By Stella Cookman

Published at 11:06, Thursday, 10 November 2011

THE November meeting was presided over by vice chairman Beneta Livesey in the absence of president Anne Williams.

Joan McIntosh gave a message of thanks from Anne for the card and good wishes sent to her and members were glad to hear she was on the road to recovery.

Beneta read the record of the October meeting including a full account of Paul Smales’ talk on A Journey in Time, which she felt would be an interesting item for the archives in the future.

Ruth Schofield thanked members who had helped with the Operation Christmas Child, not only with the Christmas Boxes but also donations towards transport costs.

Beneta went through the list of future events. People going to the Christmas lunch on December 17 should sign up and select their menu. However members who had signed to go to the Theatre by the Lake Christmas Play, The Firework Makers Daughter, on January 7 should now pay for their tickets.

It was agreed that we should continue with the annual contribution of £15 for the flowers at WI House.

The AGM then took place.

Rosemary Sheppard presented the accounts, showing a satisfactory balance.

Beneta gave the committee’s annual report. She thanked all the committee members by name and also those undertaking the many other tasks throughout the year. Beneta also spoke warmly of the unstinting work undertaken by Anne Williams during her time as president. There were only two resignations from the committee – Anne Williams and Jenny Lloyd. Sarah Millard had been nominated for the position of president and she was proposed, seconded and elected.

Sarah said she would do her best and was following in the steps of her mother and grandmother, both of whom had been presidents of their WIs.

Existing members of the committee – Marion Munton, Mollie Waugh, Ann McKenzie and Rosemary Sheppard – were re-elected and new nominations, Jean Cunliffe, Jo Balmer, Ann Gardner and Carol Gregory were all elected by a show of hands.

Ruth Schofield gave a vote of thanks to all the committee and particularly to Beneta for all they had done during the year.

Just a Few Words with You was the theme of our speaker, John Davies. Starting by announcing that his favourite poets were Shakespeare and Spike Milligan, John was a dynamic speaker. His forthright and clear delivery was well tested by a rapid run through selections from, among others, TS Eliot, Thomas Hardy and Seamus Heaney. We were introduced to metaphors and when he recited You’re the top we soon recognised the lyric from the familiar popular song and were encouraged to join in.

John, who also now teaches classical guitar, has a passion for the theatre and told us of his time on stage with Jimmy Logan. He finally gave a splendid rendering with change of voice as appropriate of a skit from The Goon Show. What luck for any child or student to be taught by this amusing, articulate and enthusiastic speaker with his fund of knowledge and clear presentation.

By the number of entries for the evening’s competition which was for A Book of Poems it is clear that literature and poetry are well and thriving. The winner was Sheila MacLaurin who had entered a beautifully handcrafted bound volume, An Illuminated Treasury of Verse.

The October meeting was well attended. The table top sale in the village hall had made £55 and thanks were extended to those who had contributed cakes, scones and preserves which had proved popular as last year.

The venue for the federation carol service had changed and will now take place at Christ Church, Sullart Street, Cockermouth, from 2pm on Saturday December 3.

Sarah Millard had attended the federation autumn council meeting and gave a full and entertaining report.

The competition for “An Interesting Timepiece” was won by Stella Cookman.

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk