On Monday November 2nd members of Soroptimist International of Adelaide, met for their annual planning meeting.

As you will see by the accompanying picture, we enjoyed pizza, salad and fruit beforehand. We have done this for a few years now and the combination seems to lead to satisfactory outcomes and quite a few laughs.

Through our annual survey which is distributed in September, returned for October meeting and collated by Planning Meeting early November, our goal is then to have a draft programme completed by the end of the meeting. Feedback from the survey is discussed and incorporated if possible. Members who have contributed names of speakers for the following year, then have to contact the speakers and confirm suggested dates. Jane Wilson who does a great job as Programme/UN, then formulates the list and Libby Parkin, superwoman with computer, prints it all up, ready for AGM in February.

Of course, problems arise and changes need to sometimes be made, but generally our process works pretty well and it's a good feeling to know that a big task has been almost completed.

My thanks to all members who have contributed really worthwhile feedback over the years eg. "we should change the seating arrangements at meetings". We moved several small square tables into a rectangular shape which  enables us all to sit around the tables together...similar to shown in the picture. This change has lead to much more interaction between members at meetings. President/Sec/Treasurer sit where the 3 members are standing and Marrion seated, ( in the photo).Thanks Helen very much for your constructive feedback. Other feedback has been around starting time and where to include the speaker. Strong feedback on finishing time being by 9.30pm as many members work. Anything not dealt with by 9.30pm is deferred to next meeting. This has worked very well and has kept meetings tight and focussed.

Here's to a good year in 2010!!.

In the photo from left: Olive Johnston, Helen Smith-Twiddy, Denise Winter, Caroline Pearce, Libby Parkin, Pam Lacey, Lesley Jaensch and Marrion Saunders. Jane Wilson behind camera.

On Saturday October 3rd, a group of members from SI of Adelaide, along with Judi Nicholas from Eastern Districts and Sue Newton from Torrens and her sister Jenni, visiting from Victoria, enjoyed a guided walk through the Adelaide Botanic Gardens. We met our guide at the Friends' Gate and set off. It was a very cool morning, so we'd all rugged up, Jane in scarf and gloves. That proved to be a wise decision.

During our 1.5 hr walk, we looked at the herb and economic garden, the fabulous Palm House, the only building of its type, remaining in the world, lovingly restored to original beauty in the late 1980's. We saw many other trees and plants of significance, either for their particular individual features or history. Our guide Rip, showed us many plants which had been used by Aboriginal people as sources of food. How much they knew and how little their knowledge was valued. On the walk, Rip included several features in the gardens, relevant to women.. statues of women and trees planted by women of significance. At the Lilypilly tree, towards the end of our walk, Rip offered us a sample of Lilypilly jelly, which he'd made himself. The colour was so rich and the flavour, delicious.

Another highlight of the walk, was a tree planted by the Soroptimist club of Eastern Districts, in honour of a Friendship link they have with a club in Japan. More research needed by me on this topic.

The last stop of the tour was the new Amazon Waterlily Pavillion, with the highlight being the Victoria Amazonica,waterlily, which opened the night before. The pads of the lillies are huge, they can grow up to 2metres in diameter. A wonderful example of nature. The pavillion was comfortably warm on Saturday, a cosy place to be, not so in the heat of the Adelaide summer.

Following the walk, four of us enjoyed a friendly lunch and chat in the kiosk. It was a thoroughly pleasant day.

If you are visiting Adelaide, the Botanic Gardens are  in the heart of the city, adjacent to the Royal Adelaide Hospital on North Terrace. Once inside the gates, you leave the hustle and bustle of life behind. An oasis on a hot Adleaide day and a beautiful place on any other day. Free of course. Guided walks most days.