Dear sisters in the League & Father Terry,

Happy New Year to you all! I hope that all of you enjoyed a great Christmas with family and friends and experiencing the true richness of the holiday season. Ours was quieter than usual, just our immediate family and although I truly enjoy a real Italian Christmas, this one was very special in another way. Hopefully you are all enthused and raring to go with our work in the League.

Nominations and elections
Whether or not your president has gifted you with the chair of nominations and elections, it would be a great idea if you have the opportunity to review the Nominations and Elections procedure in the C and B as well as the National Manual of Policy and Procedure. I know that each diocese varies in their approach to nominations/elections but I do feel as there are new people in our councils, it would do us well to review this procedure each year.

You will find this information in the C and B 2000 edition, p.29, Article XV, Sections 1,3,4 and 5.This information is elaborated on even farther in the National Manual of Policy and Procedure, Article XV Page 61. These two resources tell you all you need to know about this important procedure.

I would like to add to these criteria by putting my own 2 cents worth in the mix. Please, please, please do not attempt to fill all positions just to complete your executive. We have seen time after time that it usually does not work out.

The members we are looking for to fill executive positions are spiritual, enthusiastic women who love the League and are willing to work and learn more and more about our organization. It is almost imperative that they have a good basic broad knowledge of the League. Yes, it is; “learn on the job” but a basic knowledge is a necessity. It is imperative that we discern whether or not she has the time to devote to this position. God usually calls us at a time in our lives when we do have time to devote to the job. The next criteria to me is an enthusiastic happy person. We will only draw more members to our organization if we show enjoyment and joy in the work we are doing. The last criteria is that the nominee has to take the position for the right reason: that is, the betterment and advancement of the League, not for her own personal gain. Yes, we all enjoy the perks of attending convention and having the costs covered but this is simply not enough. We must be in the League for God and Canada.

So in Summary:

• The individual must have a desire to deepen her spirituality and that of her League sisters
• Discern prayerfully about the nominees and the positions they are standing for
• Good basic knowledge of the League
• Time availability
• Enthusiasm and joyfulness
• Motivation

I think we have seen it happen over and over again. If we do not fill a position and pray for that deed, God will make it happy and inspire someone to come forth. We should encourage the members who do possess these qualifications to let their names stand.

I would like to emphasize also that if a member has a position on another level of the League, i.e. if a member is the diocesan treasurer, then she should not run for office on another level. I believe the only exception is past president. Past presidents at any level are eligible to run during those two years for the next level.

The second point I would like to emphasize is that it is our duty to share our experience regarding a candidate with our council in the nomination process. It is not mean or unkind if this is a negative aspect as we are trying to accomplish the very best slate that is possible. We are bound to find the very best candidate for the job. I believe that 4 diocesan councils will have elections this year and I know you all join me in offering prayerful support for this process in these dioceses.

Policy and Procedure Manuals
In most dioceses, it falls to the past president who updates the policy manual. I believe all six dioceses have them but if you don’t, perhaps you could create some interest in compiling one. This resource is a work in progress and should be changed as we go along. It presents the rules of the game and is an invaluable resource for all members of the League. In diocesan councils it is particularly helpful as it states the method that we do things. At convention and general meeting times, it spells out the procedures that we only do maybe once a year and that we don’t immediately have at our fingertips. Please keep this right up to date.

WUCWO
Our own Agnes Bedard attended her first WUCWO board meeting as our North American Vice President in Rome last November. I have written a piece for our provincial newsletter reporting a little about that. Our President General, Karen Hurley, met the Holy Father and her emotional description of this thrill of a lifetime experience is included in that article. Please use their website as well . I am sure that you will find many interesting things. Agnes is in the Holy Land at this point in time; she will be returning very soon and we will have some more exciting news to share. Please keep Agnes in your prayers, she is grieving the loss of her sister just before Christmas and she needs our support.

I know you are affirming and supporting your president in whatever she is working on and that you are at the ready to be there for her whenever she needs you.

I am really looking forward to receiving your annual reports and hearing about what you are all involved in. Please be sure of my prayerful support in your work in our League.
Much love…

Pat

Dear Sisters in the League and Father Terry,

I think it is safe to say that fall has indeed rushed in with a great flourish. Our province seems to under siege with raging overflowing rivers and lakes and rain, rain, rain. It seems really strange that everyone was talking about droughts during the summer isn’t it? This is really a busy busy season in our League’s calendar, parish activities so I wish you all good membership drives and successful bazaars.

I am going to give you a little quote from Margaret Ann J….. from the Toronto Archdiocesan Newsletter, which Sheila Q…. has kindly shared with me. Margaret Ann states:

One of the greatest gifts we give women in our parishes is the Gift of the League by inviting them to become members. One of the greatest Gifts we can give the League is the Gift of a new member.

Isn’t that really a nice quote especially in this time when we are both thinking of gift giving and membership drives. We must show great joy in our promotion of the League, and make it an infectious invitation so that women just can’t wait to see what we do that makes us so fulfilled and productive. So lots of prayers as you all undertake this task.

Just a reminder in our efforts to be really good past presidents is not only the execution of our duties as described in the League literature but also to thoroughly endorse and support our new presidents at whatever level we may be. Give her the affirmation and your confidence in her endeavors and thoroughly encourage her in whatever she is undertaking. This is the most important aspect of our roles. I know that you will all do so. Remember KINDNESS to all we meet as we seek to see the Face of Christ in everyone.

The Constitution and Bylaws
Now is the time of the year to be starting to think of elections. If your president has asked you to chair the nominating committee, then you can really get a head start on the proceedings. One of our tasks is to teach our members about our C & B.

Article XV “Eligibility, Nominations and Elections” on Page 29 is the place to be. Our members have to be educated as to this very important function of our League. Please ask your president for time on her agenda to go over this part of our constitution. . It applies to every level of the League from parish right up to the national level and every member should know these facts in and out. I find that many people are still asking how you run for National office, who is eligible and also emphatically stating that they have Honorary Life Members in their councils. This section of our constitution states very clearly all that you ever want to know about elections. The important thing for you to stress is the critical nature of informed voting. It is so important that we know the reputation and performance level of their past work in the League of the candidates. If we do not know then it is important that we find out from someone who does know. Nominees for political office are certainly not slow or backward about extolling their virtues and yet to me our work is just as important and certainly has some lasting implications in the hereafter. So find out about your potential leaders before you vote for someone just because you have heard their names.

Plan your nominations procedures. Ask your secretary for her updated list of the members who are eligible. We are familiar with the way that your parish/diocese has always done things, but perhaps trying another approach might be more fruitful. Confer with your president to see how you mutually can decide the best course of action. A further great resource to the nominations and elections process is the National Policy and Procedure, which gives great guidance on Page 61 of the revised edition. Check it out it really gives us all of the details.

Archives
In my last communique, I suggested that I would give you some information on archives. Past National President, Lucille Cullen has some excellent content re archives. You can find her complete document on the national web page under programs and it is the very last entry. If you have access to a computer, please check it out but I will highlight just a few items: “Archives should be kept in a locked filing cabinet on church property or in a secure facility at the diocesan archive location.”

Parish Archives should include:

• Original Charter
• Minutes of executive/general meeting minutes should be kept in a binder and dated
• The recording secretary should retain copies of the minutes from the previous two terms only, all other minutes should be transferred to the archives in marked and dated binders.
• All accounting records including cheques and receipts should be kept for five years.
• A separate binder should be kept with important information related to the life of the parish council
• List of parish presidents and spiritual advisors with their addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses as well as their years of service.
• List of recipients of Maple Leaf Service pins/League pins with names and dates of presentations, a record of anniversary dates of all members.
• Additional items for archives:
• Written histories.
• Scrapbooks and/or albums labeled by date and event.
• Annual Reports
• Special project file with financial statements.
• Samples of newsletters if applicable.
• Each past president should be encouraged to write a 2-3 page story with highlights of her term as president

This gives you a good starting list of items what should be retained in your archives.

Thank you Mary L……. for your past presidents communiques. I encourage all of you to share your communiques by communicating with each other. We can make our role as past president much better with these other ideas. Please exchange your communiques with all diocesan past presidents and I personally would love to read what you are doing. Mary sent as an attachment an excellent printout from Mary Jane S….., Christ the King Parish Council in Courtney B.C.

This is titled:

“Archives, Taking Care. General Information From a practical Viewpoint.”

This is excellent information so please access your copy from Mary’s last communique.

WUCWO News
Barb, our provincial president has given me the privilege of being he WUCWO representative on the provincial council. I am not sure if each of the diocesan presidents have carried on with the same appointment, but from time to time, I will be reporting on the WUCWO scene. I just talked to Barb who returned yesterday from the national mid term meeting in Winnipeg and she reports that Agnes Bedard was present for only Friday night of the meeting then Saturday morning was off to Rome for the WUCWO executive meeting. As you may or may nor know, Agnes was elected North American Vice President of WUCWO at the General Assembly in Arlington Virginia in June. We are so proud of this appointment and know that we will now be receiving first hand information regarding the World Union Of Catholic Women’s Organizations. I very much want to share the wonderful privilege that we as League members enjoy as being part of this organization with women from Catholic organizations from 55 countries sharing our concerns and professing joy in our faith. The WUCWO Assembly last June accepted two Catholic Women’s League of Canada resolutions: Trafficking of Women and Children and the Ratification of the International Covenant on the Death Penalty. They both passed at the Assembly. I know once you get into reading more about WUCWO you will enjoy their news. are all members by virtue of our membership in the National Catholic Women’s League so let’s embrace their work and learn all we can about them.

I encourage you to subscribe to their magazine: “Women’s Voice”. The subscription rate is $15.00 U.S. for a minimum of three issues. You will find the form and the address of the treasurer on the WUCWO web site. www.wucwo.org

Please pray for Agnes and the other Board members of WUCWO who are at this moment meeting in Rome. I know we will have a lot more news to pass on when Agnes returns and I will get it off to you A.S.A.P. The North American Assembly will be held in Winnipeg in 2008 concurrent with the national convention so please plan to go to the national a little earlier and catch some of WUCWO’s sessions. More news on that later as well.

This will be my last communique to you in 2006. It has been a big big year and my prayer for you and your families is wonderful family get togethers, beautiful joyous Christmas liturgies, lots of yummies and a blessed Christmas.

With love and prayers,

Pat