by Wendy Mansfield
Saturday 10th April 2021, 10.30am. Via Zoom
This was definitely a first! Never let it be said that the WI would be held back by a Pandemic and a fear of technology! Delegates from all parts of West Suffolk and guests from far-flung corners of Great Britain duly logged onto Zoom in order to take part in, what was for some of us, their first virtual Federation Meeting. Rachel Hows gave us all some technical instructions before the meeting started during which time there was a lot of twittering and buzzing as people sorted out which was the mute button and which button to use to turn off their video! It was quite entertaining to hear snippets of conversation such as “how do I get rid of my picture?” and “am I on mute now?” Eventually we were all sorted and the meeting got underway with an organ rendition of “Jerusalem”
Julie Higgins, Federation Chairman, began by acknowledging the sad death of Prince Philip the previous day and made reference to the fact that Her Majesty the Queen has been a lifelong member of the WI. Julie also gave the result of the vote on CIO Changes which culminated in WI’s voting unanimously to hold meetings using such platforms as Zoom in the future. The Chairman then went on to welcome various delegates from other federations.
The NFWI Chairman, Lynne Stebbings then addressed the meeting. She began by praising all WI’s who simply getting on with things despite the difficulties thrown up by the Corona virus. The WI characteristics of Community, Friendship and Kindness still held sway. 7,000 new members joined last year despite the difficulties proving that the WI is inclusive and progressive.
The Board of Trustees report was read by Vice Chairman Margaret Brackenbury. The trustees had met twice a month but sadly the Suffolk West magazine had been lost. This was replaced by the “Hive”, an online post which was full of news, reports and information from WI’s across West Suffolk. The other loss last year was of course Denman College which was greatly lamented. No sporting events took place last year but hopefully outdoor events can start soon. Creative Workshops hope to start in September. There will be two “Crafts for Christmas” events at Sturmer and Cavendish Hall. The resolution being put forward is : Increase Awareness of Ovarian Cancer.
Next on the Agenda was the Statement of Federation Accounts by Brenda Last, Federation Treasurer. Delegates had been sent a copy of the accounts beforehand. The Pandemic caused a severe reduction in profits which were slightly offset by a grant of £10,000 from the Government. The loss was due in the main to a lack of fund raising activities. Brenda thanked all the Advisors for their continued hard work and support.
Sue Bevan, Chairman of the Members Advisory Committee, was next on our screens. She expressed concern that members would be feeling disconnected from their WI and urged us to think of ways of welcoming them back to meetings. What have they missed most for example? The setting of subscriptions was explained and it is hoped that by the Autumn meetings could be held inside. Zoom will continue to be a vital tool.
After a coffee break of 15 minutes, we all reappeared ready for the morning speaker. Dr Chris Smith is a Medical consultant specialising in clinical microbiology and virology at Cambridge University. He also gives interesting, easy to understand information about Covid on BBC and Look East and is the founder of Naked Scientists. This last piece of information certainly piqued our interest but our expectations were quickly dashed when Chris made it clear it had nothing to do with scientists conducting experiments with no clothes on! Dr Smith studied neuroscience at University College London and became obsessed with the subject. Eventually he studied for a PhD at Cambridge alongside doing a medical degree. He quickly discovered that he enjoyed teaching fellow students as much as his own studies. Chris also started to do talks on radio and TV. He was always looking for ways to make science more accessible and memorable. He told us the story of being invited to Perth University in Australia to give a talk. He devised a test to see how quickly the nervous system reacts to a stimulus. Into a packed lecture hall he took a black rubbish bin with a very large “banger” as in firework hidden inside. Without warning he set the banger alight prompting the bin to disintegrate with an ear-splitting explosion and the room to fill with smoke! Certainly one way to make science memorable! The University thanked him and said how successful the talk had been but the banned him from ever coming again.
At the 1999 Cambridge Science Fair the hot topic of the day was GM Foods so Dr Smith looked for ways to help people understand DNA and how it works. He described various experiments which could be done at home with everyday items such as onions, washing up liquid and salt. This experiment also included pineapple and old after shave lotion. With the emphasis on making science accessible Chris found himself invited onto various radio and TV programs. Eventually he decided to produce his own show rather than be an add on to someone else’s. Together with a Posse of other PhD students Naked Scientists was born. BBC asked him to join them as did ABC in Australia. All this with the aim of creating new communicators. As a consultant virologist Chris has become even busier since the onset of the Coronavirus. The virus was first seen in Wuhan, China, in 2019 and very quickly spread all over the world. The virus is very infectious and as a respiratory infection can be passed on in small particles. Ten particles are enough to infect you. People are affected in different ways depending on age, health issues, ethnicity and background. Fifty per cent will clear it and twenty per cent will become ill where other parts of the body will be affected, so called long Covid. Seven different vaccines have been produced within a year which is amazing. Despite the reservations about Astra Zeneca they have all proved to be doing a good job of protecting the population. Studies are being done to follow up how long the immunity lasts.
There were many members who wanted to ask questions as Dr Smith’s talk came to an end. He had been an engaging and entertaining speaker. One of the ways he instils an interest in science, particularly with children, is to send them to the kitchen cupboards to find everyday items to use in simple experiments. Time for Lunch!
Following a one hour lunch break it was again time to settle in front of the screen for the afternoon speaker. Simon Gregor game an entertaining talk about his days as an undergraduate at Cambridge University. He began with some historical facts about the university, for example there are 31 colleges and 150 academic departments which can be confusing for those not used to the collegiate system. Simon originally applied to Corpus Christi College but completely flunked the interview. His second choice was Fitzwilliam and here he was successful. He was planning to study English Literature. He then told us about the bewildering array of people ho make up the staff at a University:- including Porters, Proctors, Deans and Bedders. The university year is broken into three main terms, Michaelmas, Lent and Easter and at Cambridge there is a statutory number of days you must spend in the town. Simon talked about all the well known aspects of the university , the Bridge of Sighs, punting on the Cam, walking to Grantchester and the university library. Simon now works as a freelance photographer and tour guide though his work has been curtailed by the Pandemic.
Following Simon Gregor’s talk it was time for the Draw. Julie introduced Leroy from the Flyrights who is apparently an accomplished portraitist as well as a talented dancer/singer. The winning prize was to be a portrait by Leroy of the winner. Numbers had been allocated and number 81 was chosen by Leroy. The winner was a member of Fordham All Saints WI who was suitably excited!
The final act of the day was the awarding of the Chairman’s Gift which Julie presented to the two Rachels in the office in recognition of all their hard work in keeping everyone involved and informed over the last difficult year. Julie herself was then thanked by Gill Gooch and was presented with. Bouquet of flowers at her home. As the organ struck up again for the Queen, the successful meeting was brought to a close.