Home & Country (Spring 2007)

              Home and Country Spring 2007
From Phyllis’ Desk
Phyllia Kosik, President
President Elect
Darlene Wicks, President Elect
A new year has begun and I hope that it finds you and yours healthy. Every year we are de-termined
to hang on to our resolutions a little longer. My advice? Don’t make resolutions
you cannot possibly keep. I’m as guilty as any of you are. I start off really well, but I get
discouraged much too quickly. If you’ve done that again, start from today. That’s my plan!
We are deep in the planning of the Provincial Convention, and things are coming along
nicely. You will see from the Registration Forms that it is a busy program, but I think all will enjoy
it. We have three excellent speakers coming that I’m sure all will enjoy. We will be having a competition for centerpieces
again. The theme this time is “ Wishing Wells for Wisdom Along the Journey”. Size to be no larger than 12 inches square
and no taller than 12 inches. These will be voted on in the same manner as before, 10cents equals one vote.
Check out my Newsletter to see details of the new Tweedsmuir Competition, entries must be at the provincial
office before January 1, 2009.
While at the ACWW area Conference in Regina we enjoyed many speakers. One of them spoke on the HIV/ AIDS
problem not only around the world, but right here in Canada. If you were to meet someone who suffers from AIDS, would
you be afraid to shake hands with him/ her? Or give them a hug? You shouldn’t be! You will not contract the disease that
way. When we are asked to donate for this disease, are we reluctant? Why? The problem could affect a relative of yours
some day. The money needed is not just for research but especially for drugs to alleviate the symptoms. These drugs are
expensive and are in short supply in some countries. We should be ready to do whatever we can to alleviate the problem,
through education and donations.
Rather than complain about the thorns on roses, be thankful for roses among the thorns. wi
I t is hard to imagine arriving in a country with the plane landing in the middle of a field. Not
knowing who is going to meet you and having the plane take off as soon as you are off the plane.
That is what Kevin Weedmark did when he went to Afghanistan. He told of people living in
burned out buildings or shipping containers, voting poll stations in the street, and no photographing
allowed. This is just a small sampling of what he experienced there.
Jean Martinson talked to us on “ How do men and women think differently?” She said
it was some of the things we learn growing up. They are the games we play, fairy tales that are read, hearing and seeing
differently, and our focus is different. Three important facts she mentioned are; we need to realize we are raised dif-ferently;
we are biologically different; and we can use our differences to learn, to work better and to more effectively
achieve our goals.
Kevin Weedmark and Jean Martinson both spoke at the ACWW Mini Conference in Regina. If you want to
hear more on their talks let me know and I can send them to you.
Can you believe that you have added 43 new members to our organization in 2006? It is something that we
need to keep doing. It does not matter where you are in the Province but we do need to get the name of our organization
and what we do out to others. We have a great organization ladies, so let us tell everyone what we do to help in the com-munity
and the world.
We will be applying for the grant in March so please send in your reports as quickly as possible. All donations
of volunteer time and items donated are included in the grant application. Ladies you help our communities so keep up
the good work. wi