Organisation- affectionately known as ORG- is home to the WI Advisers in the Federation. In common with members of all committees, WI Advisers are volunteers who enjoy putting something back in to an organisation from which they have received so much.  Unlike the other sub-committees, ORG members are not elected. Observers, interested to discover more about the way WI functions, are always welcome. ORG meets 8 times a year, usually on the first Tuesday of the month at the Federation’s Office in Ethel Hunt Lodge, Maidstone Road, Pembury, Tunbridge Wells.

WI Advisers, trained by the National Federation, are there to help the WIs. Each WI Adviser is attached to a number of districts; she attends district and WI events when invited, organises committee and officer training if requested, and holds information meetings for new members. She keeps a watchful eye on her WIs and is there as a listening ear when needed.

Resolutions Selection Meetings in January and Resolution Briefing Meetings in April come under the remit of ORG. These are regarded as very important meetings as it is the movement’s work on public affairs mandates that differentiates it from most other women’s organisations.

Welcome

The West Kent Federation extends a very warm welcome to the members of the newly-formed WIs in Horsmonden -
Horsmonden Morning and Horsmonden "tWIlite". We wish them all a long, happy and fulfilling time in the WI and look forward to meeting them at District and Federation events in the future. The Horsmonden Morning WI meets on the 2nd Thursday morning at 10.00am at St Margaret's Church Hall and Horsmonden "tWIlite"  on the 2nd Wednesday evening of each month at 8.00 pm at The Social Club.
So if you know someone in that area, who would like to join WI do pass on these details.

Change of Annual meetings.

Thank you for your letters regarding the change of Annual Meetings from the winter months to the spring. As soon as the August break is over and following the September meetings of the Executive Committee and the Organisation Sub-Committee we will be writing to you to answer your queries and comments.

Wishing you all a relaxing few weeks.
Elizabeth Patterson
 

RESOLUTIONS

Thoughts on the WI Resolutions

I have been involved in Otford Oast W.I. for about five years, and, I have great respect for the beliefs and ethics of the W.I., particularly the fact that we are a highly regarded pressure group.  It does however, no harm for any of us to occasionally look into our organisation, and ask ourselves if we could perhaps make changes for the better!

I am sure I am not the first, and sincerely hope I am not the last, to question the Resolutions process.  I have taken part in this several times, and have never been fully comfortable with its organisation, but more particularly with its aims and objectives.  Is our aim to “make a difference” by persuading government to act, or simply to bring the issue to the forefront of public awareness?

The Resolutions are, in my experience, far too broad.  They need to be more clearly defined, and more succinct.  They need to have an ACHIEVABLE aim.  It seems to me that they are often idealistic, born of admirable sentiments but lacking reality.  The Ban on Bottom Trawling is a case in point – a huge and global issue – what can we achieve?  We found it hard to grasp the many and varied angles, and we felt we could neither agree nor disagree.  The mental health one is obviously a subject close to someone’s heart (mine too), but again far too broad and complex.  This is not a prison issue, but one of mental health – notoriously low down on the list of NHS priorities.  Perhaps we should be more specific about a particular area of mental health, rather than trying to “change the world”.  I feel we are in great danger of falling from a position of being a highly respected organisation to one of well meaning idealists.

I do appreciate that a considerable amount of hard work goes into this process each year, however, I would like to make the following suggestions.

The Resolutions process should be radically reviewed.

• Could we have a resolution every two years, rather than annually?

• The Resolution should have a very clear and achievable target.

• They should be concisely worded, so that the object in indisputable.

• They should be well researched, by experts, but should not blind us with science.

• EVERY member should be encouraged to read the resolutions prior to the vote.  They could be publicised and discussed in WI Life, as well as on the Website.

• Members need much more time to learn about the resolution, rather than having them brought to their attention and having to vote on them in one meeting.  WI’s could be encouraged to have several discussion groups.

• The April meeting (Resolution Briefing Meeting) to clarify the resolutions could then be dispensed with – we are rarely any clearer on the matter after these meetings!  I have not been to one which gives a truly balanced view.

• WI membership could perhaps have a postal vote – if the issue interests them, then they’ll vote, if not, then should we be bothering with it anyway?

It is quite clear that many members are not motivated by what has become a “resolutions ritual”.  We are asked to give up a considerable amount of time to support an issue about which we know very little, and then we ask our members to make a choice, on the basis of relatively sparse information.  I appreciate that much information is often AVAILABLE, but the reality is that we are all busy women, and we have not the time to research a complex matter, which is not necessarily close to our hearts.  We are expected to form an opinion, make a valid decision and cast a “yes” or “no” vote on vast and complicated issues – with worldwide and far-reaching implications, within a single meeting!  These are not simple, “yes” or “no” issues, and yet year after year we go along with it, because we don’t want to appear foolish – we are not inclined to stand up and say “actually, I don’t understand this”.

There seems to be considerable sympathy with these views among W.I. members – but I feel it is not good enough to “mutter in the wings”, without formally stating this view.  The Oast W.I. votes were: on Bottom Trawling 16 abstentions, 7 in favour and 1 against, and on mental Health, 17 abstentions, 5 in favour and 2 against.

Patsy Groom
President of Otford Oast W.I.
 

Resolutions for 2009 Annual General Meeting

The short list of Resolutions to be discussed at the January Resolution Selection Meetings can be printed from the following link with the NFWI web site      www.thewi.org.uk     then - Campaigns, Downloads
 

Below are the TWO resolutions that were discussed at the AGM in Liverpool on 4th June 2008

    1.     Ban on Bottom Trawling.  (No amendment was allowed)
            There were 3051 votes For and 3335 Against the motion.  This resolution was defeated
    2.     Inappropriate Imprisonment of the non-criminal, severely mentally ill. 
            There were 6205 votes for and 173 Against the motion.  This now becomes a Mandate for us to act on.
 

The old adage is quite true - if you don't think things are right then do something about it yourself --!

Judging by the comments we have received from members with regard to not only the content but also the wording of the Resolutions, perhaps it is time for West Kent members to seriously think about putting forward a pertinent proposal !  A Resolution which is short and to the point and which will not be overtaken by events, one which does not call upon the Government for something but uses commonsense and one upon which we can provide positive action.

We have a Resolutions Adviser here in West Kent and I know she would be only too willing to be a sounding board for ideas and to advise on appropriate wording.  Her name is Betty Richards and her details can be found in the "Who to Contact" column in WKN.

So get your thinking caps on and show what West Kent can do !

Your Membership Card is included in your membership booklet.  Do be careful not to throw this away as it may be asked for when attending WI events.

WI Handbook

If you would like an additional copy of the WI Handbook – A Guide to Running a WI, please send a cheque for £4.50 (made payable to NFWI) to Val Watson at the NFWI Unit, Denman College, Marcham, Abingdon, Oxon, OX13 6NW.
 

West kent WI Poster
You can download and print extra copies from this link.  This a PDF file which when printed you could hand write information about your meeting.  It may take about 3 minutes to download on a dial up connection.
There is also an editable PDF format for you to enter your own WI's information before printing. 

N.B.  If you are using a Mac computer you may not be able to download this poster.  If so then please send an email request to publicity_officer@westkentwi.org.uk requesting a Mac format poster download.

If you are interested in finding out more about ORG or the work of the WI Advisers, then contact in any way listed on our Contacts page.

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