THERE’S usually plenty of business to attend to when the ladies of the Country Women’s Association get together.
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But yesterday the focus was purely on fun when members of the CWA’s South Western group converged on the Allansford Hall for their annual social day. There were on-stage performances, a delicious lunch (of course) and a scarf competition as women from around the region enjoyed each other’s company for a few hours.
About 80 women from 11 separate branches in the South Western group attended the function, which reflected the significant spike in interest in the CWA, a rural institution dating back to 1922.
South Western group acting president Bev Byron said women in rural areas yearned for social interaction and yesterday’s get-together was a perfect way to cater to those needs.
“It’s because we’ve got three new branches in this group — Dalvui, Timboon and Allansford Evening,” Mrs Byron said. “There has been a lot of interest in the CWA. It’s just growing at a great rate of knots.
“There’s a bit of a gap where young women want something — they haven’t got children and they want to learn things.”
Deanne Evans, who recently joined the Warrnambool Night Owls (one of the 11 branches in the south-west), jumped in the deep end as the coordinator of yesterday’s event.
“It’s been really good because all the ladies are lovely and they can help a lot. I just have to ring and say ‘I need a hand with this’ and they give me advice,” said Ms Evans.
“I haven’t been to a social day before, but we’re all here for a laugh and a good day out.” Mrs Byron praised the efforts of the recent recruit and said spending time with other members was one of the most enjoyable aspects of the organisation.
“She’s doing an excellent job,” Mrs Byron said.
“(It’s great) just being with other women. It’s a social side as well, as you can see with our social day.
“It’s a way of catching up with other branches and it’s a way for the whole group to join together. That’s the important thing.”
Mrs Byron said donations and money raised for the local area will go to Peter’s Project, SES, Heart Foundation, Chaplaincy, Palliative Care and Emma House, among others.
