CWA shows art class

TINA CURTIS

THE ladies of Jamberoo’s Country Women’s Association have swept the board of art, cookery and handicraft prizes at the organisation’s recent State conference.

Delegates and observers from the Jamberoo and Kiama CWA branches attended the conference in Tweed Heads last week.

Jamberoo CWA secretary Gillian Firth, who was one of the branch’s two delegates, said the competitions in art, cookery, handicrafts and each branch’s cultural books were important for maintaining high standards in those areas.

Jamberoo members picked up 14 awards plus the Land Cookery Award for the most entries.

Margie Chown did particularly well, picking up two first prizes and a second for her paintings.

Mrs Firth said it was a surprise Mrs Chown had managed to get any time to work on her own art because she ran an informal class for artists in the valley each week.

“It just started with Margie helping a few of us and she’s now got so busy that she hardly has time to do her own work. It’s so popular that we can’t take any more people,” Mrs Firth said.

She said Mrs Chown was probably the only CWA member with an education in art, but her help had been greatly appreciated by those who “dabbled”.

Along with the displays of artworks, handicrafts and cookery, the conference delegates spent four days listening to guest speakers and attending to CWA business.

Mrs Firth said two motions of urgency were passed: the first to donate $25,000 to Médecins Sans Frontières to aid the Burmese cyclone victims and the other was to write to the State Government opposing the move to privatise the electricity industry.

“Another motion was that the CWA of NSW supports the one desk approach of wheat sales, even if not the same one desk,” Mrs Firth said.

“They felt (the single desk) had experience in selling wheat whereas the farmers had experience in growing but not selling it.”

Kiama delegate and branch treasurer Cheryl Pearce said another of the motions she thought was notable was a call for stronger protocols for the prescription of Ritalin.

“It’s just saying be more careful with Ritalin; don’t just jump at it for solving problems with every overactive child,” she said.

Mrs Pearce said the annual conferences did a lot of good for country women – and having it in a coastal town gave women from inland places a chance to visit the beach.

Jamberoo’s second delegate, Sylvia Loader, said the conference was a great chance to meet people from other CWA branches and exchange ideas.

“It also gives you a chance to talk to people about what’s happening in different areas so that you see that although we’re on the coast and get a lot of rain, there are still places in deep, deep drought,” Mrs Firth said.

Last year the CWA distributed more than $4 million in drought assistance, raised by members, the Federal Government and Woolworths.

This year’s fundraising efforts were off to a great start, with the conference’s ecumenical service raising $2000 and the CWA stand at the Sydney Royal Easter Show raising more than $78,000.