Leonard Stanley WI: AGM

THE village hall was quite full of members being the AGM and Ann, our president welcomed everyone with a special welcome to visitors Norah, Hannah, Hannah O, Claire, Izzy and Jenny and said how nice it was to see some young people.

Birthday flowers were given to Olive and Ann herself and we all wished them a Happy Birthday.

Members were reminded that the craft afternoons every Tuesday had started for the winter session and that the next one would be Tuesday, November 16 at Peggys at 2pm.

Although they are called craft sessions, it is mostly tea and chat!

Jewellery and foreign coins were still wanted for the ACWW appeal and only £267 is required so ladies dig out your broken jewellery and coins from holidays past as this is a worthwhile project for the women in Trinidad to buy their own cows.

Ann was pleased to announce with with the two recent bring and buy stalls we had raised a total of £44.60 for postage for our Christmas boxes and that to date we had nearly 40 boxes.

She drew attention to the subject of the 2017 calendar which would be doorways and gateways of Gloucestershire, so come on all of you budding photographers and enter something.

Various forms and events were as usual located on a table and any member wishing to undergo training at WI House for the position of president, secretary and treasurer should complete them.

Monica had kindly printed some clear knitting patterns for a Seaman’s hat (courtesy of Stonehouse WI) and these were available for members who wished to enter the Group WI competition.

Christmas is rapidly approaching, whether we are ready for it or not and we were reminded of our Christmas Party on December 14, which owing to the Village Green application taking place in the village hall will be in the Social Club which is attached to the village hall.

As is the usual practice, please bring your plate, bowl and cutlery to save the washing up!

A list had been prepared for members to choose their contribution towards this well enjoyed event.

Entertainment would be provided but lips were sealed.

The monthly lunch organised by Maureen would be on November 16, at Highfields Nursery, departing 11.30am from the village hall and lunch was booked for 12.30.

Members can also combine this with some Christmas shopping if they wish.

Jill asked if anyone had seen Paul Ponting’s photograph in last weeks Stroud News and Journal, which was members of Leonard Stanley WI in 1969 who were collecting newspapers, which were sold to a mill in Cam and the resulting money going to good causes.

Jill said she was in the photograph and thought she was the only one still alive.

We then turned to the business of the AGM, with Mary reading out the Treasurer’s report.

As usual she gave a comprehensive easily understood report and each member received a copy showing we still had a healthy balance.

Next year as most people know, membership with be £37.50 and £18 for dual membership.

Thanks were given to John Hale, our auditor for 51 years who had recently decided to retire.

Jill, then gave her secretary’s report, saying that the integration of some of King Stanley’s members had seemed to have gone well and we all felt we belonged to the same WI.

She went through the various speakers, outings, competitions as well as lunches, garden parties etc, including the AGM at the Albert Hall, Royal Garden Party and the Garden Party at Highbury which some of us attended.

Until recently the WI had printed and distributed the village newsletter but this had been taken over by a different team.

Lastly, owing to some members disliking turning out in the dark, we had decided to change our meetings to a Monday afternoon from January commencing at 2.15pm and it was hoped that we will not lose any members over this.

Ann gave the President’s report and thanked everyone, particularly the committee who had supported her in her three years office and said that she would be standing down at the AGM as she felt it was time for someone new to take over.

Ann has been an excellent president, making everyone welcome and often making us laugh.

We will miss her in this role but of course she will still be a valuable member.

She made a special mention of Pat Walters, who recently died in a tragic accident when she incurred serious burns.

Her funeral had been well attended and she will be greatly missed.

Also a member of many years, Audrey Clarke who had moved nearer to her son in Bath and lastly Dorothy Clarke who due to ill health was now a resident at Highborder Lodge and it was hoped that she may be able to come to some of our afternoon meetings.

The names of the new committee were read out and Maureen Kerry was nominated and elected as our new president.

Maureen of course has been vice president for many years and is an active member and will do an excellent job.

Without further ado, Ann introduced our speaker who some of us already knew in her role of Operation Christmas Child, namely June Dolphin. June is a gentle, quiet lady but passionate about helping children overseas that have very little.

She described her visits overseas and how the children had responded to receiving these boxes, packed to the rim with little gifts, some which were handmade with always a bag on the top for them to put their gifts in once they had unpacked everything.

They send one and a quarter million boxes a year overseas.

She brought lots of photographs for us to see and said for as long as she lived, she will never forget the reaction of the children.

June described the conditions they live, how little they had but how welcome they made her and the team.

We could all imagine how it was and believe me, there was not one of us who did not have a lump in our throats or tears in our eyes when she finished her talk.

It made us proud and humble to help support Operation Christmas Child and we will continue to do so.

June really spoke from the heart.

After this, we had a welcome cup of tea/coffee and enjoyed hearing about the objects that members had brought in for the competition which was for items connected with the letters B and C.

Next meeting as already stated, December 14 at 7.30pm in the Social Club which will be the Christmas Party.