THE speaker at this month's meeting, Sharon Hedges, was warmly welcomed by members as her topic, Operation Christmas Child, is a charity which many members support.

Her talk, illustrated with 96 pictures, was both moving and heart warming as she showed children from all over Eastern Europe receiving their Christmas shoeboxes.

Particularly noticeable was the expression in their eyes in the "before and after" shots.

Sharon had been to Moscow last year delivering gifts to orphanages and gave a graphic account of meeting children who lived in appalling conditions beneath the streets.

She also spoke of all the work which has to be done before boxes are ready to be despatched.

Seven thousand alone were contributed from this area and each box has to be checked to ensure that items are both suitable and that sweets, for example, are well within their sel- by dates.

In 2004, more than a million boxes were delivered and in 2005, Mozambique is to be included in the list of countries where children benefit from this worthwhile charity.

An appreciative vote of thanks was given by Irene Humphries, a member who has filled boxes almost from the beginning 15 years ago.

Janet Baines gave a comprehensive report of the spring council meeting, at which she was delegate. How she

The competition for a homemade sponge cake was won, not by an M. and S. cake as in Calendar Girls, but by Pauline Vining with a superb looking entry. Mary Taylor was second with another beautiful cake. A busy time is planned. Several members are going on a five-mile walk organised by Priors Marston and Hardwick WI, while others are entering the annual Haselor WI quiz and 40 members of other Warwickshire WIs will be visiting Alcester next month.