Originally from a Dawson Valley cotton farm and attending the Theodore State School, Tammie Irons is the new president of the Queensland Council of the Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association.
Tammie stepped up from serving as one of the group’s two vice presidents at the annual conference in Winton last week after Kim Hughes announced she was retiring from the presidency after three years.
Tammie’s journey to this point began when she joined the Westmar-Inglestone branch 10 years ago, when her children began attending the small Glenmorgan C&K kindergarten.
Now living in Toowoomba, where her children are day students, Tammie and her branch were responsible for sending out new member packs for a number of years and she has undertaken the key registrations/treasurer role for many state and federal conferences, all increasing her passion for equality for rural and remote kids.
She joined state council at the Goondiwindi 2012 conference and took on a vice presidential position in 2015.
Wendy Henning is a new vice president for state council, joining Louise Martin, while Tambo’s Melissa Iland has replaced Natalie Kenny in the publicity officer’s role.
Former state secretary, Kate Twist, stepped down from state council last week, but Winton’s Kate Bradshaw and Michelle Freshwater from St George are new faces on the committee.
Friends of ICPA
A Friends of ICPA subscriber-only category has been incorporated into support options from this year, which has no voting rights but keeps corporate groups up to date with the organisation’s publications.
Councillor Kelly Ostwald explained that it was an option introduced to cater for the interest from organisations.
“We want individuals to still be a part of voting and contribute through their membership,” she said. “The lone membership branch had been declining because boarding schools and the like don’t want voting rights.”
Charters Towers will be the venue for the 2019 state conference, while the first branch to form in Queensland, Cunnamulla, will host the 50th anniversary state conference in 2021.