This is my first communique as your Christian Family Life Chairperson for the Province of BC. It will be learning experience for me as I have a lot of reading ahead of me. So please bear with me. I will endeavour to keep you updated with what is new and upcoming in this chair. If you have any concerns or questions pertaining to this chair please feel free to contact me.

Congratulations to our Immediate Provincial Past President Barbara Dowding to her position as Resolutions Chairperson on the National level.

The National March for Life, May 14th 2009 will mark 40 years since former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau’s omnibus bill decriminalizing abortion in Canada. Let’s be part of this and help defend the unborn.  See if you can get your parish involved in a march to coincide with this date.

On July 1st the governor general of Canada named Dr. Henry Morgentaler to the Order of Canada. A letter was sent to R. Honorable Michaelle Jean expressing the League’s disappointment and distress in the mater and that they revoke the decision.  We must continue to write our letters to our MPs.  We have to protect the unborn!Bill C-484, (an act to amend the Criminal Code (injuring or causing the death of an unborn child while committing and offence), passed 2nd reading in the House of Commons and was sent to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights.  We have been asked to send individual letters to all committee members urging them to have full hearings on Bill C-484.  A list of committee members may be obtained from the government website.

Bill C-562, (An Act to Amend the Criminal Code (right to die with dignity) was introduced by Francine Lalonde and received first reading on June 12th 2008.  The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition (EPC) warns that the reintroduction of such a bill threatens the lives of people with disabilities and other vulnerable Canadians. There will be a National Euthanasia symposium on October 24-25, 2008 at the Victoria Inn Hotel in Winnipeg.

I would like to leave you with a story written by Bernie Shehan: (read Bible passage Job 12; 1-12)

We live in a culture that reveres its youth and ignores its elders.  Nearly every other culture does the opposite and is the richer for it.  We are the poorer for having put our grandparents in retirement villages, far away from grandchildren who don’t know the wisdom they are missing by not having Grandpa and Grandma around.

The things we can learn from our elders are limitless. They were born in a time that was very different from our own, and their perspective on life can be of great value as we struggle with our daily lives in this fast paced, unsettling era.  Imagine for a moment: A person born at the end of the last century would have lived through the First World War, the Great Depression, yet another world war, and the suburbanization of our country.  A telephone would have been a rare thing in the home of their childhood; now their grandchildren can have phones in their cars, their purses and their pockets.

Life has changed at a speed never seen before in human history. More than ever, we need the sagacity of those who lived in a slower time.

Are the elders all gone from your life?  Look around – people who have lived rich, full lives are sitting near you in a pew, at the train station, in a nursing home.  Ask them questions.  Listen; really listen, to their answers.  Let them teach you with their stories.

Prayer for Priests

Keep them, I pray Thee, dearest Lord, keep them, for they are Thine
Thy priests whose lives burn out before Thy consecrated shrine.

Keep them as spotless as the Host, that daily they caress; their Host,
That daily they caress; their every thought and word and deed, Deign,
Dearest Lord, to Bless.  Amen.

Peace be to you family and friends.

Here we are about to celebrate Labour day, which signals the end of summer and the beginning of the beautiful season of Fall or Autumn as I know it. As children prepare to go back to school we too plan and prepare for our CWL meetings. I hope you were able to attend a convention and are feeling refreshed, re-energized and full of enthusiasm.

Welcome to second term Legislation Chairpersons from Kamloops, Prince George and Vancouver, and like myself, first term chairperson from Victoria. I notice several familiar names and look forward to receiving your communiques updating me on legislation news in your diocese.  Have you thought of sharing with the other diocesan chairpersons?   If I can be of any assistance at all please contact me.

Legislation – social justice in action.

In the executive handbook the guidelines given under this standing committee are:

• to monitor and study legislation (laws made) at all levels of government.
• the preparation of briefs and position papers on proposed legislation

How do we do this?

By monitoring both current and past resolutions when they become bills and are presented to Federal Parliament through reading the newspapers and accessing both the Federal Parliament web site and also the Legislative Assembly at  and by following Hansard at which is where the official record of motions debated and passed since 1972 in BC are listed. You can also find out what MLA’s said and how they voted.

Do you know who your Federal/Provincial Members of Parliament are?  Contact them requesting to be put on their mailing list, keeps you informed and updated.While anxiously waiting to hear the fate of Bill C-484 An Act to Amend the criminal Code of Canada (injuring or causing the death of an unborn child while committing an offence) encourage writing letters to Justice and Human Rights Standing Committee members asking them to support this bill.

Mary Nordic, outgoing legislation chair in her last communique mentions that there are currently 40 government bills and 354 private members’ bills before the House of Commons, not to mention bills before the Senate.  Reading is obviously an important factor of this committee.

Dates to note:  the House of Commons resumes on September 16th, the Senate on September 15th and BC Legislature on October 6th.

Resolutions news – five in all were adopted at the 88th national convention in Winnipeg and are posted on the national web site and will be published in the Fall issue of the League magazine, review them and follow the suggested action plans. Under the heading of  legislation standing committee is -
2008.05 Transportation Tax Credits for Rural Post-Secondary Students falls under the Legislation heading.   Education is an important element, especially in our society of today. In reading the brief it made me aware that many of us in towns and cities are not faced with this problem.

2008.01 – Preventing Human Trafficking at the 2010 Olympics was from BC & Yukon Province.   Follow the action plan even more so in regard to this resolution with the approaching Olympics being held on our doorstep.

Exciting news – Barb Dowding our past Provincial President was elected to National Council as resolutions chairperson which means we will have two voices from our Province on the National level. Congratulations Barb!

Judy Lewis from Prince Edward Island is the new national legislation chairperson.  I look forward to receiving her communique in the near future.

As a League member concerned about social justice, has your voice been heard?  We can make our voices heard, loud and clear by stepping forward ‘in faith and action’.

May Our Lady of Good Counsel bless and guide us as we continue our work for God and Canada.

Greetings,
Thought I’d send a ‘mini’ to share the good news in case you missed it!

In communique #9 you may recall that at the request of the Secretary of State, Hon Jason Kenny, League members were asked to write letters to MLA’s in support of Bill C-484 An Act To Amend The Criminal Code injuring or causing the death of an unborn child while committing an offence, a private members’ bill sponsored by MP Ken Epp.

Well the good news is that in an update from United Mothers, Fathers & Friends just received states the bill passed the 2nd reading by a narrow margin on March 5th therefore is still alive! Now the bill moves on to Justice Minister and Human rights Committee and finally if the bill returns to the house it will face 3rd and final reading which hopefully will happen before summer recess. Please continue to pray for the success of this important bill.

A few questions have arisen in relations to new guidelines for resolutions and hopefully they’ve all been ‘ironed out’. Remember to make sure your diocesan resolutions committee has an up to date check list. Any questions please get in touch with me.

May your be filled with the joy of Easter.

Your League Sister,

Sheila

Greetings and Happy New Year,

The start of a new year brings with it a time for making resolutions which off times are never fulfilled however we can make our resolutions a reality by careful planning, preparation and following the guidelines.

I am forwarding recent attachments received from National for the National Manual of Policy and Procedure as well as an excellent report on resolutions talks with the government which will be in the next issue of the Canadian League should you be unable to open it.

1. Checklist for Reviewing Proposed Resolutions (replace pages 5 & 6)
2. Resolution Section (replace pages 17 – 19b)
3. Parliament Hill Revisited (keep scrolling down till it appears)

While the pages may at first glance look similar it is important to note the additions/changes in order to follow the correct procedure for resolutions to be acceptable at all levels. .

The next three articles are taken from Betty Anne Brown, National Resolutions Chairperson’s December communique.

Parenthetical Referencing – What is it?
In a brief, this is the easiest way to identify the source of statistics, direct quotes and ideas. Immediately after they are quoted or referred to, the name of the source is put in brackets e.g. (Tremper), then another item of back up, perhaps another source might have been quoted e.g. (Zummach). If Zummach is quoted again, immediately afterwards, the brief would have been (Ibid), meaning the same source. Then at the end of the brief, those sources are listed alphabetically according to the author. It would be printed:

References
Tremper… identify the names of collaboration, the name of the article, where it appeared
Date
Zummach …

An effect of a Resolution
In an effect to be authentic, after the acceptance of Resolution 2007.02 Global Accountability for Canadian Registered Mining Companies, the national executive voted to divest the League of all investments in mining companies with overseas operations in developing countries.

How are Things Connected?
Prior to the national convention in August 2007, the federal government contacted the League inviting its input on their planned pre-budgetary consultation across Canada. During the convention, National Chairperson of Legislation, Mary Nordick and Resolutions Chairperson, Betty Anne, seized the opportunity to review all past resolutions in this fiscal light. A brief was produced which was forwarded to the government committee by the deadline. National president Lorette Noble appeared before the pre-budget consultation in December when it was held in Montreal. Yes, our voices are being heard through resolutions, it is important that we continue to follow the action plan for resolutions still requiring action.

Good news!

Bill C-2 An Act to amend the Criminal code (also known as Tackling Violent Crime bill) includes Age of Consent passed the House of Commons on November 28. This bill is currently before the Senate having passed the second reading on December 12 and has now been referred to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee. If passed by the senate, C-2 will raise the age of consent from 14 to 16.

Bill C-484 An Act to amend the Criminal Code injuring or causing the death of an unborn child while committing an offence) is a private members bill sponsored by MP Ken Epp. It was moved by him that the bill be read a second time (anticipated date Feb 29th) and the expected vote date on whether it is referred to Justice committee or dies, is March 5th. During the League delegation visit to Parliament Hill, Secretary of State, the Hon. Jason Kenny requested the support of League members in sponsoring this bill as he feels it is pro-life as well as pro-choice as the mother has chosen to give birth to her child. Please encourage members to write to their MP’s to vote in favour of this bill now.

Titles only of proposed resolutions from your diocese should reach me by the new date of February 4th and as previously mentioned councils can still be working on resolutions up till your cut off date, Please emphasis that the rules and criteria for resolutions must be adhered to in order to eliminate any misunderstandings and avoid hurt feelings should a resolution be rejected.
Offer your assistance and invite a Life Member in your diocese to assist.

Goals
Will I reach mine of at least one resolution from every diocese? With your help and encouragement to parish councils in your diocese it can happen!

Hoping that you have received a good response to the annual reports and I look forward to receiving yours by February 15, in order for me to compile mine for March national deadline.

May 2008 bring peace, joy and hope and may Our Lady of Good Counsel guide and bless us each and every day.

Your League Sister,
Sheila Q….