Seventy members from across Bucks attended the afternoon session of the Resolutions Discussion Meeting. Two members of the NFWI staff were in attendance to see how BFWI approached this stage in the run-up to the AGM in Brighton in June. Last year’s handling of the process nationally had been most unsatisfactory. The meetings in Aylesbury were set up by the Members’ Advisers Committee and were given a new format which worked very well. Two Advisers took us through each of the two selected resolutions; then eight tables of seven people were directed to produce points either for or against the substance of the resolution, and two tables were asked to decide whether the resolution in itself was a good one or not.
Marilyn Jackson gave the presentation on Food Waste by supermarkets and Kaye Edmonds took us through Hospital Care for sufferers from dementia. Delegates going to the AGM and those who were just going to lead discussion in their own WIs were able to take notes and were referred to various sites on the Web where they could find helpful arguments and statistics. It was a very interesting meeting and I think everyone will have learned a little more about the subject of the resolutions and about the process of selection.
22nd March
This evening the Chase Group of WIs met at Mursley. There was a good attendance to listen to singing and watch some dance routines in a musical presentation by Fiona Harrison. She entertained the members with songs from the shows and films which many of us had seen in the past and soon we were singing along. We were pleased to hear that the new Early Birds WI would probably be allocated to our group to take the place of Drayton Parslow WI which had closed recently. The centenary plaque commissioned by Mursley WI was admired. Stewkley WI has 14 new members and is going to take part in the Clean for the Queen activity. Mursley WI has five new members so the Group is mirroring the national trend for growing membership. There will probably be a group outing in the summer to explore the Albert Hall inside and out arranged by our Group Convenor in her usual efficient manner: after many years in post she really knows what she is doing now!