Pat's Chairman's Chat, June 2020

I bet you didn’t expect me to be writing June’s Chairman’s chat, neither did I! In April the Trustees co-opted me back onto the Board and in May I was elected as Chairman by the Trustees. It was felt continuity would be helpful during this difficult time that we are all trying to cope with, or is it that the devil you know is better than the devil you don’t know!
I have been thrilled to go to various WIs and take part in their monthly meeting by Zoom, the first was in the north of Bucks, Thornborough and Thornton WI and I joined in their quiz, then the next night zoomed down south to Bourne End WI and also joined in their quiz! Both nights I partook of a glass of wine as I didn’t have to drive!
Through the National Federation I went on a virtual tour of the National Gallery on Friday 15th at 2pm to a talk by Christine Bradstreet titled ‘Women, art and wet nurses’, there were 210 of us WI members attending. Did you know that there are only 12 paintings by women held at the National Gallery and only 10 of those are actually hanging!
Kelly Mauger of Denman has had various cookery lessons online again by Zoom and we have cooked blueberry muffins and millionaires shortbread together with over 200 ladies; it has been very good for one’s mental health to join in with one’s fellow WI members and feel a part of this marvellous organisation. 
Those of you who have crafted the Bags for Scrubs have responded magnificently to the call and there is more about that inside this Bucks News.
We know that many of you do not have access to a computer and we applaud the WI committees that are going the extra mile to keep you abreast of what is going on. I have rung and spoken in person to some of you and I intend to telephone more of you, so beware I know you are at home!
Thursday 21st May is our 100th anniversary of the formation of the Buckinghamshire Federation of WI and we should have been carrying our banners through the streets of Aylesbury, however we will parade them next year and boy will it be a grand affair! So keep them safe, clean and tickety boo and we will unfurl them in 2021.
We are sensibly planning for the worst with Coronavirus while working for the best; trying to stay calm, caring for those who self- isolate and being considerate and look out for one another; it isn’t just about me, it’s about us. The WI is a community in which each life and each person counts.