Catholic Women’s League of Canada | BC and Yukon Council

Submitted by: Nancy Simms

Dear Sisters in the League and Fr. Tran,

Membership

January is membership month. However, the recruiting process should continue throughout the entire year! What is your parish council doing to invite new ladies to join the League? Many women are just waiting to be asked. I challenge every League member to step out of their comfort zone and ask someone in their parish to join the CWL. As our national organization chairperson, Velma Harasen states, “Every woman in the parish community deserves to belong to The Catholic Women’s League of Canada, and it’s our responsibility to make sure that happens!”

The latest figures I have from December 15th is that our membership for BC/Yukon was at 9,263 for 2008. So far this is an 81 member increase from 2007 with a possible few more coming in before the year end. Let’s keep up the incredible effort and before you know it we will have surpassed our goal of 10,000 by 2010!!

Our very own BC/Yukon webmaster Rebecca Gebeshuber from the Vancouver Arch-diocese developed recruitment postcards that national office has now approved and will be distributing with the second membership remittance package in sufficient quantities for each unpaid member. Each parish council will receive a new remittance form, list of unpaid members and recruitment postcards, list of paid members and permanent membership cards for each.

Director of Development

A director of development has been hired at national office to develop a marketing strategy to assist in membership recruitment and retention and to enhance the League’s image. We look forward to exciting days ahead!

National & Provincial Themes

Please take notice that both the national and provincial levels have new themes for the next two years. The national theme is Women of Peace and Hope. The national executive has asked us to translate these words into action by focusing on two main areas: palliative care and reaching out to women of other cultures and background. I know we can accomplish this request through our new provincial theme; Serving with Faith and Joy.

The Feast of Our Lady of Good Counsel

April 26th, the Feast of Our Lady of Good Counsel, has been declared as CWL Day of Peace and Hope. All members across Canada are asked to pray and act for peace and hope. A kit with user-friendly ideas for parish councils and members to live out this theme and take concrete action will be available from national office on February 14, 2009. Activities could range anywhere from a prayer service to serving lunch to our homeless, or? I’d love to hear what your parish council did ~ Let me know! Encourage councils to take part in this important day and to use this opportunity to showcase the League.

Process for Recording Deceased Members

Velma Harasen informs us: “The most recent Form for Reporting Deceased Members, dated 2008, requires that parish councils send only one copy; that copy is to be forwarded to national office. One staff member is responsible for inputting these forms into the database and then she will make two copies of each. When a number of forms have accumulated, copies will be sent to the appropriate provincial and diocesan chairpersons for their own Book of Life. Providing that parish councils are diligent in sending in these forms, this system should prove to be more accurate.”

Annual  Reports

Diocesan chairpersons should have by now received all parish annual reports (due date was December 15, 2008). If you are still missing reports from some of your parish councils, or received blank reports stating “No Chairperson”. Please take the time to phone these parishes and explain how important their work in the League is to developing a complete story of The Catholic Women’s League of Canada. If you have to, get the answers to the report over the phone. Let’s work to 100 % reporting throughout our province! I look forward to receiving your diocesan reports by February 15, 2009.

Dates to Remember

• January 1, 2009 – Membership lists with per capita fees are due and payable to national office.
• February 1, 2009 – Completed Life Member Nominee Questionnaire must be forwarded to national office with the $100 fee.
• February 1, 2009 – The completed nomination form for the Belle Guerin Award, submitted by a parish, diocesan and/or provincial council, must be forwarded to national office, along with the $75 fee.
• February 15, 2009 – The deadline for submitting diocesan chairpersons’ annual reports to the provincial chairperson.
• March 15, 2009 – The deadline for submitting provincial chairpersons’ annual reports to the national chairperson.