News

So you have to ask yourself what can you do to spice up the Annual Meeting which can be a bit heavy with all the business to be dealt with – “Yes” that’s the answer – have a Curry Lunch before the main event!

Carole Seabrook very kindly offered to cook and did us proud. She produced a truly delicious meal with a “non-curry” choice for the faint hearted. I am sure that all the ladies who attended would wish me to thank Carole on their behalf:

“Thank you Carole”.

The Annual Meeting can be somewhat complicated as the normal meeting’s affairs wrap themselves around it. Therefore we had the minutes of last month’s meeting before those of the Annual Meeting held in 2007. I won’t weary you with the plethora of info they contained merely as a joke against myself as my name seemed to predominate – if I ever rule the world I won’t get as many mentions as I did yesterday! Of course when the minutes were read from the Annual Meeting of 2007 everyone agreed they were a true record as we could all remember it quite vividly!

This year’s meeting went quite seamlessly with the Financial Statement and Annual Report both being adopted, Carole then gave a short speech mainly thanking everyone for the support, in whatever area, the committee and members had given to her over the last year and special thanks to Pam Hoy who was standing down from active service on the committee. It was then time to announce the new committee and hold an election for the position of president.

The committee is as follows: Carole Seabrook, Margaret Charlton, Christine Wethered, Daphne Hitchcock, Christine Allard, Hettie Quinn, Barbara Whitehouse, Christine Mortimer, Maire Griffiths, Eileen Blythe and Linda Barnes Carole was elected as president for a further year and Margaret Charlton has taken the position of secretary.

The overall winner of the monthly competitions was Brenda Smith (awarded a very nice cup which had been donated by Pam Hoy) – but she didn’t pull off a double as this month’s winner for a “Potato Head” was Janet Cripps.

Earlier in the afternoon birthday greetings had been given by the president to Barbara Bell, Glenys Palfreyman, Avis Readman, Diane Shepherd and last but by no means least - herself. These ladies and our guest, Ann Lockwood, (WI Adviser) all took tea on the Birthday Table during social time.

It was decided that after all that eating and sitting down the ladies would like a bit of movement and so a quiz was produced to that effect. Names of celebrities and people in the public eye were put on labels and stuck on your back, then by skilful questioning of one another you had to guess just who you were – I failed completely and I had, with Christine Allard, compiled the list!!

Before the meeting was closed members were reminded to meet outside the Marlowe for our theatre visit to see “Calendar Girls” (some forty of us); outside the Village Hall for Group Carols on 1st December and that there was still time to get your name down for the Christmas Lunch (9th Dec) – so far forty six ladies have signed up – a really good turn out. We started the afternoon in true WI spirit with a fine rendition of Jerusalem and at its close a very warm rendition of the National Anthem.

Well we are solvent, have a strong committee, a smashing president and can confidently look forward to a super year enjoying WI life. Please don’t hesitate to contact Carole on 01303 891420 or Margaret on 01303 892721 for more information. We meet on the first Tuesday of the month, starting at 2pm in Hawkinge Village Hall.

Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas and Peaceful New Year.

Linda Barnes
Committee Member
HAWKINGE, ACRISE & PADDLESWORTH WI