QCWA Annual Report 2018-2019

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

The first week in November we started the new line of communication around the State – Branch to Division to State Vice-President to State Office/State President. This was to streamline our emails and reporting across the State. Across the Northern Region, Country Kitchens workshops have been held with more branches show an interest in the program. Workshops have been held in Oak Tree Retirement Villages in Townsville and in Cairns. As I travel around, I notice it is the CK program that is attracting younger members to our Association, especially where we are opening new groups. I congratulate Fiona McKenzie and her CK team for all the time and effort they all put into this program. In December 2018 I travelled to Atherton Tableland Division for the first planning meeting for the Northern Region Conference. A very successful Conference was held during 6–9 June 2019 at Atherton International Club with two keynote speakers – Krista Watkins from Natural Evolution and Tanya Fleming from Atherton Hospital Midwives . Thank you to Ann Kelly and members for hosting Northern Region Conference in Atherton. Also thank-you to the ladies who hosted the SEB members in their homes during that conference. Far Northern Division President Noelene Byrne and inspected the Kurrimine and Cairns units, also meeting with the ladies from Cairn Branch and attending the division’s Christmas break-up. On return from the Far North I arrived home to bushfires in the Pioneer Division. Marj Bundesen organised a team of ladies to help with the catering in the Recovery Centre at the top of Eungella Range. As I travel across the Region it is great to see branches and divisions applying for grants to upgrade buildings. Northern Region branches were also fortunate to receive funding from the Premier’s Grant to upgrade buildings. Just before Christmas, the Federal Assistant Minister for Children and Families, the Hon. Michelle Landry mp, announced $325,000 for a new hall for Collinsville Branch, Pioneer Division from the Community Development Grants Programme . We are still waiting for these funds to come through. The 2019 year began with the State Committees meeting in Brisbane followed by an SEB meeting. On returning home from the board meeting in February the rain had started falling across the Northern Region. After the planning meeting in Atherton, I continued down to Cairns to meet with

STATE VICE-PRESIDENT’S REPORT NORTHERN REGION Marie Baulch It gives me great pleasure to present my fourth and final report as State Vice President, Northern Region. What an amazing journey it has been working with three different State Presidents over the four years. I have encountered many challenges, changes and I learnt so much along the way about this wonderful organisation. The most important thing to remember is we must always listen to our members as QCWA is a member-based organisation. The first four months of the financial year I worked with State President Joy Coulson, Sara Faddy, Jan Street and Elaine Kieseker on the State Executive Board. After Branch Annual Meetings in July, I travelled down to Brisbane to attend the Southern Region Conference at Southport. While I was there, Coles announced its donation to our Public Rural Crisis Fund (PRCF), which was very much appreciated as State Office was receiving many applications for assistance. On 17 August, Joy and I travelled to Townsville to attend the Northern Division Annual General Meeting. While in Townsville we inspected the office where Northern Region Health Promotion Team Leader for Country Kitchens was located. We also visited branch halls and holiday units as Joy had not seen them since the upgrades had been done. Two days later, we travelled back to Brisbane for the Special Council Meeting followed by a State Executive Board (SEB) meeting. After that meeting we all flew to Canberra for the CWA of A Conference. This was a first for me and I found the conference very informative with very interesting sessions, covering many issues that affect people across Australia, such as rural health, telecommunication, food sustainability, and agriculture, just to name a few. I was home from Canberra in time to chair the Pioneer Division AGM and then later in September Joy and I attended the Racing Queensland awards night, where the PRCF was donated money from a race in Birdsville. At Conference 2018 in October we welcomed our new State President, Christine King and the new SEB members; I was the only Board member continuing. After Conference we had a very full Agenda at Post-Conference Council.

STATEWIDE

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