to stem the fall in calendar sales by going for a new style calendar for 2009 to mark our 90th birthday, using members’ paintings, a local printer and going for an A4 style. We have received complaints but the Board wants to monitor this over two years before making any decisions for the future

Promotion - Stands have been manned at several shows in the county and have also been borrowed by a number of WIs for their own events.

Having raised the full amount of funds for a project helping women to start up pig farming in the Cameroon, in January 2008 we adopted new project, which will take a couple of years to complete. It is to help women in Romania helping 40 disadvantaged women get training in machine sewing and other skills and to offer scholarships to bright students. ACWW start the project as soon as we say we have promised to raise the appropriate sum so no time is lost. Our undertaking is to replenish the working fund. So far Shropshire WIs have raised £3,563 towards the total cost of £5,526 and we are therefore well on target to complete in 2009.

At 31 December 2008, there were with 132 WIs in Shropshire with a total membership was 3,506.

Oswestry and Upton Magna WIs opened this year .

The following resolution on inappropriate imprisonment of the severely mentally ill was passed at the National AGM 2008:-

We are affiliated to the National Federation of Women's Institutes (NFWI), the largest organisation for women in the UK with 211,000 members in England, Wales and the Islands.

The ideals of the Women's Institute of truth, justice, tolerance and fellowship are as strong and important now in the 21st century as they were at the birth of the WI in 1915.

The WI exists to educate women to enable them to provide an effective role in the community, to expand their horizons and to develop and pass on important skills.

The purpose of the Shropshire Federation of WIs is both by direct action and supporting individual Shropshire WIs:

• to improve and develop the quality of life of women and their families, through lifelong learning particularly, but not exclusively, in rural areas;
• to advance the education of women relating to citizenship and public issues at both national and international levels; and
• to enable women to work together to put into practice the ideals for which the organisation stands.