NFWI conference in Exeter

Yesterday, Janet from Nunney, Sandra from Standerwick, Berkeley and Beckington and I went to the Westpoint Arena in Exeter to attend one of the conferences run by the NFWI Board of trustees. The purpose was to enable us to have more access to them, for them to tell us how each aspect of the WI is progressing and for some of our questions to be answered. £20,000 had been reclaimed from VAT payments on membership fees and this money could only be spent on the members; so this is how the conferences have been funded.
The NFWI volunteers all gave very informative and interesting descriptions of the work of their own committees, from Finance, campaigns, craft, WI Enterprises, science and leisure, Denman, WI Life magazine..... covering every angle of their remit. There were displays for us to peruse and gain more information whilst meeting other Presidents from as far afield as Penzance and Bournemouth. It seems that our Somerset choice of the organ donation resolution has been reflected across the country, as that is the one to be debated at the AGM in Leeds this year.
Denman College is still struggling financially, and following a couple of questions from the floor it was agreed that a piece would appear in WI Life to explain why it isn't feasible for NFWI headquarters to move there. It is principally because of the Constitution which prevents WI funds being transferred to use in different sectors: so, for example the VAT amount which has been used to fund the series of conferences must be spent on membership and could not be diverted to support Denman College.
The plans for the centenary year are progressing, and the centenary rose will feature on many of the items which will be for sale (prices ranging from £5 to £50, so something for each one of us to have a memento if we wish!). A suggestion from the floor ( and, I think, from a Somerset President!) was for each WI in the country to plant a centenary rose somewhere in their village/town on the same day in 2015 to mark our 100 years. Simple, inexpensive and inclusive! What a brilliant idea! (Let's hope that the board members thought so, too!)