C.W.I. essay victor recalls hard times

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 3, Issue 16, 10 September 1985, Page 16

C.W.I. essay victor recalls hard times

"Educating the children was the most challenging, exhausting but rewarding chapter of my life," writes Molly Sommerville in her winning essay for the Country Women's Institute. Mrs Sommerville is the first member of the Raetihi Federation to win the Robert Young Cup, a national competition held annually. The theme of the competition this year was a 500word essay on "A chapter in my life". Mrs Sommerville wrote about her experiences when educating her children

at her home in Oruakukuru Road, off Parapara Road, during the 1940s. One of the hardest things about writing the essay, Says Mrs Sommerville, was trying to keep it to 500 words. Her first draft came to 750 words and in shortening it much of the feeling was lost. "The tiredness and drudgery of trying to do too many things — being a farmer's wife — was partly lost," she says. "It was the same for hundreds of other women doing the same kind of things in those days. I think that's what appealed to the judge. She said there would be a lot of women who could emphathise with it." Mrs Sommerville gained a third placing several years ago for an essay with the

theme "A letter to your daughter". "I like to have an entry because I think it's good for a place like Raetihi to get a mention at the annual general meetings for New Zealand." Mrs Sommerville educated all her three children at home during their primary school years. The eldest, Joan, gained a university degree and became a computer programmer. She is now married with children. John farms in Oruakukuru Road and Rodger is a secondary school teacher at Tokoroa. The Ruapehu Federation

of the CWI has been going for 51 years. Mrs Sommerville has been a member for 31. She enjoys the activities of the institute because she says it is not too specialised. "It's a good general group, that's what appeals to me." The main aim of the institute is developing friendship, she says, as well as learning new skills. Public speaking plays a large part, and it is something which Mrs Sommerville has an interest in. "It's a world-wide group, which is something which has a big value when you're a small group — we feel we've got some support."