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

Submitted by: Pat Battensby

This report for me is a bittersweet experience. On the one hand this past year, we have lost four dear treasured Life Members from our province who are now enjoying their just rewards and I am sure, pulling for their dear League sisters as we continue our work for God and Canada.

We have also lost two husbands of Life Members. We empathize with them. The golden thread connects us all in joy and sorrow.

Our deceased Life Members are:

• Diana MacKenzie, Prince George
• Pollyanna Kilgour, Nelson
• Ruth Hazlett, Victoria
• Mable Allen, Kamloops

Diana had just completed her term as Life Member Liaison for Prince George Diocese as had Ruth Hazlett for Victoria, Pollyanna was the Liaison for Nelson at the time of her death, and of course Mabel’s long and legendary role in service to the league is well known. Three of these members were past Provincial Presidents. » Read the rest of this entry »

Submitted by: Pat Battensby

My Dear Life Member Sisters,

I do wish you a happy and mainly HEALTHY New Year. We have lost so much in the last few months with the passing of Mabel Allan, Pollyanna Kilgour and Ruth Hazlett that I feel we must hold each other close in our hearts and prayers and cherish the special sisterhood that we share. Please note in the Canadian League magazine page 28 notes the passing of these three very special women. We are grateful for this notice. We are already too few in number. Please be assured that I have sent condolences in your name to the above concerned and also sympathy and empathy cards in the loss of Lucie’s husband Stephen as well as Ruth’s husband Cliff. Our hearts and prayers are with you Lucie as you adjust to this new state in life for you. I have passed on the many prayer requests that I have received from National office and even though we don’t know these people, the golden thread runs through us all because they are our Life Member sisters.

Welcome to Marion Nygren, Nelson Life Member Liaison who kindly took over after we lost Pollyanna. We know that you will enjoy this role as our main thrust is just to keep in touch!

Thank you Lucie and Marjorie for the most interesting notes that you have sent about your Diocesan Members and for the birthdays that you sent on. I would love to hear from the rest of you about what’s new with you all.

I have received instructions from Shirley Bernier as to how my Annual Report should be structured. One of the questions asks how you inform your Life Members after you receive my communiqués. Please answer this for me and send it back a.s.a.p. because I really do not know. I know how Marjorie does it in my Diocese but not anything about how the other four of you carry this out. Please let me know.

Shirley Bernier has also asked that in my annual report, I include any special events that might have happened with any of our members. Please inform me of that as well. She also asked about Life Member’s service at the parish level. So you can see all in all what I need from you is a mini annual report with these questions answered. Let’s try and give a good comprehensive report from our province this year.

Our second Life Members Annual Arts and Culture Award will be awarded again this year at the provincial convention. Please note that this year the application forms will be distributed through the Health and Education Chairpersons down the line. Our job is to encourage our members to have a look at it and see if they or their families would qualify. We had wonderful applicants last year and hope to increase those applications this year. We hope to see many of you at the convention this year as it is an election year. We have also received a wonderful boost for the Arts and Culture Award fund this year. Shirley Armillotta has received a donation of $150.00 in memory of Pollyanna so we are indeed grateful for this and will indeed remember our dear Pollyanna through this award.

In Vancouver, this is a very exciting time as we prepare to welcome the world or at least 300,000 of them to our beautiful city for the Olympics. Many of us are involved in volunteer capacities both within our own chancery office and also with More than Gold. Please check this websites out on your computer and catch up with our activities. Our diocese is very involved and with great enthusiasm and participation. Pray for the success of the games, that people remember most about the welcoming approach of our people and not the access of trafficking through prostitution or any terrorist acts. We need your prayers to have a good clean safe Olympic games. We need your prayers for snow as well PLEASE.

Much love to you all and thank you for your work in this special mandate that Life Members have in the League. I hope to see many of you at convention.

Submitted by: Pat Battensby

Greetings to you all after what I hope has been a pleasant summer, sure was beautiful wasn’t it but for me I welcome the lovely fresh cool mornings, for me they are energizing.

For those of you that may not have heard, we welcome 3 new Diocesan Life Member Liaisons, Marjorie Miller from Vancouver, Lucie Schaff from Kamloops and Barbara Jarvis from Prince George and we say thank you and farewell to Shirley Armillotta, Diana Mackenzie and Mary Tymich with grateful thanks to them for their service to us as Life Member Liaisons in their dioceses. Welcome back to Margaret Beardon, Victoria and Pollyanna Kilgour, Nelson who are continuing with their mandate as Life Member Liaison in their diocese.

We said a fond sincere farewell to Mabel Allen R.I.P. who passed on early this summer. A Mass card was sent in your name to her family. Cards have also been sent to mark special birthdays and anniversaries on your behalf when requested or appropriate.

Heartfelt thanks to Marjorie Miller, Vancouver, Lucie Schaff, Kamloops and Pollyanna Kilgour, Nelson for copies of their very newsy communiqués that they have circulated as well as for the photographs. I am receiving a few birth dates but not enough so please try to collect what you can so we can make a list of them. Please send me your prayer requests, special anniversaries, or birthdays so we can remember special days for our Life Members. » Read the rest of this entry »

Submitted by: Pat Battensby

It is such a pleasure for me to make my first life member liaison report to the provincial convention. It is a great job; I thank Marianna for this appointment.

It entails communication for the most part. We have 5 life member liaisons in BC and Yukon. Since Lorraine Faherty left Whitehorse, they have no Life Members living in that Diocese.

Our sincere thanks to Margaret Beardon, Victoria, Diana McKenzie, Prince George, Pollyanna Kilgour, Nelson and especially to Shirley Armilllotta and Mary Tymich who are leaving their posts and a great welcome to Marjorie Miller and Lucie Marie Schaff who are replacing them.

My job is to relay messages that come from National Life Member Liaison Shirley Bernier. Sometime, they are really good news messages but most times unfortunately they are prayer requests.

I, in turn send these messages on to these 5 liaisons members.

This works both ways. I have to say that I rarely hear from our Life Member Liaisons with requests for prayers or any news for that matter and would hope that we can get that going in our province.

I have heard, however that we have three life members celebrating very important birthdays this past year. Rose Kamm from Vancouver, Elsa Drummond from Victoria

And this fall Mary Tymich from Kamloops. I have sent cards to all of them on behalf of our Life Members.

We welcome one new Life Member to our group of sisters. Please show your appreciation for Nancy Simms of Kamloops who received her Life Membership at Kamloops Diocesan convention.

We had five applicants for the Life Members Arts and Culture Award. Shirley Armillotta will announce that recipient. Suffice to say, the applicants were awesome and it was difficult to choose.

Our most sincere appreciation to Thelma Varcoe who underwrote the cost of the book: ”The Journey of Memories.” The proceeds from the sale of this book provided the funds for this new award. Please keep Thelma in your prayers. She is presently waiting for a surgical booking and we wish her well and a successful procedure.

Submitted by: Pat Battensby

Happy New Year to my Life Member League Sisters,

Enclosures: Life Members Art and Culture Award Eligibility Form and Application Form (PDF)

I hope that your Christmas season went well and was a holy and happy one. For us here in Vancouver, it was unique. It was  the first time in my life that I wasn’t able to get to Christmas Mass. My sister was in the same predicament and we both agreed that it did not seem like Christmas at all. But Christmas day in the evening, people managed to get here and be together although they were hard pressed to find any parking, but we were able to be together and that is really what Christmas is all about.

I hope that you have been receiving the e-mails that I have been passing on as I receive them from National. Most of them are asking for our prayers and whether we know the individual or not, we can sure add them to our prayer pocket. Please continue to pray for our own BC Life Members who are not well or waiting for surgery. » Read the rest of this entry »

Submitted by: Pat Battensby

Dear Father Tran and League Sisters,

It is my great pleasure to communicate with you for the first time in this role. I was delighted when Marianna asked me if I would accept this position and hope to be a good follower to my predecessor, Ann D. Greetings to Diocesan Liaisons: Mary T. – Kamloops, Pollyanna K. – Nelson, Dianna M. – Prince George, Shirley A. – Vancouver and Margaret B. – Victoria.

We owe a great debt of gratitude to Ann D. who for the past two years has so faithfully passed on to us the good news and the bad about our Life Member sisters throughout Canada. I was privileged to be at the National convention where 53 Life members were registered as well as the Honorary Life members. It was great to once more rekindle friendships and compare notes between provinces. Of course this is one of the great benefits of conventions, sharing, comparing, affirming, praying for and with each other. » Read the rest of this entry »

Submitted by: Ann Dobie

Madame President,

Once more I have the distinct pleasure of representing as provincial liaison, 45 league sisters who are Life Members in the BC & Yukon Council of the Catholic Women’s League of Canada.

We are privileged to be among the 324 life members in National Council, a privilege as well as an hounour. One that entails responsibility and a continuing willingness to serve on the national level when requested to do so. » Read the rest of this entry »

Submitted by: Ann Dobie

Greetings:

A New Year’s Blessing

May you be the one with welcome in your smile and hello etched upon your hand, the hand you extend to everyone who blesses you with presence. ~Luke 7:36-50

General Information:

Life members are members of their diocesan and provincial councils, but are not part of the diocesan and provincial executives. They do not attend the executive meetings unless requested to do so by the executive. They, therefore, do not automatically receive the minutes. Life members do not have the authority to communicate the business carried out at these executive meetings. All members are welcome to express their views to the executive members. As life members we can best support the new and younger executive members by respecting their ability to make decisions on League matters. » Read the rest of this entry »

Submitted by: Ann Dobie

My prayers and best wishes to you as you begin this New Year and as the days of 2007 unfold for you, may God’s peace encircle you and all those you hold in your heart.

Changes
The newly appointed Nelson diocesan life member liaison is Pollyanna K. On behalf of all life members, I welcome Pollyanna and thank Bev Watson for her years of service and may Our Lady of Good Counsel guide and direct these generous league sisters in all their endeavors.

Annual Reports
January is the beginning of the new membership year and the time to evaluate and report on the previous year’s activities. This is also required of life members. » Read the rest of this entry »

Submitted by: Ann Dobie

Greetings to my diocesan life member liaisons, Ruth H. ~ Victoria, Beverly W. ~ Nelson, Diane McK. ~ Prince George, Shirley A. ~ Vancouver and Marie Lucie S. ~ Kamloops!

I am honoured to have been asked by our provincial president, Barbara D., to accept the appointment of provincial life member liaison for the next two years, and I happily accepted. And at this time, on behalf of all BC & Yukon life members I extend our gratitude to Margaret B. who so graciously served in this capacity for the past two years. » Read the rest of this entry »