The group with members from across the district met at the Uniting Church hall to hear Inverell Times journalist Michèle Jedlicka share a story that spoke of the value of imagination as the cultural speaker, and the group celebrated Italy as the country of study for the year.

The Warialda branch arrived in some traditional Italian costume.

“We always come dressed up and then we have our International Day on the 17th of September, and this is a dress rehearsal,” Warialda international officer Lanna Hockley said. “So we though we’d start feeding the spirit through, and get ourselves fired up.”

Bundarra branch member and group cultural officer Carolyn McMullen said there was value in inviting guest speakers to the meetings.

“We try to widen the people’s cultural knowledge, so we like to try to get interesting speakers from different areas of life,” she said.

“Often, when you step into somebody else’s shoes for a brief minute through their speeches, you get to see just what’s involved in what they do.”

International officer Coral Knight said the study of other countries was both interesting and surprising.

“So the ladies grow in their knowledge, and see what’s happening out in the world,” she said.

Pamela McLeay and Margaret Adams are fairly new CWA members to the Inverell branch.

Margaret said the friendship and learning has been terrific.

“And realising all the wonderful things the CWA have done. I just had no idea some of the things I’ve learned,” she said.

Pamela said she joined after seeing the CWA state conference on the ABC.

“I’m really interested in women’s affairs in the country, regional Australia and I’ll hopefully work toward that aspect in the CWA,” she said.