Millions of families in Australia are affected by drug and alcohol use and abuse every year. Help us combat this problem.
TO PROMOTE A DRUG-FREE LIFESTYLE AND CHRISTIAN VALUES IN THE HOME AND COMMUNITY
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WCTU - Woman's Christian Temperance Union
WCTU is an organization of Christian women devoted to social reform and is an internationally active union with chapters around the world.
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WCTU was organized by women who were concerned about the destructive power of alcohol and the problems it was causing their families and society. They met in churches to pray and then marched to the saloons to ask the owners to close their establishments. Brave women!
These activities were referred to as the 'Women's Crusades' and their success was both the forerunner and the impetus for the founding of WCTU.
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WCTU members choose total abstinence from all alcohol as their lifestyle and have adopted Xenophon's definition of temperance:
..moderation in all things healthful; total abstinence from all things harmful
What's Happening
New South Wales
News from New South Wales
​Thanks to the excellent and faithful leadership of Helen Palmer, the Newcastle Circle group met on Monday, November 4. Twelve ladies heard Roberta Hodgson from WBFE (Warm Blankets for Everyone) who spoke about her traumatic childhood and first marriage. Alcohol was the ruining factor of her father and husband who both died from use and abuse of alcohol. At 35 years of age, Roberta found the Lord and her life was miraculously turned around. She cares for the beautiful ministry of providing blankets for poor people, much of this caused by alcohol. In 2022 WBFE provided over 2,200 blankets to some 35 charity organisations in 40 weeks. Volunteers knit, sew and patch together fabrics in a workshop or at home. You can read more about this ministry on their website www.wbfe.org
The next meeting will be at Sunnyside hall at Avondale Road, Cooranbong on Wednesday December 4 at 11 am. Talk and lunch. Doctor John Ashton, writer of ‘Uncorked - the Hidden
Hazards of Alcohol’ will be the speaker. He will talk about the danger of alcohol on the developing brains of our teenagers.
Reported By: Joy Butler
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Victoria
South Australia
Report from WCTU Drug-Free Lifestyles - Nov.2024
Mrs. Marie Kirk was one of the main organizers of WCTU in Victoria and became Secretary from 1888–1913 - a 25-year term. She was also a founding member of the National Council of Women Victoria in 1902. In her honour, we give prize money for NCWV’s annual student event at the Victorian Parliament House, My Vote My Voice (MVMV). This year students from Victorian government and independent schools addressed the topic: “Social Media – A Blessing or a Curse.” WCTU members, Jan Shattock, Rhona Theodore and Dawn Stark presented the Marie Kirk awards to a school for Islamic girls, and this was a wonderful opportunity to publicise WCTU and our Drug Ed programs. At the end of November,
Dawn Stark did Drug Ed programs at several schools at the end of Term 3 and gave the students an opportunity to enter a colour-in competition. Nearly 60 entries were received from four schools.
On Monday 28 th October we held our Annual Luncheon, which was attended by18 people, including representatives from the World Day of Prayer and National Council of Women. The Speaker, Ian Whitehill, described his experiences with reaching out to prisoners in various Victorian jails on behalf of Prison Fellowship International which is the largest prison visiting enterprise in the world, operating in 120 countries. Ian has been a volunteer with Prison Fellowship since 2013, speaking in over 140 diverse churches, clubs, and schools across Australia.
Reported By: Anne Bergen - President Victoria
Field Officer
South Australia 138th State Convention
Held in our Teatotallers Tearooms, we celebrated with 30 people, members and friends from churches and Christian organisations. We are excited to have seven new members, with four present at our Convention.
Our guest speaker was Thea Hennessy, married, mother of five, and Vice President of the Liberal Party SA. Thea gave her testimony and spoke on the serious issues we are facing today. We took the opportunity to pray for Thea, for Divine strength, protection and favour.
Suffrage
In December, South Australia will celebrate 130yrs since the Suffrage Bill was passed. We will be having a month of Suffrage displays, meetings with guests speakers on the topic of - ironically, ‘women losing their identity’ due to extreme gender ideology. We were recently invited to an art exhibition where artist Shari Russell had sculptured a beautiful set of Suffrage women. We decided to purchase them for our Suffrage display. They were delivered to us by sculptor Shari Russell, artist Jan Shon and Kathy Harrison, owner of Jackalope Gallery.
Reported By: Karen Edwards - President SA
BECOME A FRIEND
Becoming a Friend of WCTU means helping us stand against drugs and the dire consequences they are causing to Australian individuals, families and communities.
For as little as $20 per annum for a full membership you can become a Friend of WCTU and contribute to spread our valuable mission of building awareness and stopping the use of drugs which is destroying the lives of many.
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DRUG FREE YOUTH
THE TEEN BRAIN IS UNIQUELY
VULNERABLE TO SUBSTANCE USE
The adolescent brain is actively and rapidly developing until about age 25, making it particularly vulnerable to the effects of substance use. The earlier substance use begins, and the heavier the use, the more likely a person will develop addiction, also known as substance use disorder.
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DRUG FREE SCHOOL
OUR CHILDREN ARE THE FUTURE
WCTU is active in facilitating
Drug Education Programs to school throughout Australia. We believe the prevention is better than cure. Our mission is to educate young people about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. This will equip individuals to make healthy decision for their lives as they become responsible adults.