This time last year our council did not have a President-Elect so for the first time an election for President had to be held.  Here I am, the new president happy to report we have a full slate of officers.

To date, through marketing the League and creating enthusiasm we have reached over 9,000 members and continue to grow.  In order to celebrate parish council successes in building membership we brought back the practice of presenting a special certificate, which this year was awarded to a parish council that attained 50 new members, doubling their membership!

Another goal set was to take ownership of the teaching role at the Provincial level as education is paramount. A workshop encompassing the different facets of Communications was presented in each diocese. But most importantly we have now taken our comprehensive Leadership Development & Public Speaking Workshop around the Province providing an opportunity for members to gain the knowledge and confidence to ‘step forward’ and accept an executive position.

Making inroads into the public sector and making our voices heard on current issues is critical, especially now in BC with the Winter Olympics approaching in 2010. While the Catholic Women’s League has always worked well with the Knights of Columbus, we are now enjoying a truly collaborative relationship and shared objectives such as human trafficking.   Together we have undertaken a huge letter writing campaign and brought our concerns regarding brothels at the Olympics to the attention of Mayer Sam Sullivan of Vancouver.  Just imagine the impact if all Catholic men and women across Canada joined forces to support family values and the protection of the most vulnerable.

The burning interest members have in these issues were apparent by the 10 resolutions received this year.  In March, the provincial delegation met with both Liberal and NDP caucus members to present and discuss our resolutions.  The positive reception received, the interest in our concerns about trafficking, etc and the comment that our visits are like ‘their consciousness’ made for a successful meeting.

“A Journey of Memories” a mammoth project preserving the testimony and resourcefulness of our Life Members and their journey in book form was undertaken, successfully completed and published thanks to Life Member, Thelma Varcoe.   Life Members are hoping to establish a “Cultural Award” that will recognize and celebrate Catholic artists and authors.

For everyone who is familiar with the work carried out by Domestic Abuse Services-Our Lady of Good Counsel Society in Vancouver, I am pleased to announce that they have purchased a safe house to be used as secondary housing for women fleeing domestic violence.

I continue to be astounded at the work and successes in our dioceses – from the smallest and most remote to the bustling metropolitan councils, the CWL manages to ‘get the work done’.  The challenges are clear but I believe if we keep our members informed, encouraged and educated we will reap the rewards.  My goal is to build and fine tune the programs already in place, to meet local needs and to care in a special way for our existing members.

Under the protection of Our Lady of Good Counsel we continue to work for God and Canada.  May God bless all our endeavours.

TEAM: Teach Evangelize Animate Motivate

An all day workshop for CWL League members who want to polish their skills, learn to communicate effectively, express themselves confidently and use their talents in positions of leadership.

Members will receive practical tips on many aspects of leadership within the CWL, from how to prepare and run a successful meeting to writing a short speech. While this is open to any CWL member, the focus will be on the mechanics of leadership particularly geared for members who wish to let their names stand for office now or in the future.

February 16: Kamloops and Nanaimo
February 23: Vancouver and Victoria

Please contact your Diocesan President for upcoming dates in your area.

Greetings and Happy New year to everyone. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas, a white Christmas for many this year, very different from the warm sunny days in Australia.

Provincial Development Fund

Fund #1 – Applications for subsidy to travel to the Provincial Convention in Williams Lake are now being accepted.
Assistance to send Delegates to the Provincial Convention will cover 2/3 maximum of the bus fare to the Convention site. The actual total amount of the grant available will be determined by the funds available this year. Other expenses such as hotel, meals and registration are the responsibility of the individual, the Parish or the Diocese.

Fund #2 – Diocesan Presidents are reminded that $1,000 is available for assistance to attend a National Convention if their Diocese cannot afford to send them. This grant is available once during a Diocesan President’s two year term.

Applications for both subsidies must be received by March 15th. Please send the completed forms to the Provincial Organization Chairperson, address below.

National Development Fund

All levels are encouraged to take advantage of the National funds available for education and training. Please remind parishes that they too can apply. Forms and information are available on the CWL website.

Recruitment & Membership

A new year and membership drives should be well underway. We came very close to reaching our goal of 10,000 members last year – more than last year but still falling short by approximately 900 members. A good try and maybe next year we can make it happen. Did any of the parish councils try something different this year that worked well for them?

Annual Report Forms

Reports from parish council organization chairpersons should all be in by now. In the event some are lacking try to follow up to see if you can assist them in some way. This is a great opportunity to see what is happening in some of the smaller councils, especially the ones that may be struggling.

Reminder: Diocesan annual reports due February 15th to Provincial
Provincial annual reports due March 15th to National

Provincial Development Workshop – “Leadership & Public Speaking”

The workshop is intended to help members, active in their councils, but feel they lack the necessary skills or confidence to take on a leadership role.

It is very important that we as Catholic women and as Canadian women, learn to communicate. We may be intelligent, we may be experienced in many fields, but if we cannot express our thoughts clearly, if we cannot pass our ideas on to others, our talents are wasted. This workshop will give a good working knowledge of the League and teach the skills to stand before a group to express ideas clearly, simply and effectively.

The Provincial Council is prepared to travel to each Diocese and extend an invitation to present a Development Day in their area. To date three dioceses have accepted our invitation and we look forward to hearing from the others.

Service Pins, Awards & Certificates

Councils should encourage their members to wear their League pin to all CWL events, particularly their monthly meeting. They might even consider having a supply of the League Insignia Pin on hand so that they may be purchased by members or, if councils choose, for presentation to new members. The League pin should be worn on the left side as a symbol of service “For God and Canada”.

As stated in the National P&P, “Councils are encouraged to make the presentation of all League pins and awards a special occasion”. There is something very special in being recognized for your contribution to the League and your council in particular.
If you have several pins to choose from, wear the one you select with great pride.

Bellelle Guerin Award

Information on the Bellelle Guerin Award has been sent to all Presidents by National Chairperson of Organization, Danielle McNeil-Hessian. Briefly, the award which was announced at the annual national convention in August is to be given to “an exemplary member of the League, who served at more than one level and does not and will not meet the qualifications for life membership. She can be nominated by her parish, diocesan and/or provincial council. The pin is a pewter stylized Madonna with the League crest overlaid. Nomination form for the Bellelle Guerin Award is available on the National website.

• Life Membership is presented to members who have been nominated by a diocesan and/or provincial council and who meet the established criteria.
• The Maple Leaf Service Pin is available for presentation to members who have served the League in an exceptional or meritorious manner. The member nominated for this award is not required to serve on more than one level of the League.
• Certificate of Merit in recognition to anyone, League member or not, Catholic or non-Catholic, male or female, who has aided the work of the council generally or with a specific project for faithful and exceptional service.

The full criteria for each award listed is outlined in the National Manual of Policy & Procedure, see page 19 and page A3-6.

May Our Lady of Good Counsel bless all your endeavours.

Your Sister in the League,

Marianna

Dear League Sisters and Father Terry:

Attached you will find reports for every parish council position and standing committee. The parish president’s report is to include what the parish president has done as president. The other reports will include all the works of the council broken down by position or standing committee.

It would be appreciated if parish councils would depose of any report forms used in previous years and reply using the enclosed forms for your report. They have been amended and reformatted. Please note that the date reports are due has been changed to December 15th.

As you are aware it is very important to report all your council’s successes to the next levels of the League for their reports as they eventually make their way to government to let them know of our good work. We would be interested in hearing your comments on this updated process so we can continue to improve.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.

God Bless all of you as we work together for God and Canada.

Marianna C…..

Suggested Process:
September: Copy the forms for each position & standing committee to have ready for your October meeting. Two copies per position should be adequate. One copy as a working copy and one for a good copy. Parish President to call a meeting of your executive including your standing committee chairpersons and co-chairs to be held in October. Ask everyone to bring their Constitution & Bylaws (C & B) and have a copy of the Executive Handbook available to review.

October: Start the meeting with a prayer asking Our Lady of Good Counsel to guide you as you complete your Annual Reports. Have each chairperson read their respective roles as noted in the C & B to refresh everyone on the responsibilities in each standing committee. Have the Secretary read the highlights from your parish council’s meeting minutes of everything your council accomplished from Jan. 1, 2007 to the current date. As the secretary is reading each person is asked to write down what applies to their respective standing committee. Keep in mind an item or action may fall under more than one Standing Committee and it is fine to include an item under more than one standing committee. Use the Parish Activities report form to list all the parish based social gatherings and functions such as Funeral Receptions, First Communion etc., your council organized on behalf of your parish family. List ALL the accomplishments and success stories of your council.

November: Update reports with any outstanding items. Type your report using the bullet format similar to a grocery list. Make sure your council name, contact name, address, telephone #, email address and position / standing committee are at the top of the page in the same manner as shown. Attach your completed report sheet to the report form sent to you from your Diocesan Council. Three copies are required of each report. One copy for the diocesan counterpart, one for the parish president, and one for their respective files. All reports must be mailed to the diocesan counterparts by December 15, 2007.
December: Parish President – from all the reports received from your parish council standing committee chairpersons, compile the information on the Parish Council Report Form to be given to your Diocesan Organization Standing Committee Chair to be used for your Diocesan convention book.

Congratulations!!! Your council has completed your annual reports prior to the deadline. As well, it is complete before a new parish president and executive assume their new roles in January in an election year. These reports are a wonderful history of your council and should be kept in your Archives.

I am delighted to speak to you for a few minutes about the Organization Standing Committee. As you know, it is one of those committees with a bad rap so to speak. No one wants to do it, possibly because it often has strings to the presidency attached, or because it deals with leadership development and most of think we aren’t qualified.

What a state of affairs! For today, let’s take a little look and you can tell me what’s to be afraid of.

Each and every one of us is concerned about membership. Just look at the results of the focus group workshops. Sure enough, attracting and maintaining a solid membership base is a huge issue. But it’s not insurmountable! We also heard of many ways to interest women in what we have to offer – from the tried and true to some new ideas. Check out my report in the convention book. I don’t think it’s the ideas that are lacking, but rather enthusiasm. Only when we are truly convinced that the Catholic Women’s League of Canada is the best organization to belong to, will we be successful. Remember the early Church? Having just about completed another Easter season, we cannot help but be touched by the passion and energy of those first disciples. I wonder sometimes if we aren’t too cautious and careful in trying to keep all the good things about our League to ourselves. Unlike the early church where people couldn’t wait to share everything, we might find ourselves more comfortable doing things the way we’ve always done them and then complaining about the poor results. Hoarding the Good News never was an option!

Membership in the CWL is a privilege that carries responsibilities. We are the Catholic Church to the outside world – what do we look like? What do we sound like? If you believe that every Catholic woman should belong to the CWL, we better get busy. How about we start with 10,000? By this time next year, we could achieve this goal – but it starts with each one of us, one at a time beginning with ourselves. Look in the mirror and ask – do I strive to live out our mission statement? Do I know the objects of our League? Am I educated enough about our great organization to sell it to my friends?

You see, we are all involved in membership – so what’s so hard about Organization anyway?

Leadership Development is a priority for most members. They want more workshops and education – at least that’s what I heard loud and clear during the recent workshops. My question is then, why are those development days and training sessions so poorly attended?

Perhaps we want to have our cake and eat it too. As Catholic women we owe it, not only to ourselves, but to our families and our Church to be the best we can be. We all lead in one way or another. It is our role; it is what we are expected to do.

As attested by history past and present, women possess a singular capacity to persevere in adversity, to keep life going in extreme situations, to hold tenaciously to the future and finally to remember with tears the value of every human life.

We all know women like this. Are you one? Of course you, we, are!

Just look around today and see Jackie L………, Margaret B…… and Ann D…., to name only a few. What a journey their faith has, and is, taking them on. See how they love one another and how they lead others by example and with joy. They truly walk humbly with our God.

Yes, there are many parts to this Standing Committee, none of which is particularly scary. I think if more of us were truly inspired to the kind of holiness that comes from the real meaning of service we wouldn’t have to search for or recruit more members. Women would want to be part of what we do and who we are.

Look at your gifts, like the saints who were able to see beyond what human eyes could see, and trust that God has given each of us exactly what we need to do His will here and now. Come on, don’t be afraid, say “Here I am Lord, use me!”

Barb D………

• There were eleven priests at this meeting. One from Victoria, one from Prince George, one from Nelson, one from Kamloops, and the remaining from the Vancouver Archdiocese.
• It is highly recommended that the CWL have an insert in the collection boxes in each parish. The inserted envelope allows members to keep up their dues, and informs (on an yearly basis) other women in the parish of the existence of the CWL. Some pastors might question why this insert should be given to all the parishioners when it only serves 40-90 women. The CWL has experienced this insert to be very valuable to keep membership alive with those women unable at this time to attend meetings.
• There is a need for a solid membership convener in each council. Pastors have a role in recruiting, but the primary role is with the ladies themselves.
• Afternoon or evening meetings? Some councils alternate meeting time to facilitate older and younger members.
• CWL is encouraged to send zealous ladies to other councils in order to encourage membership. One priest shared how he got two councils started this way and both continue to be active in their parishes at this time.
• Need to publish CWL materials in foreign languages, especially in oriental languages for Vancouver.
• The CWL by-law does not allow priests (or men) to join! Sorry guys!
• One priest from India spoke very highly of the CWL calling them the nerve centre of the parish.
• There was a lengthy discussion on priests attendance or non-attendance at the CWL conventions. Some priests feel that the attendance should be better while others realize that there are so many things that priests are called to do. What does the CWL as of your priests in regard to attendance at conventions? One thing priests can do, especially the priest called to a leadership role, i.e., spiritual advisor, is to promote the CWL at priest gatherings.
• Pastors see the need for CWL members to resolve their own conflicts and not to ask your priests to act as referees.
• The priest and CWL executive need to have a strong balance of leadership, i.e., each needs to reflect on their role.

A big thank you was extended to the CWL for the wonderful lunch provided for us at the Executive Hotel!

The eleven priests invited the waitress to join the CWL and she said, “Yes”! We are not too sure if she was after a bigger tip!

Submitted by
Fr. Terry Brock,
Spiritual Advisor, BC/Yukon