WNFGA News

The national meeting is so close! We are planning a wonderful 3 days of information, networking, touring, and sharing.

Those new to the national meetings will find many exciting events along with an astounding array of ideas. Long time members have much to share in both history and traditions. Members who have attended a few meetings in the past will find friends to greet them and will want to catch up with personal details of family and Branch progress. Everyone brings new ideas, a new way of looking at Farm & Garden.

Our Hostess Branch, Keystone, has worked to bring this year’s event to the next level in technology and touring. With only one day of meetings, we have a whole year’s work to review. There is planning for our future, not only next year, but 10, 20, even 30 years from now. We must remember our past to chart our course for the years ahead. Everyone who attends a National meeting makes a difference in their local Branch.

I can hardly wait to meet this year’s ambassadors of National Information. You are the most important link between National and local. Pack your bags, members, we have lots of work ahead!

NEWS FROM NATIONAL!
News, thoughts, comments and reminders from WNF&GA

As I think of the past two years serving as your National President, my thanks go to all who have had a part in helping Farm & Garden grow. Ideas and suggestions have been bought forth and it’s been an exciting time developing many of them into working programs, such as:

· Originating the “News From National” – electronic monthly news that keeps members updated and informed of the important issues of WNF&GA.
· Implementation of Branch Education by National Board Members – programs highlighting how Branches and National work together.
· Expanding the Hazel Herring Committee – to include one representative from each Division.
· Updates of the WNF&GA website – a work in progress, and looking great!
· Highlighting our International, Promotion and Growth and Gardening Focuses at the national meetings – International guests and speakers in Toledo, Promotion and Horticulture speakers in Akron and Gardens galore in Ambler.
· Successfully maintaining the National roster – to eliminate excess costs.

As in the past, we are always open for your thoughts, suggestions and ideas to further our aims and purposes, which promote our focuses. Since the elimination of the Fall Council meeting, by vote of the membership in 2006, I wonder how you feel not having the educational workshops and seminars that were the focus of fall meetings. Personally, I feel the need to reconsider the importance of these working meetings in order to educate our leaders and members and further our growth. I’d like to hear your thoughts on this.

We’ve welcomed many new Branch Members and Members At large this year and look forward to presenting a new Branch Charter at this annual meeting. I encourage you to continue to share and grow.

I was happy to be part of this inspiring work and look for great things in the future of WNF&GA. See you at Ambler soon!

Happy Gardening, Marla
May 2008
INTERNATIONAL: RESOLUTION IMPLEMENTATION-
I am looking for responses from branches and divisions about activities that have been done to implement the Environmental Resolution that was sponsored by WNF&GA and passed at the ACWW Triennial Conference in Finland last June. The text of the resolution is on page 18 of the Fall 2007 magazine. May I challenge you to read the Resolution and then let me know what you have done that would address one of the concerns. Have you had a speaker on solar energy, recycling, cleaning products in your home? Have you sponsored an educational project in the community? Please e-mail me your stories so I may incorporate them into a presentation I will be giving at the CWC (Country Women’s Council) meeting this September. Thank you for your help. Sylvia Anderson (Sylvia1@gsinet.net)

WHERE DO OUR PENNIES GO?
This question regularly arises when we “pass the hat” for Pennies For Friendship. The latest issue of The Countrywomen (from ACWW) shows many of the ways our generosity, coupled with that of many other societies worldwide does make a difference. Just a few examples are:

Pakistan: Embroidery workers are benefiting from a micro credit scheme being run by the Public Welfare Foundation • Lesotho, South Africa: Aids prevention and motherhood workshops and is proud to have trained 500 women and men in leadership and communication skills • Cameroon: Thirty women received training in a combined pig and poultry farming project providing income to allow them to send their children to school • India: Arsenic free water source for 30,000 plus villagers are being taught hygiene and the value of a pure water supply • Guyana: selling crafts and produce they grew in order to give themselves new learning skills to help fund the computer and literacy training project • Romania: Sewing projects and scholarships for rural women aimed at teaching new skills which will allow women to better support their children and Ukraine: helping girls living in institutions to successfully find a place in the outside world.
WEBSITE ALERT! Presently under reconstruction, you may find the WNFGA website down from time to time. Please bear with us. It will be completed soon.

As you can see, things are changing at the WNF&GA web site. We trust you’ll like what you see and that you’ll find the changes helpful.

Our main goal is to make the information you need more accessible to you and to provide you with opportunities to participate with your fellow association members.

If you find things that aren’t working, please be patient. The site is under construction and will be changing (possibly from minute to minute). But it’s all for the better.

Thanks for your patience while we make your association web site a more fun and useful place to be.