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Due to
an insufficient number of members in attendance, we were unable to hold our
AGM last September and so decided to defer the branch business until our
March meeting. In the event this proved fortuitous as the news was breaking
that Cardiff branch was about to close. We invited the few remaining
Cardiff members to join us rather than see them left in limbo. Our spring
AGM was held in Clun, and we were pleased that one of Cardiff’s members,
Joan Lake, was able to drive the long journey (about 100 miles) to be with
us. We heard a first hand account of the situation in south Wales. This
provoked a lively discussion on the future of our branch; it was even
suggested that our branch title should be changed to reflect the
ever-expanding area that we serve. The meeting voted unanimously to keep
our existing title and, with the Association’s recruitment drive in mind,
the hope was expressed that eventually enough new members would be found in
south Wales to form the nucleus of a new branch to serve that area. In the
meantime any Wales member who feels she is out on a limb would be very
welcome to join us.
Our Chairman, Lizzie Lawrence kindly hosted our mid
summer garden party on Sweeney Mountain, near Oswestry. Lizzie had pitched
a big marquee on her lawn but mid summer’s day was so wet and miserable
everyone went indoors (except the smokers!) This is our annual fund raising
event so everyone was invited to bring homemade preserves, plants and ‘white
elephants’ as well as prizes for the raffle. It is also a family and
friends occasion.
The smokers marquee did serve another purpose- the
two long trellis tables out there were barely enough to hold all the
plants. One person, who shall remain nameless, crammed her car so full with
plants she said she couldn’t find room for her husband! As the members
arrived so did more plants. A few raffle prizes and twenty or so ‘White
Elephants’ were displayed on a table in the conservatory.
At just 50p each, the plants sold well, but there
were few, if any takers for the ‘white elephants’. Our social secretary,
Gill, took charge of the raffle and sold a lot of tickets. It is hard to
do justice in words to what happened next but as I was told, “this has GOT
to go in The Lioness” I will try. The intended raffle prizes quickly
vanished but Gill had a bag full of tickets and insisted that they be drawn.
Puzzled frowns were soon replaced by laughter as one by one all those white
elephants found very reluctant, new owners. Amid much hilarity, tickets
were being buried in pockets and handbags, suddenly no one wanted to ‘win’ a
prize but Gill had the measure of us all and totally ignored our protests,
no one escaped. The final item was refused over and over again; the
‘winners’ ran out to the marquee and chose the last few plants instead.
There were only two or three tickets left to pull. Lizzie’s brother Bryan,
who is a farmer, gallantly admitted that he had the next number called and
was duly presented with a fondue set. When he asked, “What is it?” someone
suggested that it might be useful in his lambing shed! Our raffle was much
more fun than a ‘car boot;’ sixteen people managed to raise £99.70p as well
as a great deal of laughter.
There was one particularly poignant farewell at the
end of the meeting. Judith, who served as our social secretary for two
years, is going to China in August - not to attend the Olympic Games but to
teach English to the Chinese. Her adventure begins right away because she
is travelling out there on the Trans Siberian Railway. Her journey will
take 10 days. Good Luck, Judith and we look forward to seeing you sometime
next year.
Having our branch AGM in March made us realise that,
with only four meetings per year, this is a better time to hold this event.
It gives us the chance to take greater advantage of the better autumn
weather. So fingers crossed that the sun will shine on 27th
September because we plan to go to Tywyn for a day at the seaside. One of
our most supportive branch members is in a nursing home there and, since she
can’t come to us, we are going to her. The Cardiff ladies say they are
coming too- there seems to be no limit to their enthusiasm and willingness
to travel and we are very pleased to welcome them to the branch.
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