After what was to be the final annual tea for the Wentworth District chapter of the Federated Women’s Institutes of Ontario (FWIO), the group got a last minute reprieve, which saved it from becoming inactive.
The tea was held at Christ Church Flamborough in Greensville on May 31, when they handed out service awards and scholarships and enjoyed each others’ company while having lunch, treats and coffee and tea.
“We always have an annual type of a meeting and we decided last year we were just going to have a tea,” said Marianne Vogel, former Wentworth District secretary.
Vogel, along with former district president Pat Cooper, led the chapter for two years but because there wasn’t anyone to take over the executive roles, the two ladies carried on for an extra year before health issues forced them to stop.
“The last dog was hung, really because it was a motion on the floor to become inactive,” Vogel said.
Just in the nick of time, however, Lorraine Goit and Edith Colling stepped up to take over as president and secretary, respectively.
“I’m very happy they decided to stay and move forward,” said Margaret Byl, president of the FWIO.
The district is home to eight branches in the area including Binbrook, Clyde and Scott’s Corners, Rockton, Strabane, Troy-Lynden Community, Westover, Woodburn and Stoney Creek – the original WI branch founded in 1897.
If the district branch had closed, the individual groups would have had to take care of their own affairs and, according to Vogel, it would have been hard for the smaller branches – some of them active since the turn of the 20th century.
“We felt it was very important because in all the years, we’ve never had it come to this point where we were thinking of having to disband,” she said noting that some of the smaller branches aren’t computer literate.
It puts them on shaky ground, she added.
Now that the District is continuing on, it’s business as usual and they will send representatives to the area convention that takes place later in the year.
After what was to be the final annual tea for the Wentworth District chapter of the Federated Women’s Institutes of Ontario (FWIO), the group got a last minute reprieve, which saved it from becoming inactive.
The tea was held at Christ Church Flamborough in Greensville on May 31, when they handed out service awards and scholarships and enjoyed each others’ company while having lunch, treats and coffee and tea.
“We always have an annual type of a meeting and we decided last year we were just going to have a tea,” said Marianne Vogel, former Wentworth District secretary.
Vogel, along with former district president Pat Cooper, led the chapter for two years but because there wasn’t anyone to take over the executive roles, the two ladies carried on for an extra year before health issues forced them to stop.
“The last dog was hung, really because it was a motion on the floor to become inactive,” Vogel said.
Just in the nick of time, however, Lorraine Goit and Edith Colling stepped up to take over as president and secretary, respectively.
“I’m very happy they decided to stay and move forward,” said Margaret Byl, president of the FWIO.
The district is home to eight branches in the area including Binbrook, Clyde and Scott’s Corners, Rockton, Strabane, Troy-Lynden Community, Westover, Woodburn and Stoney Creek – the original WI branch founded in 1897.
If the district branch had closed, the individual groups would have had to take care of their own affairs and, according to Vogel, it would have been hard for the smaller branches – some of them active since the turn of the 20th century.
“We felt it was very important because in all the years, we’ve never had it come to this point where we were thinking of having to disband,” she said noting that some of the smaller branches aren’t computer literate.
It puts them on shaky ground, she added.
Now that the District is continuing on, it’s business as usual and they will send representatives to the area convention that takes place later in the year.
After what was to be the final annual tea for the Wentworth District chapter of the Federated Women’s Institutes of Ontario (FWIO), the group got a last minute reprieve, which saved it from becoming inactive.
The tea was held at Christ Church Flamborough in Greensville on May 31, when they handed out service awards and scholarships and enjoyed each others’ company while having lunch, treats and coffee and tea.
“We always have an annual type of a meeting and we decided last year we were just going to have a tea,” said Marianne Vogel, former Wentworth District secretary.
Vogel, along with former district president Pat Cooper, led the chapter for two years but because there wasn’t anyone to take over the executive roles, the two ladies carried on for an extra year before health issues forced them to stop.
“The last dog was hung, really because it was a motion on the floor to become inactive,” Vogel said.
Just in the nick of time, however, Lorraine Goit and Edith Colling stepped up to take over as president and secretary, respectively.
“I’m very happy they decided to stay and move forward,” said Margaret Byl, president of the FWIO.
The district is home to eight branches in the area including Binbrook, Clyde and Scott’s Corners, Rockton, Strabane, Troy-Lynden Community, Westover, Woodburn and Stoney Creek – the original WI branch founded in 1897.
If the district branch had closed, the individual groups would have had to take care of their own affairs and, according to Vogel, it would have been hard for the smaller branches – some of them active since the turn of the 20th century.
“We felt it was very important because in all the years, we’ve never had it come to this point where we were thinking of having to disband,” she said noting that some of the smaller branches aren’t computer literate.
It puts them on shaky ground, she added.
Now that the District is continuing on, it’s business as usual and they will send representatives to the area convention that takes place later in the year.