Organization Communique #6

Dear League Sisters and Father Tran,

I pray everyone had a blessed Christmas with family and friends and are now rejuvenated once again to continue in our work for God and Canada.

Membership

January is officially membership month, although we should be welcoming members throughout the entire year. For 2009 our provincial membership was 9,525. My challenge for our province is to reach 10,000 members in 2010. That’s only 475 new members throughout the province and less than 4 members for each of our 131 parish councils. I know we can do it!! (Over 10,000 would be awesome !)

National Membership Incentive Plan

This new incentive is so exciting I decided I should quote directly from our national organization chairperson, Velma Harasen’s communiqué #5. “The 2010 membership incentive program: the per capita fees for 2011 will be waived for all members in two councils – the one with the highest absolute increase in members and the one with the highest percentage increase in members from the 2010 membership drive. Diocesan and provincial per capita fees will be paid from the national treasury so that councils at those levels will not be out of pocket. More information on the plan will be included in the winter edition of The Canadian League.” WOW!! So if your council wins, the more members you get the more money your council will have share in God’s wonderful works!

Lapsed Members

Velma has given a suggestion that possibly a parish council could offer for any member who did not renew in 2009 to pay the 2009 membership fee if the member pays her 2010 membership, or pay for 2010 if she pays for 2009! If any council has other suggestions for creative ways to bring back members that did not renew in the last year please let me know and I will pass along these ideas to Velma.

New Recruitment Material

National office has mailed some new recruitment material to parish councils. Please share with me how your parish councils are utilizing these items and how effective have they been. I will pass along any feedback you may have to Velma.

Development Funds

There are Provincial and National Development Funds available for both members and councils.

Provincial Development Funds

Development Fund #1 – This subsidy is available for 2/3 of the bus fare from home to the site of the Provincial convention, regardless of how the applicant travels. All members needing assistance can apply. Encourage your members to apply and attend this year’s provincial convention in Richmond!

Development Fund #2 – $1,000 is available once in a two year term for a Diocesan President to attend the National Convention.

Both application forms can be found on the BC CWL website. The deadlines for both applications are March 15, 2010 and are to be returned to me.

National Development Fund

National funds are available from National office to promote League leadership training and League development workshops. Councils may apply twice in a given year; for the period of January to June and from July to December. The guidelines and application form are in the National Policy & Procedure Manual, pages A3 20 – A3 25 and can be downloaded on the CWL website. A great way to host a provincial leadership development part 2 workshop in your area!

Annual Reports

I pray all diocesan chairpersons have received annual reports from all their counterparts in parish councils within their diocese, and if you have not that you are working to contact these councils to receive their reports, even if only through a phone conversation. Remind councils that have not submitted a report that the CWL is like a fine tapestry and if they do not submit the awesome works within their council large pieces of the tapestry will be missing. I have enclosed a scan of the revised annual report guidelines from national which should help clarify the process of developing your diocesan report. The deadline for diocesan to submit your reports to provincial is February 15, 2010. I look forward to receiving 100% reporting from throughout the province this year as we develop a beautiful tapestry together!

May Our Lady of Good Counsel continue to bless us in our work for God and Canada.