Wairarapa's 13 Women's Institutes are hoping to bolster their membership this year - and are also hoping that their recent national wins will stand them in good stead with potential members.
Wairarapa WI members picked up four awards at this year's New Zealand Federation of Women's Institutes' annualmeeting in Wellington last week.
"We've had one or two for handcrafts before but not four in the first three, in one go, before," said Wairarapa president Ann Jackson.
Member Diane Edwards picked up a second placing for designing her institute's annual programme, Ann Duckett's scrapbook of her institute's activities took a third placing, and Carol Manson was the first member to receive a runner-up prize for the Avis Rishworth Innovation Award.
"I said to them something like, 'We had paintbrushes in our hands instead of scones'," Mrs Manson said, referring to a mural project members completed at Mt Holdsworth.
Helen McKenzie's annual report won the group first prize for WIs with more than 10 members.
"The grammar and punctuation would have been 100 per cent," said Mrs Manson of her colleague's win.
The women say that, nationally, WI membership has been declining by 2 to 5 per cent a year since 1978.
"It's not because we're boring old farts, it's just because younger women are working now," said Mrs McKenzie.
However, Wairarapa's institutes increased their membership slightly to 217 in the past year and are open to women - and men - of all ages.
Mrs Jackson said the members were modernising their attitudes and activities to attract more members.
Knitting and crocheting circles were being replaced with computer skills and photography workshops.
"We're trying to move with the times and trying to attract younger women so we're more in tune."
For more information regarding membership, contact Ann Jackson on 06 372 5758.