By Margaret Maccoll
Knitting jumpers for penguins rehabilitating from the affects of oil spills, making rugs for retirement homes, providing care packages to women’s refuges and Christmas hampers for families in need are just some of the contributions Tewantin-Noosa Country Women’s Association (CWA) make in the community.
Last Friday the group announced its new committee including re-elected president Marcia Dorricott at its 93rd annual general meeting held at Tewantin State School with which the group has formed a collaborative partnership.
“We try to help anyway we can,” Marcia said.
Former CWA state president Joy Coulson congratulated the group on the “tremendous work” they do.
“Keep doing the good work you’re doing supporting the community with all your knitting, crocheting and cooking,” she said.
Noosa MP Sandy Bolton said the knowledge they imparted and care they showed to the community and each other was very important.
Ms Bolton recalled when she moved to a million acre property in the Northern Territory and had her three children the CWA became her substitute family.
“I didn’t know anyone up there,” she said.
“I didn’t know anything about being pregnant. These adopted mothers and grandmothers became my lifeline.
“What I got was help through their sharing of knowledge, their unconditional love and someone to talk to.”
Ms Bolton said she’s never forgotten their tips on cooking. On her property where the only thing she could grow was chokos and passionfruit she learnt how to make chokos taste like apples and how to preserve a vine of passionfruit that all ripened at the same time.
She talked to the group about the challenges in her current position as local MP saying the one goal she had yet to meet in her term was the provision of affordable accommodation for people, particularly women aged over 55 years, who found themselves homeless in the community.
Mayor Clare Stewart recalled the important role the CWA played in the life of her mother when as a child her family moved to Mt Isa.
Knowing no-one there when they arrived the CWA provided her an important source of knowledge in their cookbook and a place where friendships were formed.Ms Stewart also spoke about her current role saying as Mayor the biggest challenge was not being able to get everything done.
She praised the work of the CWA women and their potential, borrowing the words of Margaret Mead who said, “never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has”.
