DESPITE a massive 75-year age gap Betty Scanlon and Sarah Canham have a lot in common.
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Topping the list for these passionate CWA members is the desire to help tackle big issues on behalf of rural families.
Mrs Scanlon, 90, has been a member of the Hillston CWA for 33 years.
On Monday she attended the opening of the state conference at the Griffith showground with four other branch members.
She said she had seen plenty of changes over the years, but was happy that CWA still remained a force to be reckoned with, while providing a social network for rural women.
“We’ve got 52 members at the moment but when I was president we were lucky to get five at a meeting,” she said.
“It’s good to see there has been a resurgence and nice to see some younger ones taking an interest.
“My mother was a CWA member. When I moved away for about eight years I felt lost so I turned to CWA for the company. I think they should sell the head office site, we can’t afford it. There is plenty of accommodation in Sydney if we have to go.”
At just 25 Ms Canham, who is with the CWA Gwydir Group, has been involved most of her life. Both of her grandmothers and her mother were CWA members. At 21 she was the youngest member on the state executive.
“I was a junior member and then swapped over when I was 18,” she said.
“There is a lot more to CWA than just cooking and crafts, we’ve got big government clout and lobby for women’s rights to improve things for communities and families.
“Hopefully during this conference we’ll set some new policies. It’s also a good chance to catch up with friends from across the state and see a different area.”