Here at the Swallowtail WI we love rolling up our sleeves to put our carefully laid plans into action. That’s why our February meeting was a combination of looking to the future, and creating something for right now. Now 2017 is in full swing, we’ve been delighted by how many of our members have renewed, and we’ve already welcomed some new Swallowtails into the fold.
So, our meeting began with lots of exciting news about what we’re going to up to this year – with a particular focus on the upcoming ‘Quiz & Chips’ night are Sprowston Social Club. As a young WI, we’re committed to fundraising so that we can grow our membership and deliver great evenings of entertainment to our girls. So we’re keeping our fingers crossed that the quiz will replicate the fantastic success of last year’s event, and be as much fun as it was in 2016. It’s great to see how involved our members are getting in the Swallowtails, particularly outside the meetings. Whether it’s been the resolutions meeting by the Norfolk Federation, our book and film clubs or Sunday dog-walking, the enthusiasm and support is truly lovely. Plus, there’s lots of excitement whenever we discuss crafting or making things together. In fact, the theme of our February meeting was Green Hearts, which we are making to support the #showthelove campaign by the Climate Coalition. Crochet expert Vicki was on hand to help the keen stitchers among us, while others used felt, papercraft, fabric and other textiles to create their hearts. We love the idea behind this campaign, which aims for people to wear their green hearts so they can start discussions about the places they love and how climate change may affect them. The combination of creativity and conversation made for a lovely evening, with the usual delicious cakes and treats on the table to enjoy. Let’s hope that by doing our small bit, the Swallowtail WI can help the wider movement to protect and celebrate our incredible planet.
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Come and quiz with us!
Forget the February blues, the Swallowtail WI has the best medicine for these cold days and dark nights – a chip-tasticquiz. We enjoyed a brilliant night when we held this brain-teasing event last year and managed to raise funds for our blossoming WI. So, we couldn’t resist the chance to repeat the fun in 2017 by hosting another quiz and chips night. On Friday 24th February, the Swallowtail WI will take over the Sprowston Social Club to host the 2017 quiz. Don’t worry if you’re no mastermind, our quiz is designed to be fun, not mind-numbingly difficult so there will be questions that everybody can answer. The 2016 champions were the lovely Golden Triangle girls and their friends, so there will be all to play for as they prepare to defend the title. In our opinion, no quiz night is complete without a tasty chip tea. We’ve already ordered plenty of delicious chips, and our lovely members are going to showcase their baking skills too. You can expect a scrumptious array of cakes from the gang, and given the fierce reputation of the WI for being baking supremos, we won’t dare let the side down. Of course, the bar at the Sprowston Social Club is well-stocked, so there will be a good selection of alcohol and soft drinks on sale. Our fabulous secretary Szara is also masterminding a raffle for the night, and we’ve heard rumours that there will be some top drawer prizes up for grabs. All this for just £4 per person. We’d love to see you there on the night. We are allowing eight people per team for the quiz but don’t worry if you don’t have that many people to book for, we’re able to sort a team out for you whether you’re coming with a gang of friends or on your own. To book, just email [email protected] and we’ll confirm you place. Let’s get quizzical! Last weekend millions of people around the world joined the Women’s March and it highlighted the power we have when we come together and stand up for what is important. The WI is built on this belief and it has been campaigning for important causes since it started in 1915.
Over the past hundred years the WI has worked to improve a range of national and global issues including equal pay, climate change, food waste, gaps in the midwifery workforce and the decline of the honey bee. January is Resolutions month, when we find out about the proposed resolutions for the year. Each member votes on the cause they want the WI to support. It was a tough decision as there are six to choose from and they are all important and very relevant. They cover everything from protecting vulnerable women and children, to threats to the environment. I struggled to decide which one to vote for but I choose the issue I personally wanted to get involved in. We sent the votes off to the Norfolk Federation who will pass them on to the National Federation. They will count them up and we’ll hear in May which one has been selected by the majority of members. After the serious business of voting it was time to relax and have fun, the other important side of the WI. We spent the rest of the meeting either learning to crochet or playing board games. I decided to join the Swallowtails playing board games and we organised two teams for Family Fortunes. It was really fun and caused lots of hilarity. It’s much harder than it appears on television. When it’s your turn to answer your mind goes completely blank. I feel a bit guilty about shouting at the TV when I’ve watched it in the past. The balance of the seriousness of the resolutions and the fun of the games and crochet perfectly summarises what it’s like to be in the WI. Creating change in the world doesn’t have to be all work and no play and when you get people together and they’re enjoying what they’re doing, the power they have is increased tenfold. I know the WI will achieve great things with its next campaign. Claire Wade As featured in the EDP WI Week column for 28th January 2017 |
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