Can you think of a better way to pass a couple of hours with a great group of ladies?

Maybe choose a couple of the ladies and give our readers a look at the fabulous experience they are having with the CWA.

I recently caught up with two of the members at the recent ‘Awareness Day’ morning tea.

The newest member to the group is Susan Reynolds.

Susan has recently moved to Crookwell from the big smoke and has purchased a small farm to run alpacas.

Susan loves her animals and has a mixture of them.

“I have 90 alpacas, four dogs, five cats, two steers and four ‘spice girl’ chickens - so I’m not really on my own after all!” Susan explained.

“I love the land and anything to do with agriculture.”

Women can help to protect the environment and learn about different cultures through the CWA. Ladies can be involved with acting, singing, poetry, dance and any other form of entertainment.

The CWA encourages and is very rewarding of handicraft and other interactions within the group.

Women are time poor these days, by joining the CWA it has shown some ladies how to fulfill their own potential.

Susan, being a new settler to Crookwell, has been able to meet new people through the CWA group, first joining in March this year.

“This has enabled me to settle in to the area and become familiar with the friendly town and surrounds.”

Susan’s fun fact: Susan accomplished the Trans - Australian Balloon Challenge in 1988 from Perth to Sydney and produced a documentary about this voyage.

“Do it you will be surprised and rewarded.” – Susan Reynolds.

Moving on from Susan to one of the longer serving members – Judy Offley.

Judy first joined the CWA 15 years ago in 1998.

She married in 1958 and moved to the farm. Her mother-in-law was then heavily involved with the CWA.

Judy recalls a story from her mother-in-law that the CWA had helped to save a neighbours life.

Her mother-in-law went to a local CWA meeting and at the meeting they passed around flyers and spoke about breast cancer.

“Back in those days you didn’t dare talk about such things.” Judy said.

“My mother-in-law picked up a flyer and took it home to read later taking to the neighbour.

“He neighbor discovered a lump in her breast and went to the doctor to have it checked.

The neighbor, having had two children already, had one breast removed at that stage. She then had one more child before discovering the cancer had returned to the second breast. She had it removed and lived to almost 100.

Judy has accomplished a lot over her time being a member with the CWA and some of her highlights include entries and prizes in the flower shows.

Winning a recycled handicraft competition and prizes for her oil paintings, having received a third place at the Ampol Art Competition in Sydney in 1983.

She is also a real actress! She loves nothing better than ‘frocking up’ to perform at the many cultural group performances. I had a look through her scrap book at all the different characters Judy has played over the years and she is a truly outstanding lead actress.

Judy’s niche is her flower arranging ability. She has arranged flowers for many functions with some displays over six feet high. This was for a CWA conference in Goulburn with over 3000 people in attendance.

She has excelled in catering and is a ‘Land Cookery Judge’. This is a very elite title as not many pass this exclusive course. When Judy sat this exam there was only she and two others who passed of the 16 participants.

Judy has taught knitting to the children at St Mary’s Primary and Laggan Public School and enjoys representing the CWA on presentation evenings to reward the children.

Judy also helped with the ‘Violence Against Women’ quilt and is an advocate for this special cause.

Judy joined the CWA to make new friends and be supported by likeminded women off the land. Nowadays she misses the tours to the international embassies as security has become tight because of international threats. The embassies were a great way for women to learn more about our yearly countries of study plus having an enjoyable day out.

The CWA is non-political, very rewarding and great way to learn handicrafts, cooking, environmental and cultural differences and your voice will be heard.

Judy’s motto: “The farmer’s wife can have a say with CWA!”

Judy’s fun fact: “Every day is a good day, so enjoy the friendship offered.” – Judy Offley