QCWA Annual Report 2018-2019

The Queensland Country Women’s Association • Annual Report 2018–2019

We continue to support DV Connect across Queensland with emergency toiletries packs, and many of our Divisions have co-ordinators who discreetly deliver these to safe places for women and children who have been removed from a situation; we thank all those members involved in this project. A Working Party under the SEB was formed at May Council with Marie Baulch as Chairman to work on the ‘Bouncing Back’ peer support document created by Meg Trimble. This document is intended to be available through the divisions for printing and available at events for members of the public to take home. This party is still to be firmly established in the New Year and to work on how this document will be presented as a ‘fridge list.’ Other events during the year included: • the Prime Minister’s lunch event at Albion; • Girl Guides AGM meeting at Graceville; • Anzac children’s school service at Anzac Square; • Masonic commemorative night event at Masonic Grand Lodge ; • National Council of Women lunch; • Premier’s Cabinet Christmas event; • Moreton TAFE Institute of Fashion Design : QCWA Patchwork Bursary presentation; • Volunteering and Leadership Forum in Ipswich; • Opening of the Anzac Legacy exhibition at the Queensland Museum; • World Day of Prayer at St John’s Cathedral; • AgriFutures 2019 Rural Women’s Award , meeting with Deb Frecklington mp; • Board members of AgForce ; • Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine ; • Australian College of Midwives breakfast; • Queensland Nurses and Midwives Union .

It was a pleasure to attend with the Board members the opening event of the new deck and ramp at Crows Nest Branch and the 95 birthday celebrations at Killarney. Forming a partnership with Harvey Norman to support our Association with Sky News ’ Paul Murray ‘0ur Town’ series, to feature Townsville and Toowoomba, was a great opportunity to further promote our brand across Queensland. Both televised evenings gave important coverage to our Association and the work we engage with in our communities. At the latter, members from Darling Downs Division served scones to the customers, and funds raised through the Harvey Norman store were for the PRCF, supporting children’s sports clubs for equipment, and travel for children to continue their involvement in sport during drought conditions. Donations received at the Townsville event were to be directed for workshops in the Townsville community following the February 2019 monsoonal floods, to offer uplifting opportunities for participants to experience new skills. Identifying the need to establish new branches in the Northern Division for Twilight meetings, a further $10,000 was given to this project. We have received great press coverage, not only at the State level but also across local branches and you can see a few examples in this report. Thank-you to all the Marketing and Publicity Officers for working to promote your branches and divisions and their diverse activities. I thank most sincerely all our leaders – both Branch and Division – across the Association for their input and duties they have performed on behalf of the QCWA: all the action happens at branch and you are a most valuable cohort of our Association.

EXECUTIVE

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