Signing off

The Members' Blog

Authorship
Until January 2020, this Blog was the voice of an individual WI member. Over her 40 years of membership, our Blogger had made a very fine contribution to this and other Federations in England. With interests in crafts, reading and writing and in travel, she also took an active part in campaigning for women's welfare and education and on environmental issues. While she has now handed over the Blog to the wider Bucks membership, her archived blog posts are a testament to someone who always made the utmost of her membership, and a rich source of information about the part the WI can play in today's society.

Signing off

5/12/2019

10 Comments

Merry Christmas and a happy successful year 2020
Last night the local WI held its Christmas meeting and welcomed four potential new members. Let us hope that as they won most of the raffle prizes they will feel obliged to join next year. (In case it crossed your mind that this was a fix, I assure you it was not). The organising committee for the barn dance was congratulated on the success of the evening not just in financial terms but also in enjoyment. We were entertained by MK A Cappella who sang a varied selection of songs, some of which needed audience participation. Once more lovely food and drink was available to fortify us before scraping the ice off our cars for the journey home.
This is my valedictory post as the BFWI semi-official Members’ Blogger. I never got to have capital letters, did I? Anyway, I hope that someone will volunteer to take over the blog. It is an enjoyable thing to write when all the technology is running smoothly. I have been lucky in that the BFWI Digital Champion (capital letters) lives so near that she can almost hear my cries of frustration and she has never failed to sort me out. Thank you Joycelyn. Sometimes I have felt that I am talking to myself and then a verbal comment is made so I know that there are members out there reading my contributions.
I don’t know how to say goodbye. Shall I ride off into the sunset? Or exit pursued by a bear? Or float away in a cloud of mixed references? I shall use the epitaph that I hope will be written when I really do shake off the mortal coil---“She was always trying”. Make of that what you will.
As I said before, Happy Christmas readers.

10 Comments

Kim Edwards

9/12/2019 12:29:17 pm

Dear Blogger - may I thank you for the entertainment you've provided to me over the months since I joined the Bucks WI membership, and for provoking laughter as well as thought. Bonne chance as you ride off!

blogger link

9/12/2019 07:06:58 pm

Thanks, dear Reader.

Betty Furner

10/12/2019 10:03:04 pm

Good bye and thank you, I shall miss you
A happy Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year

11/12/2019 02:42:29 pm

Thank you Betty and for the years we were in harness together. Happy Christmas to you and yours.

12/12/2019 01:53:35 pm

A very Happy Christmas and a Happy and a Healthy New Year to you and your family.

Pat

10/12/2019 10:25:59 pm

Thank you blogger. Boots reversed in the stirrups, sunset beckons.

A girl from the far north...

11/12/2019 08:29:43 am

Your poignant words have given many of us food for thought. Thank you.
So pastures new are on the horizon. Might you, occasionally, tell us of them?
We shall miss you, your insights and observations.
Here’s to those who try!!!

Hilary

11/12/2019 01:28:23 pm

Thank you Blogger for your years of faithful service.

I am sorry to read this but completely understand how you feel. I very much hope we will be able to hand the baton to someone else - although I suspect we may well find we have to replace you with several bloggers instead of just one! Your posts have always been an interesting, lively read, and I think it has been extremely valuable to have the views of a member, participating fully not only in their own WI but in special interest groups locally, reviewing events and trips put on locally and also by the Federation, and reporting back from National meetings too. I for one have certainly appreciated the concept of an anonymous member recording their thoughts and impressions, and I do feel you always struck just the right tone - at times challenging, always positive - that of a kind, appreciative but honest friend to the Federation and to the WI as a whole.

Getting people to visit this web page - and indeed the National ones - is an ongoing battle as you clearly realise. The low number of comments perhaps gave you a pessimistic impression of how many people were reading the blog, which we know was much greater. But even if only one lady reads something you have written and it helps her decide to become a member, or go to an event, or take a bigger role in their WI, that is a brilliant result. Be that as it may, you have created a fantastic resource for visitors to the site to understand what being a WI member is all about, and an abiding record of several important milestone events in the life of the Federation and the wider organisation.

Thank you again for enriching the Bucks page with your blogs for so long.

We shall indeed look forward to celebrating with you in 2020!

11/12/2019 02:48:49 pm

Not only my epitaph sorted but my obituary too!
Thanks you have diagnosed what I hoped my blog was all about. Keep up the good work.

Dee Blackmore

7/1/2020 11:37:12 am

A Happy New Year to you dear Blogger. I feel that Hilary's comments say it all but I'd like to also say
I've really enjoyed your Blogs thankyou for doing it and I hope someone will continue with it in the BFWI's Centenary year.

The Members' Blog

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