Communications Communique #6

Submitted by: Sandra Stajduhar

Dear League Sisters and Father Terry,

As we begin our Advent journey, please take some time for quiet reflection and prepare yourselves to experience Christ in Christmas. Remember to offer all the work you do baking, decorating and shopping as a prayer for your family; show your love for everyone (as you see Christ in them) by ‘communicating’ cheerfully – try replying to “Seasons Greetings” with “Christmas Blessings”.

BCYK CWL Website
www.cwl.bc.ca will soon bring you to an updated website. The new webmaster, Rebecca G…….., will be publishing the “new look” soon. You will have a chance to register and add your comments on a ‘blog’. Many thanks to Rebecca for all of the hours spent already – we look forward to seeing the changes and receiving feedback from our members.

Submissions for the website should still come to the Communications chairperson – through Diocesan presidents or any member of the Provincial executive.

Ribbon of Signatures Campaign
The campaign this year focused on Internet Service Providers – please make sure that ribbons were sent to the CRTC as requested.

We know that previous years’ campaigns focused on Bill C-22 (Age of Protection), and that the Bill was in the Senate in June 2007. There was a danger of losing all of our hard work, but the Bill was re-introduced as Bill C-2 (combined with other actions) and passed 3rd reading Nov. 28, 2007. So it is now back in the Senate.

Following are items from our National chairperson’s latest communique – please read the complete communique on our national website – I will include it complete for those chairpersons that I “mail” to.

Canadians Addressing Sexual Exploitation
Thank you for promoting C.A.S.E. and the Ribbon of Signatures Campaign. To quote from a letter received from Mary Hawkley, Co-President of C.A.S.E., “We will continue our work with the help of community members like the CWL for which we are very grateful. Your support through the years has been the reason that C.A.S.E. has been able to focus community attention on the very serious issue of pornography which continues even more insidiously today with the proliferation of pornography on the Internet.”

The Canadian League
At the recent national executive meeting, it was decided that council anniversaries of 80 and 85 years, as well as 25, 50 and 75 years, will be noted in the magazine. The fall 2007 edition included articles from national chairpersons (pages 24 to 27) which it is hoped were helpful to councils planning their League year. Your comments would be appreciated.

Vanier Institute of the Family
The Vanier Institute of the Family has released a report on the effects of the electronic media on families, entitled “Good Servant, Bad Master: Electronic Media and the Family”. Visit the Vanier Institute of the Family website at www.vifamily.ca and click on “what’s new” for the report. What can we do?

Limit the number of individually owned devices and move them out of bedrooms and into public spaces.
Limit also the total amount of time kids spend with their devices on a daily basis.
Make rules about giving out personal information or visiting certain sites on the Internet.
Help children, particularly those who are younger, to distinguish between fantasy and reality by talking with them about the content they encounter in the media.
Discuss with children their experiences on the Internet and ask them about the games they play, the sites they create and the way they interact socially.

Forming consciences – the report also recommended that parents help instruct their children in the values they need, and not just leave it to chance through the values that the media communicates. By doing this young people will be more prepared to critically judge the information and goals coming from the media.

Christmas Message
A Christmas message from The Catholic Women’s League of Canada will appear in Catholic newspapers across Canada.

May God be with us on our Advent journey as we go forth to welcome the One who is to come.

God bless,
Velma Harasen – National Chairperson of Communications

I join with Velma in wishing you many “Christmas Blessings”, and hope that they continue into 2008.

Love and prayers to all… God bless….

Sandra