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VINTAGE WCG COLLECTABLE ENAMEL PIN BADGEWOMEN'S CO-OPERATIVE GUILD (WCG)CO-OPERATIVE WHOLESALE SOCIETY (CWS)GUILDS / SOCIETIES | WOMEN |HISTORY | HERITAGE |VINTAGE & ANTIQUES | COLLECTABLES |BRITISH | UNITED KINGDOMDETAILS:MEASUREMENTS:Approx. 1 inch in diameterWEIGHT: Approx. 4 g
MAKER'S MARKS:C.W.SDESIGN/ STYLE NOTES:ANTIQUE GILT & BLUE ENAMEL PIN BADGE
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
History
The guild was founded in 1883 by Alice Acland,who edited the "Women's Corner" of the Co-operative News,and Mary Lawrenson,a teacher who suggested the creation of an organizationto promote instructional and recreational classes for mothers and girls.
Acland began organizing a Women's League for the Spread of Co-operationwhich held its first formal meeting of 50 womenat the 1883 Co-operative Congress in Edinburghand established local branches.
It began as an organization dedicated to spreading the co-operative movement,but soon expanded beyond the retail-based focus of the movementto organizing political campaigns on women's issuesincluding health and suffrage.
Annie Williams,a suffragette organiser for the Women's Social and Political Union in Newcastlefound in 1910 that 'Co-operative women are very keen to know about 'Votes for Women'.
In 1884 the league changed its name to the Women's Co-operative Guildand later to the Co-operative Women's Guild.In 1899, Margaret Llewelyn Davieswas elected general secretary of the Guildand was widely credited with greatly increasing the success of the Guild.By 1910 it had 32,000 members.Maternity benefits were included in the National Insurance Act 1911because of the guild's pressure.
The guild became more politically active,and expanded its work beyond the British Isles;their objectives included the establishment of minimum wagesand maternity benefits,and in April 1914 they were involved in an International Women's Congressat The Hague which passed a resolution totally opposing war:this Conference is of opinion that the terrible method of warshould never again be used to settle disputes between nations,and urge that a partnership of nations,with peace as its object,should be established and enforced by the people's will.
After World War I the guild became more involved in peace activism,concentrating especially on the social and political conditionsthat encouraged or gave rise to war,as well as opposition to the arms trade.In 1933 they introduced the White Poppyas a pacifist alternative to the British Legion's annual red poppy appeal.At this time membership of the guild was at its peak,with 1,500 branches and 72,000 members.
The guild continued with several local branches,although it did not have the visibility within the co-operative movement it once did.It closed after 133 years on 25 June 2016.SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA
