Everything Is Possible So Let's All Get Behind International Womens Day 2012 6th February 2012: International Womens Day is coming up on Thursday 8th March and today the Queensland State Government announced that this year's IWD theme is "Everything Is Possible" The Office For Women says this theme was chosen because it supports the State Government’s priority of increasing the number of women pursuing non-traditional careers in the mining, science, engineering, construction, transport and technology industries. And they hope this message will also encourage women and girls to challenge stereotypes, explore all career options and embrace the opportunities that Queensland has to offer in these traditionally male-dominated fields. The Office For Women has a calendar of 2012 IWD events online right now which will be added to progressively as different groups announce their IWD celebrations. And we encourage all our members to support this annual event - not only by holding or attending IWD events in your own area, but also by downloading, printing and distributing IWD posters when they're available (which will be soon). You can stay up-to-date with all Queensland's 2012 IWD celebrations as they progress on this page of the Office For Women's website.

This Year... Get Set For The Biggest State Conference Ever! 2nd February 2012: We know many people were disappointed when we were forced to cancel our 2011 State Conference in Mackay. But the combined effects of floods, Cyclone Yasi and an accommodation shortage caused by the mining boom created a perfect storm that left us little choice - the first time this has ever happened in 18 years. However the good news is that in 2012 we're holding a combined State Conference with Australian Women In Agriculture (AWiA). And this year's Conference will go ahead rain, hail, or shine! The conference will be held at St George between the 5th and 7th of September. Preparations for this are underway right now and in the next few months we'll have complete information about it on our conference website. Bookings for the 2012 Conference aren't open yet either. But as soon as they are we'll let you know on our website, on Facebook and in our email newsletter so you can secure tickets as soon as they become available. We're very excited about the 2012 Conference and hope you are too. St George - about 500km from Brisbane - is the business capital of Balonne Shire and a very pretty town indeed. You can find out all about it on the town's official web portal.

Happy New Year! We Welcome Aboard Three New Board Members For 2012 31st January 2012: Hello everyone! Now that the Festive Season is well and truly over we're coming fully back to life for 2012. And we're very pleased to kick off what promises to be an exciting new year by welcoming three new members to our Board. Meryl Brumpton from Roma, Karen Brook from Charleville and Gaylene Smith from Brisbane joined us over the summer break, and we're very pleased to welcome them to what's now our 11-person central planning committee. Here's a little bit of information about each one: Meryl operates a beef cattle property with her family north of Roma. She brings extensive experience in health, training and communication to the Board, as well as experience in corporate governance and managing change. Karen, meanwhile, is the Managing Director of Karen Brook Studios where she works with small business, government and corporate organisations in tourism, agriculture, local government, mining and resources to deliver creative solutions to difficult problems. She brings her creative and leadership skills to the board. And Gaylene - who's stepped into the role of Treasurer - divides her time between Brisbane and Imbil. She has a background in financial management and superannuation as well as management of sporting organisations and events. She also has extensive corporate governance and financial management experience in the not-for-profit sector. We're very pleased to have these three very talented women join us. And you can see better photos and read their full biographies on the QRWN Board page of our site.

Casual Board Vacancies: Do YOU Want To Make A Difference? 1st December 2011: Do you want a make a difference to the lives of women living in rural, regional and remote areas of Queensland? If you do, then QRWN President Georgie Somerset would like to talk to you! The QRWN Board currently has two casual vacancies following the recent departure of our long-serving Treasurer Ann Houston and Board member Eunice Donovan (both of whom we'd like to sincerely thank for their great service). The Board oversees the operation of the QRWN; sets our organisation's policies and direction; undertakes new initiatives for members; and generally looks after the broad operation of our 28-year-old group. Any member is welcome to nominate for the Board. And we always welcome new ideas and new approaches on ways to achieve our core mission: growing the potential of individual women in the communities we serve. So if you'd like to nominate and/or find out more about what being a QRWN Board member might entail, send Georgie an email. Right now.

Ho! Ho! Ho! Here's A *Really* Great Way To Have A Very Merry Christmas! 16th November 2011: It seems incredible but Christmas is only a little over five weeks away now (where on Earth did the year go?). So if - like many members - you're starting to plan your holiday shopping, we have an absolutely sensational offer to help put some extra cheer into your Yuletide celebrations. Cellarmasters are Australia's largest online wine site. And between now and December 31st they're offering all our members a really special Xmas deal: one dozen premium red and white wines PLUS a bonus bottle of Yellowglen Yellow Sparking NV for just $70. Yes, you did read that right - that's around $5 a bottle! And all of them are absolutely top class wines too. This dozen normally sells for $178 without the bubbly, and right now it's being made available to the general public for $120 as a Cellarmasters Christmas special. But our members can get it for just $70 by claiming a special $50 discount coupon that you should use when you place your order. And you can get that $50 QRWN discount coupon by clicking here. Merry Christmas!