It was a standard Annual General Meeting for the Country Women's Association in outback Queensland, but with one concerning difference.
There were no takers when the Murweh Shire Council Mayor and meeting chair, Shaun "Zoro" Radnedge, asked for nominations to take over the president and secretary roles.
After 100 years of the iconic CWA in Australia it looked for a moment like there was soon to be one less branch.
Outgoing Charleville branch president Judy Connolly said members didn't want to see the branch fold.
"Because the Charleville branch was actually formed in 1924, so we've got a centenary ourselves coming up," she said.
Town crisis meeting
They decided a crisis meeting was necessary
Fortunately, the community was ready to help.
"We set a date, we set the time, and opened the doors, and in they came," Ms Connolly said.
"So that was very exciting."
Of the 30 or so people who came to the town meeting, Ms Connolly was excited to see some younger and fresh faces in the crowd.
"[There was] a lot of new people to town I wasn't familiar with," she said.
Charleville-based family lawyer Shona Fitzgerald was among them.
While she said the CWA had always been in the family consciousness, growing up in Brisbane meant she didn't have a close connection.
"I was always a city girl," Ms Fitzgerald said.
"And it's just recently I thought 'yeah I'd put my hand up and help out'."
Ms Fitzgerald has now lived in the outback town for several years, and said with no hobbies or "life outside work", she was happy to get involved.
"The worst case scenario is everyone hates me, and it galvanises someone to run next time," she laughed.
Not only has the branch successfully invited new members to take up the positions of president and secretary, Ms Connolly said they were still seeing membership applications roll in from the community.
A new era
The CWA's role in regional Australia is often associated with cookbooks, scones and cups of tea.
And while feeding the nation a hearty cake has always a key part of the organisation, it's not the only thing the CWA ladies do.
"You don't get a community group that's lasted 100 years without being very reputable," Cr Radnedge said.
"[And] having great people behind it, it plays a huge part in our community here in Charleville."
And while Ms Fitzgerald said she "can't bake for anything," she was keen to get involved in the other aspects of the group.
"When you drill down in it, the CWA is an advocacy organisation," she said.
"It's about for advocating for country issues [for women]."
As a family lawyer, Ms Fitzgerald said she hoped to bring insight and support to the CWA's advocacy programs such as emergency housing for those escaping domestic violence and patient ratios in nursing homes.
"These are recommendations that have been handed down by Royal Commissions, yet you still need grassroots organisations like the CWA to be advocating for these things," she said.
Ms Connolly was ecstatic to see a number of younger members join, but said she wouldn't leave Ms Fitzgerald without support, staying on with the branch as vice-president.
"She's young, and confident and bubbling with energy, which is lovely to see," Ms Connolly said.
"We also struggled with the technology side of things, and I think the younger generation is on top of all of that thankfully."
