Women’s Action Guild Celebrates 2022 Accomplishments, Looks Ahead
WAG (Woman’s Action Guild), established in 1973, is a volunteer organization whose main purpose is to volunteer at fundraisers where the proceeds are donated specifically for the benefit of children and the community. The Annual Czhilispiel Event, which just celebrated its 50th year, provides financial profit to local businesses, vendors, the Chamber of Commerce and other organizations. This group of women wanted to do something to directly help the children. The Czhilispiel T-shirt & Souvenir Booth does just that. It is this main fundraiser each year coupled with a minor event fundraiser that involves providing snack items and working the Softball and Little League concession stands at their games and tournaments. WAG is proud of the money raised from these events that goes directly back to the community and the children. WAG knows this support and these donations are very important when you live in a small town. WAG members and their families work many hours to support these events. In addition, WAG organizes and oversees the Czhilispiel Parade that celebrates the entire community and includes entries from Fayette and other surrounding Counties.
Over the past 49 years WAG has served and worked many volunteer hours to “give” to the students and the community. Each WAG member is required to volunteer at both the Czhilispiel Tshirt and Souvenir Booth and the concession stands for the Softball and Little League games. WAG members have generously worked countless hours in order to earn the thousands of dollars that WAG has given to the community by donating scholarships to the Czhilispiel Queen and her court, and by making donations to the sports complex improvements, the Public Library, the Flatonia ISD FFA and 4-H students, the schools’ science programs, the big electronic Flatonia ISD scoreboard plus numerous sponsored annual field trips for students. Many children have enjoyed the Splash Pad that WAG has contributed to along with Blue Santa, and the Flatonia ISD Education Foundation. Since the 1990’s WAG has donated close to $160,000.
WAG proudly “Buys Local” and proudly supports businesses in Flatonia by purchasing from them. Since the 1990’s the souvenir items for the Czhilispiel Booth have been purchased locally. Another event that benefits the students is the FFA and 4H Buyers’Reception sponsored by WAG at which refreshments are purchased locally. Also many snack and drink items are purchased locally for the Little League and Softball Concession stands when possible. So WAG has accomplished what they set out to accomplish. Students, the community and local businesses are annually benefiting and profiting from WAG.
The Women’s Action Guild has worked closely with the Flatonia Chamber of Commerce and Czhilispiel committee since souvenirs were first sold at Czhilispiel. WAG originally helped work the souvenir booth shifts for the Chamber during Czhilispiel. In 1994 that responsibility was completely turned over to WAG with a portion of the profits being returned to the Chamber of Commerce and the Czhilispiel Committee.
As in the past, WAG wishes to continue to work with the Chamber and the Czhilispiel committee on ways to improve our souvenir selections. When former Chamber Executive Secretaries saw a need for something additional in this booth, WAG willingly added the items. The Women’s Action Guild wants to continue this long-standing agreement to be the vendor of Czhilispiel items and to use the Czhilispiel trademark.
WAG has 47 members from Flatonia and the surrounding areas. We meet on the Second Monday of each month fromAugust through March at 5:30 p.m. at the Flatonia United Methodist Church on N. Main Street. The Church graciously allows WAG to meet rent-free. WAG is grateful for all the support that the community and schools show. WAG continues to invite and welcome all women with the same interest in volunteering to serve and support our community and children. Please come meet with us and get involved. For more information please call (361) 772-3068.