Provincial Convention 2007: Organization Oral Report

Submitted by: Barbara Dowding

I am delighted to speak to you for a few minutes about the Organization Standing Committee. As you know, it is one of those committees with a bad rap so to speak. No one wants to do it, possibly because it often has strings to the presidency attached, or because it deals with leadership development and most of think we aren’t qualified.

What a state of affairs! For today, let’s take a little look and you can tell me what’s to be afraid of.

Each and every one of us is concerned about membership. Just look at the results of the focus group workshops. Sure enough, attracting and maintaining a solid membership base is a huge issue. But it’s not insurmountable! We also heard of many ways to interest women in what we have to offer – from the tried and true to some new ideas. Check out my report in the convention book. I don’t think it’s the ideas that are lacking, but rather enthusiasm. Only when we are truly convinced that the Catholic Women’s League of Canada is the best organization to belong to, will we be successful. Remember the early Church? Having just about completed another Easter season, we cannot help but be touched by the passion and energy of those first disciples. I wonder sometimes if we aren’t too cautious and careful in trying to keep all the good things about our League to ourselves. Unlike the early church where people couldn’t wait to share everything, we might find ourselves more comfortable doing things the way we’ve always done them and then complaining about the poor results. Hoarding the Good News never was an option!

Membership in the CWL is a privilege that carries responsibilities. We are the Catholic Church to the outside world – what do we look like? What do we sound like? If you believe that every Catholic woman should belong to the CWL, we better get busy. How about we start with 10,000? By this time next year, we could achieve this goal – but it starts with each one of us, one at a time beginning with ourselves. Look in the mirror and ask – do I strive to live out our mission statement? Do I know the objects of our League? Am I educated enough about our great organization to sell it to my friends?

You see, we are all involved in membership – so what’s so hard about Organization anyway?

Leadership Development is a priority for most members. They want more workshops and education – at least that’s what I heard loud and clear during the recent workshops. My question is then, why are those development days and training sessions so poorly attended?

Perhaps we want to have our cake and eat it too. As Catholic women we owe it, not only to ourselves, but to our families and our Church to be the best we can be. We all lead in one way or another. It is our role; it is what we are expected to do.

As attested by history past and present, women possess a singular capacity to persevere in adversity, to keep life going in extreme situations, to hold tenaciously to the future and finally to remember with tears the value of every human life.

We all know women like this. Are you one? Of course you, we, are!

Just look around today and see Jackie L………, Margaret B…… and Ann D…., to name only a few. What a journey their faith has, and is, taking them on. See how they love one another and how they lead others by example and with joy. They truly walk humbly with our God.

Yes, there are many parts to this Standing Committee, none of which is particularly scary. I think if more of us were truly inspired to the kind of holiness that comes from the real meaning of service we wouldn’t have to search for or recruit more members. Women would want to be part of what we do and who we are.

Look at your gifts, like the saints who were able to see beyond what human eyes could see, and trust that God has given each of us exactly what we need to do His will here and now. Come on, don’t be afraid, say “Here I am Lord, use me!”

Barb D………