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Harem»; “$3”; New WI 101 In the spring issue of the Home& Country ROSE Garden, you met Women Inspiring Women WI. The turnout was beyond our dreams. Why? Read on! Ninetyâ€"six women came to the first meeting thanks to Facebook. We posted flyers and left invitations in halls, cafes, libraries, and salons. We were interviewed on Rogers TV. Three newspapers carried the story. Most of our Members are 30â€"somethings, the youngest is 19 and the oldest in her 60’s. Most are working moms, singles, professionals, all with interests in socializing, community works, and advocacy for social change. Some have an interest in the historic aspect of the community. Others want to learn the "domestic arts." One common denominator among our Members is that many have moved from a larger city. They are itching to do something meaningful while building relationships. In other words, they want what any WI ever had to offer. The Branch enjoys using fun vintage images in their advertising. What do we do differently? Our meeting space is a board room in an historic restaurant. We gather for business and then enjoy the pub fare. We meet in the evening after work. Many women consider this "meâ€"time” or "kidâ€"free time”. Our online presence or brand shows that we are lively, engaging, a bit "out there" or irreverent. Definitely nonâ€"traditional. After our inaugural meeting, we had complaints that “business” was boring. Both young and old said they want more socializing, laughing and sharing and less intellectual talks in a dark room. We’ve taken these words to heart. For now, we want to build relationships. Then we can tackle the bigger issues. Are we an anomaly or are we the first in the new wave of WI‘s for the country? Time will tell. By Maggie Wilson, Women Inspiring Women WI, Brant County District, Hamilton Area Membership Tour From March through June, FWIO Membership Coordinator, Debbie Bauer and her husband, Wayne traveled across Ontario to bring the "I Have a Plan and Yes We Can” workshop to numerous Districts. We received several comments from Members following their workshops with Debbie. We hope that the resources and information Debbie shared with you will continue to motivate you to help introduce new women to our wonderful organization. There are so many women out there who could benefit from the incredible opportunities that WI has to offer. Here is a comment from Russell District (Eastern Area): "Today we spent a wonderful day being INSPIRED by F WIO’s Debbie Bauer! What an awesome woman With great suggestions and ideas to help us INSPIRE our Members to GREATER levels! Our Members from various Branches laughed, shared and learned! We were inspired! We WILL inspire, because YES WE CAN! WI Rocks!” Pictured: Membership workshops in Algoma Centre District {top} and Russell District {bottom}, NW4 1"” (milkv.‘l‘filfl9§£ 15 “YE/(1m 41m;qu