Members Advisory Committee (MAC)

Members’ Advisory Committee

As we have often said, the heart of this committee is the team of appointed WI Advisers who work alongside the Officers of the Board. The role of this committee is one of support for existing WIs and encouraging and facilitating the opening of new WIs whenever possible. Sadly, from time to time a WI may be suspended and this, like formations, can only be done by a WI Adviser, even though it is a task we would all rather not perform.
The committee is also tasked with training support for WIs, which these days covers everything from websites to speaking in public, officer and committee training and accounts to programme planning. Often these events, being educational, are a legitimate use of a WI's funds and can be paid for on behalf of several members.

Working alongside the Public Affairs committee, the WI Adviser team also help to organise the resolution procedure every year. We start with the Resolution Discussion Evening when we talk about the short listed resolutions, we hope that this lively discussion helps you form your individual choice at the end of the year.  We then move on to the Resolution Conference where we discuss the selected resolution or resolutions with appropriate outside speakers.  This promotes informed debate in WIs at your May meeting when you decide how to instruct your delegate to vote at the NFWI Annual Meeting.  Advisers often visit the May meetings to help explain the pros and cons, please ask us to come along, we are always happy to do so.

The major part of the work of the committee centres on monitoring and encouraging every Suffolk West WI. We undergo a three part training course before appointment and a refresher course every five years.  WI Advisers are therefore well placed to ensure that the Constitution and Rules are respected in accordance with charity law. Each WI Adviser has special care for a number of WIs, which we call our Clusters and we try to stay in touch during good times and difficulties, always taking great pleasure in your achievements and being ready to answer questions at any time. We may not know the answer immediately but we’ll find it out for you.

MAC Annual Report 2016

We were most pleased to welcome Maggie Glavin to our ranks this year. Maggie is from Horringer & Ickworth WI and has fitted in so well, she now looks after her own small Cluster of WIs, having shadowed the rest of us for a few months to get herself established. 

We again collaborated with the Public Affairs Committee to represent the Resolutions on Avoid Food Waste, Address Food Poverty and Appropriate Care in Hospitals for People with Dementia which became mandates at the NFWI Annual Meeting in Brighton in June of 2016. 

We have sadly had to suspend Culford WI mainly because they were unable to replace officers who wished to stand down.  With this in mind, we would urge all WIs to plan ahead for their Annual Meetings this year.   If you know there are going to be changes to your Committee, sound out members to replace them and keep your WI safe and thriving, remember your Adviser will come and help you if you need it.  We are there for you … just email or phone and ask.

On a very positive note, we have just started a second WI in Sudbury, called Sudbury QH WI, the QH standing for Quaker Hall, where they will meet.  We are so pleased with the prospects for this WI which attracted 28 members at the exploratory meeting, we shall be supporting them all the way and I’m sure it won’t be long until they are up and running and enjoying all aspects of WI.  

Julie Higgins
Chairman of The Members’ Advisory Committee