Communications Communique #3

Submitted by: Doreen Gowans

Dear League Sisters and Father Tien:

Approaching 2009 as “Women of Peace and Hope” which our National Theme so beautifully states, we need to stay connected to one another through prayer and communication.  Lets do our part to communicate to one another at all levels within the League.  If I can be of assistance to anyone contact me.

CWL Day of Peace and Hope Tool Kit

Our National Executive has produced a “CWL Day of Peace and Hope Tool Kit” for each parish council to use.  Your parish council president should have received it.  The kit contains short, medium and long project ideas for each standing committee with the idea, that they are to be used to enhance our National Theme at your parish council meetings and especially to celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Good Counsel on April 26, 2009.  A suggestion is to plan your meetings for the year, and take one or two standing committee suggestions and act on those ideas throughout the next two years.  Communication Chairs responsibility is to promote the use of the tool kit in a positive, enthusiastic way.  Help your sister have fun while traveling together on a positive faith filled journey.  See what spiritual or community minded activities your council can accomplish.  This will be a way of bringing all of your parish sisters in the league together.  Have Fun!

Spring Newsletter

I ask each council to send me a write up and/or pictures of your events planned for the CWL Day of Peace and Hope that your Diocesan or Parish Council is planning or doing.  We would like to share your ideas with other councils to encourage them to participate.  The newsletter is used as an educational tool, therefore I need your input.  To date I have very little information from any Diocesan or Parish councils.  I would love to receive information on any of your activities or articles you would like to share. You may send your information either by email or through our regular mail system.  The deadline is March 1, 2009, however I am willing to accept all submissions as long as I have time to print the final newsletter.  “Toot your Horn,” tell us the good works your councils are doing.

Annual Reports

I have received one annual report.  The deadline is Feb. 15, 2009.  Communication Standing Committee Chairs please send your report to me as soon as possible.  Parish Presidents if you do not have a Communications Chair, I would ask you to take time to complete the report and send it in.

E-Mail

As stated by our National Communications Chair, Betty Anne Brown  – many members do not realize that, when they open an e-mail with jokes (even from a dear friend) or some supposedly important information or pass-along-this-prayer request, and then forward it on, it may have a tracking device attached that can get into computers and expose them to Spam, viruses, Trojans or worms in the future.

The following notice was received by National President Danielle McNeil-Hessian’s office.  “Due to the recent release of a widespread nasty virus, distributed by a Hallmark Greeting Card, I would like to remind all staff to not open Electronic Greeting Cards or suspicious emails on any HRSB computers. The cards could either come to you as an attachment or as a link to a website inside an email message.” Danielle received a greeting card via e-mail that infected her computer with a virus (Trojans & worms) and she was without her computer until it was fixed.  Be careful as you may loose important data should you receive a virus.

CWL address lists are to be used for CWL business only.  We need such lists to enable us to work efficiently and effectively.  Addresses are not published and we must remember to respect our member’s privacy.

Sears Catalogue Ad Campaign

At our last National Convention in Winnipeg members were encouraged to write Sears head office in Toronto lodging a complaint against the add in which a rosary was used as ornamental jewellery on a model.  As a result of our letters members received phone calls from Sears’s head office acknowledging receipt of our letters and assured us that ” this will never happen again.”  Our efforts do pay off and we can make a difference.  Thanks to all members who wrote and complained.

Challenge

As we progress thought the next 2 years with both of our National, Provincial, and Diocesan Themes, lets do so in a very positive, enthusiastic and invitational way by being enthusiastic when we place our bulletin announcements in our parish and community.   The new CWL Tool kit was designed to help bring in the busy, modern-day Catholic woman, let us wet their appetites to “taste and see” the wonders of the League.

Vision

Over the next couple of years let us ask our councils to focus on projects inclined toward palliative care and “Welcome Friend!” Remember we have the best things to offer our prospective members and members: faith, fellowship (fun) and fulfillment.   Put them at the top of your priority when planning your meetings and see how many new members we can invite.

Statement on Human Trafficking

(from Barb Dowding)

At last its finished! For nearly two years we’ve been working on this with the BC Bishops and it was released the same day they had a press release on the CRC Human Trafficking Curriculum Kit for schools.

What great HOPE! The Bishops of BC and the Yukon have written a joint statement on Human Trafficking which was released Feb. 10 at St. Patrick’s Regional Secondary School. View the statement and resources:  www.rcav.org. Thank you to everyone who in anyway prayed helped and promoted the CWL’s involvement in Human Trafficking.  WE CAN AND DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

BC Yukon Web Site

Is here for you to access and to use.  Communiqués from all of the Provincial Executive and Standing Committees are posted regularly.  Print off the report pertaining to your standing committee and use it to report at your diocesan council meetings.   Please forward the Communications Communiqué to all of your parish counterparts as soon as you receive the communiqué.  This ensures the parish councils have the information in a timely manner so the members are informed.  Some parish councils may be waiting to receive the provincial communiqués from their diocesan counterparts at their diocesan meetings.  As most communiqués are to be used in a timely manner, I would encourage you to view the Provincial CWL web page regularly distribute accordingly.

Communiqués

A reminder to send a copy of your communiqués to me.  I really enjoy reading them and celebrating all of your successes.