To join the WI at age 31?

[mademoisellegazelle]

Just that really- my mum thinks it's hilarious that I've been offered membership of the local (oversubscribed) WI and has pointed out I'll probably be the only one under 60 plus that I should start to learn Jerusalem without checking the lyrics in a hymn book!

AIBU for your tales of trendy WI's?!

I'm in my late 40s and although I'm one of the younger ones, definitely not the youngest! Tell your mum that her idea of the WI only being for women in late middle age are very out of date.

I'm afraid I can't give you any trendy tales for your article, though - it's fairly traditional, nowt exciting to report.

Your Mum's 'image' is very out of date.
WI has had a bit of a re-birth this Century.
Of course YANBU.

@MsVestibule thanks for your reply but I'm not a journo- just name changed yesterday (I do it every month or so to avoid being identified!)

Do it, and practice your withering stare for judgy people who have NO idea of the fun you’ll have. I was 32 when I joined 7 years ago. Make sure you research which one to join. Social media presence is a good indicator of the demographics and interests of a particular group.

I’m not the youngest at mine by a long way.

There's a chapter in my city with a rock-and-roll themed pun name that's full of women with full sleeve tattoos and whatnot. I think it's quieter now since people have calmed the fuck down about cupcakes and the 'new domesticity' has trickled down from hipsters and creatives to the normies (who have made it about cleaning and being traditional on instagram instead of embracing creativity in your home and self care).

I went to my first WI meeting aged 9!

(I was visiting my grandmother and sat in the back reading a book in the village hall). I ate a lot of WI made jam in my youth.

As for the song Jerusalem, it's not just sung by the WI. Starts most days of England cricket test matches.

Does it even matter if you are the youngest one there? I joined a knitting/crochet group a few years ago at age 29 and am the youngest there by about 20 years and it makes no difference. They are an awesome bunch of women and I have a great time!!

Most W is only sing Jerusalem on special occasions.

They are massively into campaigning on environmental issues and promoting health screening. They also lobbied the government for more midwives.
Wis are a massively diverse group of women of all ages. I would like to say all colours but it's still sadly predominantly white. But that also reflects its rural origins.
There are workplace WIs, a prison WI, a 1940s WI and a gothic WI.
It's an amazing organisation your mum doesn't know what she's missing!

It depends on the group. The one in my village seems to all be 70+ but I joined one in the city I work in, we've never sung Jerusalem and the meetings tend to be craft or social based

I've just turned 30 btw but I've been going for four years now

I’m a member of a music themed WI.

We never sing Jerusalem.

Our oldest member is a young 72. She went to another local WI and she was he youngest.

We rub along really well together, we’ve a good spread of ages and stories and I’d say age to our group is largely irrelevant.

One question I would ask is do they meet in the afternoon or the evening? If it’s the afternoon, then it is going to be more the retired demographic.

Go along and enjoy!!

Someone is always going to the youngest person, that would be an odd reason not to do something. Your mum sounds like she doesn't know that it's the 21st century, like most organisations the WI has moved on since 1950

You wouldn't be the youngest at my two nearest branches, go for it!