Country women celebrate seventieth

A LOCAL branch of the Country Women’s Association will be celebrating an important milestone at the beginning of next month.

CWA’s Sebastopol chapter will mark 70 years with a get-together on Monday, 4 April at the Sebastopol RSL Hall.

Nationally the CWA is the largest women’s group in Australia, and with 43 active chapters across Victoria and Sebas branch president Sue Pitman said the anniversary is “quite an achievement.”

“This is a major celebration. We’ll be having a coffee party with a few of our sister branches, and hopefully a few former members will come along as well,” she said.

“They’ll definitely be a cake that’ll be made by one of our talented members. It’s just not a birthday without a cake.

“But overall, the Sebastopol branch is very proud of its community involvement, and so this really is something to look back on.”

Ms Pitman has been a part of the branch for nearly 30 years, and it currently consists of 24 active members.

The group regularly contributes funds and knitwear to charities like the Berry Street organisation and Eureka Mums.

Alongside coffee and a catch-up, entertainment will be provided by the Evergreen Entertainers, and a memorabilia display will commemorate members past and present.

CWA Sebastopol are inviting sponsors and past members to come and join in the festivities, and Ms Pitman said she looks forward to enjoying the day with everyone.

“This is a friendship group, really. You make friends across all different generations and all walks of society,” she said.

“One of our state presidents used to say CWA was made to keep people out of nursing homes, because it gives them a reason to get up and go out and keep active.

“A lot of branches come and go, and we’ve been around for 70 years, and we’ve still got members that have been here for decades. They love the companionship and the support this branch brings.”