“Join us for a delectable morning tea which will, of course, consist of delicious home-made scones with a cup of tea or coffee,” said Goodooga-Lightning Ridge CWA President Denise O’Brien.

“We are hoping the day will increase the awareness of what the CWA is about,” Mrs O’Brien continued.

Newly elected State CWA President, Mrs Elaine Armstrong said of the CWA Awareness Day, “After many years of just getting on with the jobs, we thought it high time to reflect on some of our achievements. We are also encouraging women to join a CWA branch so that the great work can continue.”

The Goodooga CWA was formed on October 25 1924 and later became the Goodooga-Lightning Ridge CWA.

In its early years the Goodooga branch supported the Goodooga Hall and the Goodooga Hospital.

They raised money for the maternity ward and donated money to the doctors and nurses’ salaries as a bonus so they would stay in Goodooga for at least six months.

Lately the branch’s fundraising efforts have provided support for a variety of projects and organisations within the community, including the medical scholarships available to students within the Walgett Shire.

The branch also donates regularly to a number of charities; cancer research, the Royal Flying Doctor Service and the Far West children’s home at Manly.

Some of the branch’s projects are to improve conditions and welfare for all women and families especially in country areas as well as provide a voice to Government at all levels.

There are 29 groups of CWA in NSW and each group is broken into branches.

The local group is known as the Barwon Group, which consists of Walgett, Pilliga, Burren Junction, Rowena, Collarenebri and Goodooga-Lightning Ridge branches.

The group hosts meetings during the year which two councillors from each branch must attend. A representative of the local group is required to attend an annual executive meeting in Sydney at Potts Point, where the CWA has a residential club for members and non-members and an undercover carpark.

There are 11,000 CWA members in NSW, approximately 40,000 members in Australia and around 8 million members of the Associated Country Women of the World.

For further information please contact the President of the Goodooga-Lightning Ridge CWA, Denise O’Brien on 6829 0488.