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Members, Prelene Stinten and Patricia Huish both received awards for 10 years of service, as did Karin Wilson in addition to 20 years.<\/p>\n
One of the local branch’s longest-serving members Gabrielle Shanahan received her backdated awards for 10, 20, 25, 30 and 40 years.<\/p>\n
Joining in 1966, she is well on track to receive her 60 year award and said it’s the friendships that have kept her with the group over the decades.<\/p>\n
“It was only last night, our secretary asked me to do a bit of history on the group and I was just thinking of all the people I’ve met over the years through this,” she said.<\/p>\n
“You make a lot of friendships. I think that’s the main reason, and the works you do for charitable causes. In the 1960s and 70s we used to have bush picnics which were always quite fun.<\/p>\n
“How I joined was I always accompanied my mother from the age of about 10, I suppose. I’d go to all the functions and when I went to work I joined up.”<\/p>\n
The Bacchus Marsh CWA branch’s tearoom is open to the public Mondays to Wednesdays from 9am until 12pm.<\/p>\n
The group is currently fundraising through a pie drive initiative which closes 22 September.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
MORE than two dozen members of the region’s Country Women’s Association community met at the Bacchus Marsh branch base last week as part of the annual Association Day afternoon tea. The event doubled as both a fundraiser for the organisation as well as an opportunity to acknowledge long-time district members with awards marking their years […]<\/p>\n