HARDINGTON AND PENDOMER WI
MINUTES OF THE MONTHLY MEETING HELD ON
14TH MAY 2008 AT 7.45PM
Present: 23 members.
Welcome: the meeting was chaired by Vice President/Secretary, Jenny Dodd, who welcomed members and reported that President, Fiona Chadwick, was now on the road to recovery after her recent spell in hospital.
Jenny then introduced Mary Brunker, who had come to give a short presentation of the work of the Yeovil Hospital shop. Mary told us that the shop had been started in 1973 when the hospital moved to its present site. It provides a service for patients, staff and visitors and is open five days a week plus restricted hours at the weekends. The biggest sellers in the shop are bottled water and soft toys! A ward trolley service is also provided plus they are a newsagent delivering papers to the wards each morning. The annual profit of £38,000-£40,000 per year is donated to the League of Friends who use it to fund patient amenities and medical equipment.
Volunteers are always needed to help run the shop, usually working 2 or 3 hourly slots as often or little as they wish. Mary encouraged us to think about volunteering and to contact her if we were interested. Liz Brown, one of our members, is already a volunteer and spoke of how much she enjoys the experience.
Jenny thanked Mary for her presentation and invited her to stay with us for the rest of the meeting, which continued with the business.
Apologies for Absence: Fiona Chadwick, Val Radford, Margaret Partridge, Margaret Wilkins, Elaine Gilmore, Jane Reed, Mary Spilsbury, Janet Cuff, Phyllis Leach, June Chapillion, Amy Knight, Daphne Creed, Judy Tucker, Gladys Rawlins, Marina Barnard and Sue DBoehmler.
Birthday Posies: Elaine Gilmore, Pauline Grassam, Anne Lunt, Rachel Moulden and Elizabeth Sawtell.
Minutes of last Meeting: The minutes of the last meeting were taken as read and signed by Jenny Dodd.
Matters arising from the minutes: None
Correspondence:
- May County News
- Somerset @ 90 events pointed out to members
- National Amateur Gardening show cookery comp recipe available
- Walk of Friendship Sue Phillips co-ordinating details being arranged
- News from WIs Hardington & Pendomer mentioned
- ACCW Meet the President 15th October 2008.
- Bulb Scheme new brochures available
- 90th Anniversary Lunch one member from each institute invited ballot to choose
- World Rural Womens Day 15th October 2008 at Wincanton Race Course
- Misterton WI holding a film presentation to raise funds visitors welcome
- Misterton WI Garden party 1st July 3 members invited
- Quiz Night thank you letter from West & Middle Chinnock
Notice Board
Somerset @ 90 information
Canal Art Day
Sculpture Classes in Willow at Wilton Lodge
Evening with Ben Fogel Avon
Open Gardens at Middle Chinnock 25th May.
Event Boards
Sherborne visit in July Partners invited
Out Meeting to Ilchester names and meal choices
Somerset @ 90 Garden Party
Marie Curie Driving challenge
WI calendar and diary orders
Buckingham Palace visit
Farm Open Day helpers
Horse and dog show helpers.
July Meeting
Elaine Gilmore is arranging a Comedy Film Night, to which husbands/partners/friends are invited. Suitable refreshments will be for sale during the interval. This is to be our fund raising event for Wilton Lodge.
Moor End Nursery Visit as the nursery will be open this weekend anyway, our WI visit to the nursery has been postponed until September when we will be able to buy autumn bedding plants.
Any other Business
Nil.
The meeting then continued with the presentation of the resolutions to be debated at the AGM.
Brenda Bickerton spoke on the first resolution:
This meeting asks HM Government to urge the EU to ban bottom trawling which causes catastrophic loss of marine life.
This resolution calls for a ban on the fishing practice known as "bottom trawling" where it causes catastrophic loss of marine life as opposed to a complete ban on all forms of bottom trawling.
Brenda gave an informative and well researched presentation and proposed that the caveat, that more marine reserves should be created to protect marine life, be added to the proposal. Members agreed with this and after some debate voted 21 to 2 in favour of the resolution.
Rosemary Richards then spoke on the second resolution:
Inappropriate Imprisonment of the Severely Mentally Ill.
In view of the adverse effect on families of the imprisonment of people with severe mental health problems, this meeting urges HM Government to provide treatment and therapy in a more appropriate and secure residential environment.
Rosemary also gave an informative and well researched presentation and a lively debate followed. One member, whose career had been in health and is a serving Magistrate, felt that the resolution was way beyond the remit of the WI and that we should not comment! A vote was taken with 2 for and 21 against the resolution.
Jenny thanked Brenda and Rosemary for their hard work and agreed that the pertinent comments made by members would be forwarded with our votes to NFWI.
Refreshments were then served, the raffle drawn and the meeting closed at 10.00pm
Next Meeting 11th June Out Meeting to Ilchester