86th
Annual National Convention
Halifax, Nova Scotia
August 13-16, 2006
86th Annual National Convention
Report of National President Agnes Bedard
Report of National Spiritual Advisor Most. Rev. Richard Smith
Report of National Secretary-Treasurer Shirley Bernier
Report of Executive Director Kim Scammell
Report of National Spiritual Development Chairperson Betty Anne Brown
Report of National Organization Chairperson Lorette Noble
Report of National Christian Family Life Chairperson Cecile Miller
Report of National Community Life Chairperson Ann Doucet
Report of National Education and Health Chairperson Velma Harasen
Report of National Communications Chairperson Lucille Partington
Report of National Resolutions Chairperson Dr. Rayleen De Luca
Report of National Legislation Chairperson Danielle McNeil-Hessian
Report of National Laws Chairperson Marie Cameron
Report of International Relations Chairperson Agnes Bedard
Report of Alberta Mackenzie Provincial President Ella Ell
Report of B.C. & Yukon Provincial President Barb Dowding
Report of Manitoba Provincial President Terri Scott
Report of Military Ordinariate Provincial President Lise Medford
Report of New Brunswick Provincial President Anne-Marie Gorman
Report of Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial President Marie Raymond
Report of Nova Scotia Provincial President Shirley MacDougall
Report of Ontario Provincial President Shirley George
Report of Prince Edward Island Provincial President Mary Hagen
Report of Quebec Provincial President Pearl Bridgwater
Report of Saskatchewan Provincial President Joan Petracek
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Report of National President Agnes Bedard
Being national president of The Catholic Women's League of Canada is the best job in the whole world! I have been asked a lot about the hats. I invite you to wear your hat and share the story behind it. This hat was my dad's – this is the first time I've worn something of his – and he always wore a hat. He didn't often give voice to his thoughts or feelings, but I think that he wore a hat to cover the scar left after a surgery for a brain tumour. It never occurred to me that he might be self-conscious, but I realize now that he likely was and that's why he constantly wore a hat. Share your story with others. We are sisters in the League and sisters love to share.
I attended the Alberta Mackenzie provincial convention in Whitehorse. Members who travelled three days by bus to get to that convention clearly love the League! National presidents travel a lot – mostly we fly and occasionally we drive short distances. I'd like to share the story of my journey over the past months.
In February, I flew to Ottawa to attend the Foreign Affairs Canada Non-Governmental Organizations Human Rights Consultations along with National President-elect Lorette Noble, National Chairperson of Community Life Ann Doucet and life members Anida Simurda and Diane Curley. We heard stories of our companions who live the reality of human rights abuses. Foreign affairs workers spoke of poverty, of people without access to water, health care, education or shelter, of people living with AIDS, especially grandmothers looking after their grandchildren, and of the horrors of war. We heard the stories of the voiceless – those who live in constant fear. When we hear of people living without such basic human rights, we are nudged to discern what we can do to help. We must not forget and we must not do nothing.
My next trip took me to visit St. Margaret Mary Parish Council in Hamilton, Ontario, where I awarded a certificate to the council for having the largest increase in membership over the prior year.
I attended a youth ministers conference, where I networked with people from NET Canada, different religious orders, male and female, the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace and university groups.
After a brief visit at home with my husband, I flew to Winnipeg to participate in Manitoba Provincial Council's Annual Day of Celebration, attend a Military Ordinariate parish council meeting, attend a 2008 national convention planning committee meeting, work a day in the shipping department at national office, and then chair the winter meeting of the national executive.
After returning home I drove to Westlock, north of Edmonton , where I attended a parish council 50th anniversary celebration and facilitated a workshop. From there, it was on to Edmonton, where I attended the Edmonton Archdiocesan Council banquet and found out more about the Bizarre Women and CART (Communication Access Real-Time Translation). I then drove to Saskatchewan for the Saskatoon diocesan convention where I facilitated a workshop and inadvertently returned home without my national president's pin. After a long drive – I only got lost once – I returned home at 1:30 in the morning.
I missed my flight to Toronto by one day – Ontario Provincial President Shirley George patiently waited at the airport for six hours (on the correct day), hoping I would show up. I arrived in Toronto a day after my scheduled workshop at the Peterborough diocesan convention, but I rented a car and hustled to Parry Sound and arrived just in time for the banquet.
From there, I flew to Halifax (after leaving my coat in the Toronto airport), where I met with members from the convention committee, scouted out the area, located the hotel and churches, and attended a potluck supper with the convention committee.
I then went to New Brunswick for the Saint John archdiocesan convention. This time, it was my nightgown that got left behind. I presented a workshop on companions on the journey and was the grateful recipient of loaner pajamas from a member who just happened to have a spare. From there, I travelled to Fredericton, where I enjoyed supper with a parish council. After replacing my broken suitcase, I was off to Ottawa to meet with federal government representatives. After a misadventure at the hotel, National President-elect Lorette Noble, National Legislation Chairperson Danielle McNeil-Hessian, National Resolutions Chairperson Dr. Rayleen De Luca, Executive Director Kim Scammell and I changed hotels and prepared for our meetings. We were delighted to meet with the prime minister, who was an excellent listener, asked good questions, answered some of ours, and showed us – and the League – a lot of respect. We were pleased to meet with representatives from Foreign Affairs Canada, the departments of health and defence, Status of Women and the opposition parties. It was very gratifying when these meetings received excellent coverage by the press. After five days in Ottawa , I returned home to Calgary. Briefly.
I travelled to Dorval – just outside of Montreal – where I attended the Quebec provincial convention. I presented a workshop on companions on the journey and membership. From there, I flew to Washington, DC, to attend the World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations (WUCWO) General Assembly. There, I met sisters from 44 countries. We shared our stories, participated in wonderful Eucharistic celebrations, enjoyed African singers and Korean liturgical dance and heard horrendous stories of abuse, trafficking, poverty and fear and wonderful stories of faith and love.
From there, it was on to Bathurst via Montreal, where my suitcase was dropped from the airplane and was repaired by Air Canada using 600 feet of yellow tape. I was met in Bathurst by a big sign of welcome – I drove through the rain to Dalhousie where I spoke about WUCWO and companions on the journey and had to buy yet another suitcase. My travel home was complicated by fog in Bathurst, so I drove to Moncton and finally was able to arrive home.
After reconnecting with my husband, I flew to Yellowknife where I met lots of wonderful women – how I love my sisters! – and presented a workshop. I arrived in Whitehorse in time to experience the midnight sun. At the Alberta Mackenzie provincial convention, I presented a workshop on WUCWO, while wearing my African dress, and my final workshop on the theme. At the closing mass, the bishop told his parishioners that the CWL is the voice of the Catholic church in Canada.
I returned to Calgary for another brief visit with my husband and then left for Winnipeg without telling him that I was leaving. Oops! He finally called around and learned that I was at the national resolutions committee meeting in Winnipeg. We had a great resolutions committee then I returned home – at long last – to my husband.
So: What did I learn? I learned that God walks with us. The League is truly about his work.
I learned that God does not make clones. He has given us all a different set of talents. No two are the same. One president will not do things the same way as another. God is with us and helps us through changing times and changing needs. The League is dynamic and will continue to change.
I learned that there is a great deal of wisdom out there. It comes in many different packages – some tall, some not so tall, some with blonde hair or brown or white or chemically enhanced. This wisdom has held a membership in the League for 60 years or six years or six months. Listen to the wisdom of others. Celebrate its diversity and encourage it to move to fruition.
I learned that once a resolution is adopted, it remains with us until the situation is resolved. It becomes League policy. When the League delegation goes to Parliament, it addresses sanctity of life, poverty, suicide, euthanasia, stem cell research – all the issues that remain of great importance. At the national resolutions committee meeting, we spoke of the need to keep resolutions active – especially at the parish council level. We must develop a mindset at all levels to keep working on a resolution until the situation is resolved to our satisfaction. We must listen, read, discuss, be informed and then write and act.
I learned that Canada today has a changing face. Cultural diversity is a fact and in the League we see that same diversity. People pray best in their mother tongue and, to make the League more welcoming to those whose first language is not English, we have invited translations of the League prayers. So far, translations have been received in Polish, Dutch, French, Spanish, Chinese and Mandarin and we hope to receive more. If you can provide a translation, please do so. We will keep it on file so that, if requested, a translation can be provided.
Along with the members of the national executive, I attended conferences, wrote workshops, mentored, discussed issues, researched, read, made hard decisions, issued communiqués, wrote magazine articles, prepared oral reports and wrote letters. This was an excellent executive and I invite you to read their annual reports and see the work they have done.
We do what we can because we can. We laugh because laughter is indeed God's gift. We cry because we feel another's pain. We use our talents because we must. We make a difference because we can.
Report of National Spiritual Advisor Bishop Richard Smith
It is a pleasure for me to offer this report to the convention assembled here. The essence of my report is to share with you the conversation that I had with spiritual advisors during our luncheon meeting. I can say without any hesitation that the CWL is loved and held in great regard by the spiritual advisors who accompany you. What became very clear to those gathered – bishops, priests, deacons, religious women – was a desire to understand what more can be done to promote the work of the League. You have a strong base of support among the spiritual advisors. To expand that base of support requires education and information. There was a lot of talk as to the different things that we can do to help share with others the League's work so that it can become known.
Most of the discussion focused on the resolutions process. How do we make real, at every level, the resolutions that are adopted, particularly at the national level? Sometimes we have the impression, rightly or wrongly, that the focus of the resolutions process is to “move it up the ladder” – we adopt it at the parish level, then at diocesan and provincial levels. It's a wonderful thing if it is “moved up the ladder.” But how often does the conversation go beyond that? In other words, if a resolution makes it to the national level and is adopted, how does it get back “down the ladder?” How do we make sure that members are saying, “What are we going to do about this?” We must not pat ourselves on the back because it made it to the national level, but we must ask, “What does this call us to do at the parish level?” That is probably the most important way that the League's work can be made known to other women in the parish. The support and encouragement of the parish priest was highlighted. At the same time, though, it is the putting of resolutions into practice at the parochial level that really does seem to need exploration and development.
I would like to issue an appeal to you – and I am certain that it would be echoed among the bishops in the country. We have been promised that there will be a vote in Parliament this fall as to whether or not the debate on the nature of marriage will be re-opened. The Catholic Organization for Life and Family put it very well: this is a rare second chance. A terrible mistake was made in changing the definition of marriage. We cannot underestimate that. Now we have a rare second chance to address this mistake and get it reversed. Please get in touch your member of parliament. Petitions have a purpose but they only go so far. Write letters. The most effective way is to get on the telephone or knock on doors. When you go back to your council, please spread the word. Ask yourself, “What have I done? What am I doing about this?” Ask one another, “What have you done about this?” At the council level ask, “How can we address this issue?” Please, and again from the bishops, thanks for all that you do on this incredibly important issue.
I mentioned at the beginning of this report that you are very well loved by the spiritual advisors across this land. And I know from everything that I've heard from you that you love the spiritual advisors. I'd like at this time to acknowledge them each individually. [Each spiritual advisor in attendance stood and was acknowledged.]
Thank you to all of you for everything that you do .
Report of National Secretary-Treasurer Shirley Bernier
At its pre-convention meeting, the national executive reviewed the 2005 audited financial statements prepared by Chambers, Fraser & Co. You will find this information and a broad explanation included in your convention booklet. Although per capita fees were not sufficient to cover expenses, investment income rebounded so that the League was able to show a surplus of $28,955.
With the move of national office, a total review of equipment was made and an updated list compiled. The leasehold improvements of the new premises will be amortized over the 10-year lease. As the new premises covers an area that is two-thirds of the previous space, the rent has been reduced from $4,877 to $2,845 per month and some savings should be realized in utility expenses.
During the winter mid-term meeting in Winnipeg, I had the opportunity to meet with the auditors who assured me that our funds are being well administered. As you know, during the last four years I have counseled members to live within their means. So, I also raised my concerns about bringing in a deficit budget. Given our financial position, we are able to do this at present. However, should this practice continue, an increase in per capita fees may be required. Our financial policy states that, “Where the 5-year forecast indicates a drop in investments below 50% of the operating budget, it would be prudent for the finance committee to examine the recourse available through cost cutting and per capita increases.” I would urge the new executive to keep this in mind.
Regarding the Statement of Revenue and Expenditure as of June 30, 2006 :
Revenue
• Per capita fees of $764,384 represent 95,548 memberships received by June 30th. That is a decrease of 4,425 over last year at the same time but indicates 95% of this budget line has been achieved
• Investment income of $36,251 is a little lower than last year. Although interest and dividend income increased, these gains were offset by a reduction in the sale of equities.
• Gross margin on sales is $29,507. While the sale of pins, brochures and cards has shown an increase, there has been a decrease in the sale of specialty products and gift items.
• Registration fees will be known after the convention when the host council forwards them to national office. As the national treasury has assumed more of the national convention costs, the registration fee was raised this year. These fees, however, cover only about one-quarter of convention expenses.
• Magazine subscriptions of $6,760 represent 845 gift subscriptions.
• Life memberships of $1,700 represent the 17 life memberships awarded at the winter executive meeting.
• Miscellaneous of $5,244 includes donations to the national bursary fund and a bequest.
Expenditure
• Convention expenses will be known after the convention but the accumulated prepaid costs so far are $65,900.
• International relations expense of $34,798 includes the cost of WUCWO membership fees, and the expenses of our board member, three delegates and three observers to attend the complete eight-day WUCWO General Assembly in Arlington, Virginia. As this was the first time in over 20 years that the General Assembly was being held in North America (the last being in 1983 when it was held in Antigonish, N.S.), the national executive also voted to cover the meals, accommodations and transportation of interested national executive members and members of the international relations committee to attend the three study days in an effort to better educate our membership about the work of WUCWO and the important role League members can play in this international organization.
• League development totaled $24,324. In an effort to bring the awarding of bursaries in line with the criteria, two awards were made this year in the amounts of $9,225 and $6,800 to a total of 52 members. There were six allocations to councils for workshops, a $2,500 donation to the Canadian Catholic Bioethics Institute to sponsor the keynote speaker at their conference (this amount comes out of a contingency fund), $1,209 to cover expenses of the historian preparing the League history for the past 15 years, and a $5,000 provincial grant awarded to the Nova Scotia Provincial Council.
• Magazine expense of $155,156 covers the design, mailing, postage and printing of two issues. We experienced a high number of returns that resulted in additional charges from Canada Post. Please encourage all members to notify not only national office immediately of any change of address, but also Canada Post. This, together with the change in paper quality, will result in the magazine being over budget this year.
• National executive expense of $42,029 includes $6,460 for League representation at nine conferences, $19,717 for the winter mid-term executive meeting, $4,989 for the five-member delegation to government and $3,386 for the seven-member resolutions committee meeting, and expenses of the president and spiritual advisor, supplies and telephone expenses for the national officers and subscriptions to Catholic newspapers and other publications.
• Office building expense of $27,070 includes janitorial services, amortizing the building costs over the life of the lease, rent and property taxes, repairs and maintenance and utilities.
• Office equipment expense of $14,476 includes amortization, equipment leases and maintenance. The high level of usage on the photocopier/fax/printer will cause the account to be over budget.
• Operating costs of $46,096 include cost of archive supplies, general liability insurance, printing of the revisions to the National Manual of Policy and Procedures at a cost of $16,333, postage that also included the mailing of the proposed amendments to the Constitution & Bylaws, and telecommunications.
• Staff expense of $130,708 should come in on budget.
Several of our budgeted items are already overspent and a deficit is projected this year if we continue in this way.
While national office does not give the organizations supported through national voluntary funds the names and addresses of parish councils, the results of a survey conducted at the end of last year indicate that many councils are now dealing directly with these organizations. This poses the question, do we still need to educate members about these concerns through national voluntary funds or is our job done? If we are to have national voluntary funds, it is better that the money is forwarded to national office. A total of $186,089 was collected from July 1, 2005, to June 30, 2006, for the national voluntary funds: Coady International Institute, Catholic Missions In Canada, Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace, pro-life, MaterCare International and the World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations. This represents an increase of 1.7% over last year. All members are to be congratulated for their generosity.
We would like to publicly acknowledge and thank the late Life Member Thérèse Rehaume Mackey from Quebec for her remembrance of the League in her will. The bequest of $5,000 will be added to the national bursary fund.
Report of Executive Director Kim Scammell
It is a pleasure to report on behalf of national office to the delegates at this 86th annual national convention. National office is responsible for the administration of League affairs at the national level.
National office was challenged to increase its archival records and have undertaken two projects in this regard. The first project was to compile an historical file of each life member. I am pleased to report that this project was completed, although some files are very slim. These files are available on request should you require any information about current life members.
The second project is also complete. We compiled a list of all resolutions ever adopted. Why did we do this? It seemed to us that new resolutions were being adopted each year and the older ones shelved, even though the older resolutions were still current, still relevant and needed continued action in order to achieve their objective. What a pity it was to see all of that effort, energy and those good solid issues forgotten!
To complete this project, we reviewed every issue of The Canadian League and every annual report that is still available, typing out the resolutions we found and categorizing them based on today's standing committee structure. These resolutions were reviewed by the respective standing committees that were assigned responsibility for resolution action and follow-up. The resolutions that have been achieved or that have become outdated and obsolete were archived. Resolutions that have been adopted as policy but never achieved have been placed in on-going folders. These folders, complete with all relevant correspondence and actions taken over the years, will be given to the standing committee chairpersons following the post-convention meeting.
It is hoped that this information, in a readily available format, will assist standing committee chairpersons to continue to act on those resolutions that still demand our attention. And it is hoped that the chairpersons will use The Canadian League to continue to inform members about these issues so that we all can work together towards achieving the goals envisioned by the parish councils who first researched and wrote on these important topics. This is our first attempt at developing a process to bring focus to our resolutions follow-up. While the process will pr ob ably need to evolve as the concept is worked with over the next two years, I'm positive that the fruits of this effort will be a streamlined system for long-term resolutions follow-up.
While these projects were going on, we also assisted in the compilation of the National Manual of Policy and Procedure updates; the proposed amendments to the Constitution & Bylaws; the coordination of attendance at the World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations General Assembly; the consultations regarding proposed changes to the standing committee responsibilities; the production of one parish council mailing, two magazines, numerous communiqués, correspondence and website updates; the processing of over $1.6 million in deposits and $110,000 of orders; and, the processing of over 80,000 memberships.
Our human resources were stretched this past winter with the resignation of both the office assistant and the data entry clerk. The office assistant was given an opportunity to use her quite highly developed design skills on a more consistent basis with another employer and the data entry clerk relocated to Calgary in hope of a brighter future. Both have been replaced. Janice Jones, whom you have seen at the credentials desk, has accepted the position of office assistant and Erica Johnson, a third year university student, will be assisting with data entry during the busy months.
The key to providing continuity, however, is long term staff so I would like to thank Linda Peters, Janet Forbes, Diane Havens and Pat Unger for their dedication to serving the members of The Catholic Women's League of Canada. Altogether, they have 30 collective years of service to the League and its members. Please join in me in a round of applause for all that they do for us.
Report of National Spiritual Development Chairperson Betty Anne Brown
The Irish philosopher John O'Donohue pondered, “At its heart, the journey of each life is a pilgrimage, through unforeseen sacred places that enlarge and enrich the soul.”
The challenge for spiritual development chairpersons is to act as a spiritual tour guide for the members of her council. Scouting ahead, she investigates and plans for the coming year by seeking the energy of the Holy Spirit, the inspiration of Our Lady of Good Counsel and the consultation of her spiritual advisor. She has the responsibility to lead her CWL companions into those unforeseen sacred places, thus giving them the opportunity to enlarge and enrich their souls.
Deus Caritas Est (God is Love), the first encyclical letter of Pope Benedict XVI, sets out seven signposts for our journey in Christian love:
• Dwell in the Word of God.
• The church is God's family in the world.
• Every person needs loving concern, not simply material help, but refreshment and care for their souls.
• Faith is an encounter with the living God.
• The direct duty to work for a just ordering of society is proper to the lay faithful.
• A pure and generous love is the best witness to the God in whom we believe and by whom we are driven to love.
• Mary shows us that the soul totally pervaded by God becomes a “fountain of living water in the midst of a thirsting world.”
The vista for the national executive members' journey was provided at the World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations (WUCWO) Study Days, where we were challenged to become women of peace. This gathering of Catholic sisters from around the world opened our eyes to the courage and faith required to face the realities of poverty, abuse and strife. We learned that we can be more than peacemakers. Because of our relationship with Jesus, we can be peace builders. We can make peace real by building right relationships that sustain love, shining the light of truth on politics and working to ensure justice for all people.
Justice brings peace, and peace recognizes the dignity of each individual. So, let us make it our priority to listen to one another's stories, seek spiritual guidance, use the networks we have perfected and build a peaceful world.
As women in the church, we follow a Marian tradition. Those in attendance at the Study Days participated in a prayer service entitled We Walk in the Footsteps of Mary. This service was included with my last communiqué and you are welcome to access it on the CWL website for use in your council.
Modern day Catholic women hunger for spirituality; it is our job to provide the tools they need to enlarge their souls. We know from Spirituality – A Day of Discovery that we each have different spiritual preferences. Councils are advised to address each of these preferences in the spiritual programs they offer throughout the year. Watch for a new resource available later this year from national office called One in the Spirit. This workshop can be used as the next step for members to explore their sacred energies on their continuing League journeys.
Thanks to Fr. Jean Piché who spoke about the 49th International Eucharistic Congress. He has provided a study kit that offers eight 15-minute programs. Each program includes a few questions, an overview and a prayer for members to use at a meeting. This study kit may be obtained by your spiritual development chairperson.
This past year, Catholic Missions In Canada benefited more than ever from the generosity of members, as $29,588.68 was received for the national voluntary fund. Congratulations to members for their generosity, as they continued their outreach to our isolated brothers and sisters in Canada.
At the heart of your journey through life is that precious, sacred space known only to you and God. This deep place of encounter needs to be protected and nourished through silence, prayer and service to your brothers and sisters. May your CWL council be the source of such infinite goodness in the world!
Report of National Organization Chairperson Lorette Noble
I would like to congratulate all members for the amazing work they have been doing to encourage, maintain and strengthen membership. Membership is crucial: without members, there is no League. At the end of June, we had 95,548 members. What can we do to reach the 100,000 mark?
When we look at the role of women in today's society, what image comes to mind? Women work full time and are married with children. The pursuit of efficiency and productivity at any cost in today's business world often means that if you want to hold on to and advance in your job, you are expected to work incredibly long hours, carrying your laptop wherever you go, even on holiday, which leaves very little time for family and social life. Our challenge in the years ahead is to look closely at what the League can offer such women and also at what demands we make on present members. We need to strike a balance between our hope and their expectations and how these may be reasonably and realistically met.
The wonderful provincial presidents' reports told us how aware of these challenges they are and how intent they are on informing, educating and encouraging members. Are meetings held at times and on days that are convenient so that we are likely to attract the best attendance? If not, are we willing to try a change? Are meetings run efficiently, so that busy people do not feel overwhelmed or that they are wasting their time? Can we truly say at the end of every one of our meetings, “I learned something new today”? In other words, is what we have to offer likely to make a new member feel that belonging to the League is worthwhile? Is every one of us here convinced that joining is one of the best decisions we ever made?
As we have heard, we must give special care and attention to councils involved in situations where parishes are merging. We are so good at hospitality and this is where we will be called upon to help ease the transition should two councils decide to become one.
We know that our greatest strength and one that distinguishes us from all other groups and organizations is the depth of our spirituality, which gives meaning to all our actions. In our world today, where there is so much questioning of and at the same time searching for values, our rootedness in gospel values – our caring for one another – is the strongest appeal we can make to Catholic women. We can and should be a welcoming and welcomed oasis of peace because of our shared faith. We each may be at a different point in our spiritual journey, but we know that we are on the same track. I don't know any women of any age or circumstance who would not find this appealing.
So in our retirement campaigns, our social justice activities, our social events and, above all, in our concern for each other, if we remember that as Catholic women we have a mission to help spread God's message of love to everyone we meet, and we know that the League offers just about the best way of doing this, we surely will be inspired to find ways of drawing other women to join us. If everyone here today goes home and invites one friend to come and see – to come and taste our League banquet – we will reach and even pass the 100,000 member mark.
Finally, most of you have heard that the national executive has begun looking at the standing committees and discerning whether they need to be realigned to give better direction to how the League will function in the future. The request came last fall from our present national executive members, who have considerable League experience. Their suggestions were considered by an ad hoc committee composed of an honorary life member and presidents from each League level and from different parts of the country. We have received some feedback to the ad hoc committee's suggestions. We will be conducting a wider consultation using focus groups so that members have a real chance of studying the structure and seeing whether it still responds to members' needs and reflects what is actually taking place at the different levels. This is very exciting and I encourage each and every member to participate in this exercise which will help the League to remain a dynamic and growing organization.
Report of National Christian Family Life Chairperson Cecile Miller
Two important issues continue to dominate the focus for the Christian family life standing committee: same-sex marriage and euthanasia and assisted suicide.
A free vote in Parliament on a motion to re-open the marriage debate has been promised for this fall. Now is the time for us to make our voices heard by contacting our members of parliament (MPs) and urging them to support this motion . Then, the issue of marriage can be fully discussed. The Catholic Organization for Life and Family (COLF) has many resources available. One that is available on the COLF website or by ordering is a poster entitled Saving Marriage: A Second Chance! COLF encourages us first to pray for our MPs and then to contact them. Polls continue to show that a majority of Canadians oppose the current definition of marriage, so let our voices be heard!
Euthanasia and assisted suicide continues to be an important issue as well. There are many excellent resources available from both COLF and the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition (EPC). We can keep informed by subscribing to the EPC newsletter and reading its publications. The EPC is in the process of producing a video which will be very useful in educating people about the reasons for opposing euthanasia and assisted suicide. Recently, it published a paper Elder Abuse, Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide: Must We Consider the Link? The more informed we are, the better qualified we will be to defend the right of all people to a natural death.
A focus over the past two years has been ministry to seniors. Sub-committee chairperson Joleene Kemp has provided information from the kit produced by Ontario Provincial Council, Elder Care – A Gift to be Shared! June 15, 2006, was the first World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. It is believed that 80% of abuse or neglect of older adults is hidden or goes undetected. According to a 2004 national report on family violence that looked at police reports, adult children were involved in 38% of assaults by family members against older adults, and the rates of homicides by family members against adults aged 76 and over were shown to have increased in the last decade. This violence affects between 4 and 10% of older adults in Canada. It is estimated that between 168,000 and 421,000 seniors are experiencing or have experienced abuse or neglect. These statistics are alarming and show the need for more awareness of the issue of elder abuse and its consequences.
Two working draft documents have been prepared by national office and are now available to assist in the formation of Catholic girls groups. These were adapted from guidelines developed by Hamilton Diocesan Council. One is an administration manual and the other contains steps to forming a Catholic girls' council.
It is hoped that some councils will be willing to do a pilot project by forming girls councils in their parishes using these documents. After a year, they would be expected to provide feedback – what worked, what did not work, suggestions for improvement, etc. Using these suggestions and some already received, revised guidelines will be printed. In this way, uniform guidelines would be available to any council wishing to form a Catholic girls council. If your council is interested in participating in such a project, please contact national office.
The national executive has requested that one provincial resolution from Ontario Provincial Council be addressed. The provincial resolution requests the federal government to retain and uphold the current status and wording of Sections 222 and 241 of the Criminal Code, a repeat of the request made in Resolution 2005.11 Assisted Suicide – A Criminal Offence. Members are encouraged to contact the federal government to urge it to retain and uphold the current wording of sections 222 and 241 of the Criminal Code, which currently protects human life from euthanasia and assisted suicide.
May Our Lady of Good Counsel continue to guide us, and may we continue to be people of hope as we strive to promote and live Christian family life values.
It was moved that that national council divide the amount in the pro-life fund ($10,335) equally between the Catholic Organization for Life and Family and the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition . [carried]
Report of National Community Life Chairperson Ann Doucet
The focus of the community life standing committee over the past months has been the issue of human rights. The League was represented at the 18th Annual Foreign Affairs Canada Human Rights Consultations held in Ottawa, February 7-8, 2006.
The League commended the federal government for ratifying the United Nations Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography on September 14, 2005. On November 25, 2005, Canada ratified the United Nations treaty, the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty.
Bill C-49 An Act to amend the Criminal Code (trafficking in persons) has passed through Parliament The Criminal Code amendments create three new indictable offences that specifically address human trafficking. UNANIMA International, a non-governmental organization comprised of 14 women religious communities, will meet this September to elaborate on a campaign centred on the demand side of trafficking.
A letter has been sent on behalf of the League to Amnesty International stating in part, that “The decision has been made to no longer support the Canadian section of Amnesty International until its position on abortion has been clarified and unequivocally revoked.” Amnesty International is considering adopting abortion as a universal right in its plan to expand and develop its position on sexual and reproductive rights.
Following up on Resolution 2005.03 Protection of Farmers' Rights to Save Seed, a letter has been sent to the National Forum on Seed in response to a request for presentations to be considered at the July 2006 meeting of the Forum. This was a further opportunity to press for protection of farmers' rights to save seed.
Refugee families living in church sanctuary in Canada highlight the need to continue to press the federal government to establish the Refugee Appeal Division per Resolution 2005.05 Appeal Provision for Refused Refugee Claimants. Michael Creal, chair of the Southern Ontario Sanctuary Coalition, points out, “A legitimate appeals process means fewer cases of refugees seeking sanctuary in churches and it would resolve the more difficult cases more quickly.”
Contributions to the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace (D&P) National Voluntary Fund for the period July 1, 2005 to June 30, 2006, total $77,468.71. D&P reports additional CWL gifts totaling $13,833.72 for a grand total of $91,302.43!
During this final year of D&P's three-year Water: Life before profit! campaign, Canadians signed 456,000 cards and declarations on water urging action by the federal government to support publicly controlled water services and provide access to clean drinking water
The national executive continues to press the federal government to live up to its promises of aid to developing countries. Canada currently has no legislation on foreign aid even though all parties agree that it is long overdue. On June 7th, Bill C-293, the first of three private members' bills on aid legislation, was debated.
The XVI International AIDS Conference is being held this week in Toronto. A grandmothers' gathering was held just prior to the conference on Sunday, August 13th. The Grandmothers to Grandmothers campaign is a small yet important contribution to ease the pain of HIV/AIDS on caregivers and guardians of AIDS orphans. It is a campaign to raise awareness and mobilize support in Canada for Africa's grandmothers, who have become the heart of the response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
One provincial resolution was forwarded to this standing committee directly for action. Saskatchewan Provincial Council requested that national council urge the federal government to ban the use of terminator/genetic use restriction technology. This refers to plants that are genetically modified to produce seeds that are sterile. The material provided will be added to the file for Resolution 2005.03 Protection of Farmers' Rights to Save Seed and this standing committee will continue to monitor new technologies in this area
“Make my heart like yours, Lord Jesus. Give me the love and courage to look beyond myself and serve others generously, as You did.”
Report of National Education and Health Chairperson Velma Harasen
As a follow up to the resolution brought forward last year by Manitoba Provincial Council, I participated with the National Cancer Leadership Forum, calling on the federal government to implement a national strategy for cancer control with a $260 million five-year plan that would provide more consistent care nation-wide. The strategy has been implemented . Watch for, and become involved in, provincial forums being planned.
The national executive has promoted the positive results of adult stem cell research and urged the federal government to stop funding embryonic stem cell research. However, just recently, the governing council of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research gave conditional approval for a controversial project to use “fresh” as well as frozen human embryos for stem cell research. The project will use surplus embryos donated by people who have undergone fertility treatment. Dr. Jeff Nisker, co-ordinator of medical ethics and humanities at the University of Western Ontario, called for a moratorium on the use of fresh human embryos. He said existing safeguards leave the door open to doctors asking parents to donate healthy and viable embryos.
The League, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Catholic Organization for Life and Family made official submissions to Health Canada opposing pre-implantation genetic diagnosis. This controversial test analyzes a single cell to determine which embryos carry gene defects. It reveals the gender and may be able to pick out embryos destined to have high intelligence, blond hair and blue eyes. It was announced just last week that a U.S. embryonic bank has begun to create and sell embryos with specific genetic characteristics, matching to clients' preferences. The Daily Mail reports that made-to-order embryos are being offered at a cost of about $10,000 at a private centre in San Antonio, Texas.
The League was represented at the Catholic Health Association of Canada National Convention 2006 in Edmonton in May, as well as at the Canadian Catholic Bioethics Institute conference in Calgary in June. The League was a participating sponsor of this conference. Thanks to Life Member Carmel Rumleski who, again this past year, attended monthly sessions at the Canadian Catholic Bioethics Institute in Toronto where scholarly papers on current topics were presented and reviewed. One of the goals of the Canadian Catholic Bioethics Institute is to help Catholic lay people increase their awareness and understanding of church teachings regarding current bioethical issues. It has developed an educational program entitled For People in the Pews: An Introduction to Current Issues in Bioethics from a Roman Catholic Perspective. This four-part series is available by contacting the Institute.
A new oral contraceptive called Anya, developed to “…put women in control of when or if they want to menstruate,” is expected to hit the Canadian market this year, pending approval by Health Canada. Early findings report this drug is 98% effective in preventing pregnancy. Dr. Jerilynn Prior, an endocrinologist and the scientific director of the Centre for Menstrual Cycle and Ovulation Research at the University of British Columbia, states, “Menstruation, this amazingly intricate, carefully crafted cycle, is a vital sign of our health. To wantonly disrupt it is a horrifying thought.” A second prescription medication called Seasonale, already approved in the United States and under consideration in Canada, reduces annual periods. This drug saw millions of dollars in sales last year! No studies have been performed, and researchers worry about the long-term health effects these drugs may have, not to mention the moral and ethical issues. We must oppose the approval of such drugs, perhaps starting with a letter-writing campaign to the health minister.
Donations to the MaterCare International National Voluntary Fund for the period July 1, 2005, to June 30, 2006, increased again to $35,453.38, not including the monies sent directly to MaterCare by members and councils. MaterCare continues to expand and we are pleased that Executive Director Dr. Robert Walley was with us to provide an update.
Donations to the Coady International Institute National Voluntary Fund increased to $29,086.68, providing for four scholarships. We welcome Director Mary Coyle and the diploma students that are with us from Coady.
The deadline date for national bursary fund applications was changed to May 31st. By teleconference call in June, 25 applications were reviewed and 21 bursaries awarded for a total of $6,800.
Thee provincial resolutions were forwarded to this standing committee directly for action. B.C. & Yukon Provincial Council requested that members discontinue use of polystyrene disposable ware in favour of biodegradable cardboard products, and that parish councils encourage their parishes to do the same. A second resolution from B.C. & Yukon Provincial Council requested that members educate themselves and their families about obstructive sleep apnea. A resolution from Ontario Provincial Council urged members to become aware of the use and abuse of plastic bags, encourage reduction of single-use bags and start using alternatives. All three of these provincial resolutions will result in follow-up by this standing committee. We will endeavour to educate members about these important issues.
My thanks to all the chairpersons of education and health at all levels for your untiring efforts, and I thank my committee sub-chairpersons.
Report of National Communications Chairperson Lucille Partington
I believe that the professionalism of national office staff and the quality of the work done by national executive members means that the last magazines were the best ever. I believe the website is used more often and with more interest, especially with new additions such as standing committee reports, the Call to Action page for important issues, and spotlights. Remember that the website is for everyone. You are welcome to download any document you want.
When members relocate or pass away, please notify national office. It is very costly when magazines are returned by Canada Post, as postage must then be paid twice. After you have read your copy, if you don't plan to keep it, leave your magazine for someone else to pick up. We get new members that way!
Please take note of the article by Alberta Mackenzie Provincial Education and Health Chairperson Fran Lucas on immediate translation for the hard of hearing – CART (Communication Access Real-Time Translation) at my display table. Edmonton Archdiocesan Council has been using this system for two years to assist the hearing impaired.
Stone Soup to Kindle the CWL Spirit will be published later than originally thought. This means you can still send your stories to Manitoba Provincial Resolutions Chairperson Faith Anderson or to national office. We hope in the near future to compile a list of those who have submitted stories.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve in communications!
Report of National Resolutions Chairperson Dr. Rayleen De Luca
Pope Benedict XVI entitled his first encyclical letter God is Love and stressed that the church is deeply concerned in the promotion of justice. The Holy Father must be pleased with the good works of the League. Through resolutions, our love of God and neighbour is clearly demonstrated. We do not sit on the sidelines in the fight for justice, but instead the League, through resolutions, takes action! Your annual reports confirmed that resolutions have made a significant difference to the most vulnerable around the world. Indeed these are exciting times – and resolutions are where it's at!
Congratulations to those councils who were able to meet with their local governments. Presenting League resolutions to Prime Minister Stephen Harper was an awesome feat. For the first time in 32 years, the League delegation to the federal government met with Canada 's top official... and we certainly got a lot of press. A number of newspapers across the country reported the story of five CWL members meeting with the prime minister. On a personal level, being invited into the prime minister's boardroom was an amazing experience. Clearly he had studied our resolutions and answered all of our questions and asked some of his own.
The prime minister personally commended the League on its resolutions and described the action that was currently being taken by the government on each one. For example, when I asked what happened to the government's goal to eliminate poverty of children by the year 2000, Mr. Harper pointed out that the government was seriously and currently looking at issues associated with housing, employment and child care. In discussing our resolution against trafficking of children, Mr. Harper emphasized that proposed legislation referred to the “age of protection” as opposed to the “age of consent.” The prime minister encouraged us to call on all League members to write letters to their members of parliament to help get this legislation passed in the fall. Throughout our meeting, the prime minister was open, friendly, attentive and informative.
Our meeting with the attorney general was held in his personal office, right next to the Supreme Court of Canada building. Mr. Toews knew about the League because as the Manitoba provincial president, I had met with him, along with the premier and other members of the legislative assembly at our annual meeting with the provincial government. Mr. Toews commented, “We've always had a good relationship with the CWL, haven't we?” Indeed we had! The attorney general assured us that the government would be working toward implementing stiffer penalties for operators of crystal methamphetamine labs
There is no question that the meetings with the federal government were productive, important and enlightening We were listened to with respect. A special note of appreciation to Life Member Anida Simurda for making it happen.
I am pleased to report that we received 17 resolutions. Of these 17 resolutions, the national executive decided that six would come to the floor of this convention, six were forwarded for action, and five were not accepted. One was an existing resolution, one needed more information, two had already been dealt with by the government and one focused on a review which the government has not yet slated.
Much time, as well as careful and prayerful consideration, was given to each and every resolution received. These are gifts from the provincial councils and are treated with respect, acknowledging and celebrating the work of members. Every step in the process reflects a valuable learning experience.
On Sunday afternoon the resolutions dialogue session was attended by over 400 members. It was wonderful seeing so many members taking the opportunity to examine the resolutions to be presented at the convention and to prepare amendments if they considered them necessary.
I would like to thank the members of the resolutions committee and especially Joleene Kemp of Ontario, and Peggy Roche of Newfoundland and Labrador , who have been working tirelessly for the past five days. And our work has been made so much easier by the work of Kim Scammell and Linda Peters of national office.
What a journey it has been serving as your national resolutions chairperson. Thank you to my companions on the journey. What an honour! It was a delight to have conducted resolutions workshops. Very many titles develop when you get a room full of members brainstorming together. I urge councils at all levels to hold resolutions workshops. As we have seen, resolutions make a difference to so many people around the world. Resolutions on the death penalty and on the trafficking of children were both passed unanimously at the World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations General Assembly. Taking action at an international level indeed! Remember – resolutions are crucial and are an act of love.
To stand up and be heard demands sacrifice and hard work. As a provincial chairperson so aptly stated, “All that is needed for this committee is a love of challenge, love of learning, love of hard work, lots of humility and to be a woman of prayer.”
There is no question that members will not sit on the sidelines in the fight for justice. As you all recall the song, “They will know we are Christians by our love.” Well, our song could be, “They'll know we have love by our resolutions!”
May Our Lady of Good Counsel guide us in our important work “For God and Canada.”
Report of National Legislation Chairperson Danielle McNeil-Hessian
Each year at annual conventions, national council adopts resolutions which become the issues for action by members. Many of these actions involve keeping abreast of the laws made by Parliament or provincial legislatures . Since the opening of the 39th session of Parliament, there have been 22 government bills tabled in the House of Commons.
One of these bills, and of particular interest to League members, is Bill C-22 An Act to amend the Criminal Code (age of protection) and to make consequential amendments to the Criminal Records Act. This would amend the Criminal Code to raise the age of consent for non-exploitative sexual activity from 14 to 16 years . Resolution 2003.09 Age of Consent for Sexual Activity called for the age of consent to be raised from 14 to 18 years of age. While this bill does not propose to raise the age to 18, it will provide protection for youth between the ages of 14-16.
All bills are sent to committee after first reading. Contacting members of the committees who are studying the bills is one way to impact on the proposed legislation.
As well as the government bills, there have been 149 private members' bills tabled in the House of Commons. One such bill is Bill C-211 An Act to amend the Canada Health Act (Autism Spectrum Disorder). Resolution 2004.08 called for governments to address the needs of autistic persons by providing adequate funding for diagnosis, early intervention and treatment and family support systems. Bill C-211 will amend the Canada Health Act and require provinces to fund treatment for autism.
Bill C-338 An Act to amend the Criminal Code (procuring a miscarriage after twenty weeks of gestation) was tabled in the House of Commons. This bill would amend the Criminal Code to create as an offence the procuring of miscarriage by a female person after her twentieth week of gestation, subject to certain limited exceptions.
I would like to recognize the efforts of the sub-chairpersons for the past two years: Mary Ryan from New Brunswick and Irene Gabon from Ontario, as well as the legislation chairs across the country who study legislation at all levels of government. These dedicated women love legislation and are committed to providing opportunities for council members to bring resolutions to life and topics for new resolutions, special thank you to them.
As members, we should not only criticize the action of our law makers but we should congratulate them on jobs well done. Members should become involved in their communities as members of a political party and law makers. There is much work to be done in our country and we have the potential within the membership to be at the level of the decision makers.
Report of National Laws Chairperson Marie Cameron
While attending national conventions for the past many years, I have listened to other final reports of honorary life members and never realized that one day, I too, would be making my final report to this assembly. You will understand that I am a bit nostalgic as I not only look back on my two years as past president, but also on the years when I, as a scared provincial president, made my first report to this assembly 12 years ago.
As past president of the national executive, I have tried to be a mentor and I am pleased to report that the provincial past presidents across this country took their roles as mentors very seriously. Past presidents have also been updating archives of their councils. A national archives sub-committee has been appointed to ensure that all pertinent archival materials will be filed and safely stored.
The history of the League from 1990 to 2005, with the sub-title companions on the journey, has been finished by Sheila Ross . Sheila is a League member, has written articles for, and is a member of, the Canadian Catholic Historical Association, has a masters degree in history of the Italian Renaissance and carried out doctoral studies in Canadian religious history. She has also written several provincial League histories. The updated national history will be published soon. We are very grateful to Sheila for the amount of time she has spent researching and writing this history. I encourage all of you to obtain a copy to see just how active League members have been in the past 15 years.
Most years, the past president's report included a statement about some councils reviewing or studying part of the Constitution & Bylaws (C&B). This year, I can tell you that a majority of parish councils studied the C&B due to the amendments process. I received many letters and e-mails concerning the proposed amendments and know that there were lively discussions at the parish level. Bishop Smith and our parliamentarian very kindly assisted the amendments committee in clarifying some of the concerns. Voting for the proposed amendments will follow my report.
Some members were concerned that the League was being called an “association of the lay faithful,” which is how organizations such as ours are defined in canon law. Their concern was that the League no longer would be a women's organization. I think that was clarified with Bishop Smith's statement and also by the fact that our organization continues to be The Catholic Women's League of Canada. With a bishop as the spiritual advisor, I can assure you that the national executive would not make a decision that is contrary to church law.
Some members have told me that they would like to become national president and my immediate reply is, “You'll have to work for it.” I never wanted to be national president or even on the national executive. In fact, madam president appointed me to the Calgary diocesan council, as I didn't think I could be a member of the diocesan executive. It seemed to me that I could never fill the shoes of those tremendously talented women who preceded me at each level. As I am a third-generation League member, I recall my mother telling me about the wonderful women she had met over the years and I was, and still am, in awe of their vast knowledge and experience. As I reviewed the history of the League during the past two years, it made me realize just how far-sighted our predecessors were.
At the honorary life members table, we are fortunate to have such tremendous mentors and initiators and I look forward to sitting with them in future years: Mary Matthews, who was resolutions chairpersons when the League first started presenting the annual resolutions to the federal government; Dorothy Brocklehurst, who can still out-sing anyone; Jean Mahoney, who has taught me that a retired person can share her talents and abilities with other organizations; Irene Lefort, who organized the first World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations General Assembly in Canada; Ardis Beaudry, who convinced me to be chairperson of a very enlightening theme day in Victoria, British Columbia, when I was a scared diocesan president; Lucille Cullen, whose archival skills are still being used on the national archives committee; Heather Kolla, who initiated many organizational manuals and workshops which are still being used; Claire Heron, who has an ability to speak so eloquently on issues which face Christians today; Joan Chesser, who made us think and envision the future of the League; and, Vivian Bosch, who wrote all those interesting booklets of prayers and workshops which are still being used.
Three honorary life members no longer with us, but whom I knew and also were mentors to me, were Betty Aitken, who introduced me to the wonderful world of WUCWO; Ruth Cooney, also from Calgary, who always reminded me that the two hardest jobs in the League were that of parish council president and national president; and, Sheilah Pellerin, who suffered through the March of Women issues and reminded me many times that “this too shall pass.”
All of these women have taught me and assisted me in my years on the national executive. I am most grateful for their love and service to the League.
All of you are, and will continue to be, my sisters in the League, my companions on our spiritual journey. I challenge each one of you to be mentors to new members, to support members who are already on parish, diocesan, provincial or national executives, and to encourage Catholic women in your own parish to join this wonderful organization we call the League.
Thank you for the privilege of serving you on the national executive.
Report of International Relations Chairperson Agnes Bedard
As international relations chair, the president is responsible for activity that is international in scope. That means she is responsible for the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace, MaterCare International, the Catholic Near East Welfare Association, the National Council of Catholic Women (our American counterpart), and the World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations (WUCWO). Although some of these organizations fall under other standing committees (e.g., D&P), the president oversees them all.
To assist the national president, it was decided that an international relations committee should be established and on that committee would be those people whose portfolios are international in scope. The committee consists of the national chairperson of community life, the national chairperson of resolutions, the national chairperson of legislation or her designate, the Canadian board member of WUCWO and the appointed participants of the annual Foreign Affairs Canada NGO Human Rights Consultations, as well as the executive director as an ex officio member. Life members Anida Simurda and Diane Curley have looked after our presence at the annual consultations, and they prepared the United Nations resolutions display table.
I felt that this committee would enable the national executive to better discuss and look after international issues. For a long time, human rights have been handled all over the world through a commission. A commission doesn't hold as much weight as a council. This year, the United Nations established the Human Rights Council – it has been changed to have more clout. The League participates at the Human Rights Consultations with NGO (non-governmental organizations) status and we will continue doing that.
For many years, Honorary Life Member Claire Heron has been the League's voice at WUCWO. When I was at the General Assembly in Washington, DC, it was wonderful because so many Canadian women were there. How important it is for us to be there. For many years, Claire was our representative to WUCWO and we supported her as much as we could. We appreciate the work she has done in her position as North American vice-president and Canadian board member. Claire has been a mentor to me and to everyone else who dares to ask her questions. Thank you from all the women of Canada for being our proud presence at WUCWO.
Report of Alberta Mackenzie Provincial President Ella Ella
Once again, it is my privilege to bring a report of the activities of your League sisters in Alberta Mackenzie Provincial Council. Our mid-winter meeting was held in February. David Bouchard, who is a fieldworker for the Canadian Religious Conference (CRC), gave an excellent presentation on the trafficking of women and children. The CRC is hoping to present “Lost in Traffic,” a play about trafficking, in communities across Canada.
Several of our executive members attended conferences, some reporting directly to the national executive. These conferences included the Catholic Conference 2006, Catholic Health Association of Canada Annual Convention, Co-operation of Church and State Conference and the Canadian Catholic Bioethics Institute conference.
It was a great privilege for me to attend the World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations (WUCWO) General Assembly in Arlington, Virginia. We live in a wonderful environment where poverty and war are something we only hear about. For some of the women present, poverty and war are a part of their every day existence. We, who have so much, must learn to share with those who have so little. A message was read from Pope Benedict XVI, who stated, “Wherever and whenever people set out in the splendour of holiness, they are on the pathway to peace.” For me, the highlight of the event was the sessions where women shared their concerns. The theme of the conference was Women Peacemakers – United in Faith and Action. All the women present felt that the true road to peace is through education. They want to educate the women and children in their countries. They need our help and we can help them.
Judy Look, a diocesan president-elect, gave me a wonderful idea. A priest in her parish stated that to us a penny is a nuisance, but to the poor in developing countries, a penny is a blessing. My challenge to all members is to save your pennies, collect them at meetings, and then send the money to a country of your choice to further the education of their women and children. You won't miss the pennies but, together, they will make a tremendous difference for the poor.
Our provincial convention was held in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, on June 16-18. Our guest presenters were National President Agnes Bedard, National President-elect Lorette Noble, and Julie French of the National Council of Catholic Women. All three gave wonderful, much appreciated workshops for the 127 women present in the Great North.
We are currently working on membership awards to be presented for the first time at our annual provincial convention in June 2007. Awards will be given to the council with the biggest increase in membership and one to the council with the biggest percentage increase in membership. The awards will be named after Father Walter Krewski who served as diocesan and then provincial spiritual advisor for many years and is one of the CWL's biggest supporters.
We will continue our program to promote Christ in Christmas as well as promoting Christianity in the public sector. We hope to meet with the provincial government this fall to discuss resolutions adopted at this convention.
In 2007, Alberta Mackenzie will be celebrating 60 years of service “For God and Canada.” Our convention will take place June 1-3 in Fort McMurray. We are very pleased to have National Spiritual Advisor Bishop Richard Smith and Bishop Frederick Henry from Calgary Diocese participating with us. You are all welcome to join us for this great anniversary.
God be with you all and thank you so much for your friendship and prayers.
Report of B.C. & Yukon Provincial President Barb Dowding
What a pleasure it is to report to you on behalf of nearly 9,000 members in British Columbia and the Yukon. We are six dioceses ranging in size from the largest with 49 parishes to the smallest with only two. Distance, travel time and weather play a big part in how we meet and communicate. Our challenges are similar to those across this great country, but today I want to focus on the wonderful things going on out west.
The CWL is alive and well. For at least the fifth straight year, our membership has increased and we are inching ever closer to our short-term goal of 10,000 members. The provincial convention in Whitehorse had an outstanding attendance, especially since it was so far away for most and very expensive to get to. We believe this is a direct result of the enthusiasm and excitement generated from the national convention held last year in Vancouver.
We offer subsidies for travel to a provincial convention and, again this year, we were overwhelmed with applications. As we had limited funds, we were only able to help nine members to attend. Needless to say, this is being reviewed and we hope to find more money to assist our members get to conventions, particularly accredited delegates, whenever and wherever possible
Building on the legacy of kindness, we are committed as a new executive to focus this term on TEAM, but with a new look: to teach, eangelize, animate and motivate, not only our diocesan councils, but one another. One of my goals for us is to really take ownership of the teaching role of the provincial level. We want to train our members so they can go and train others.
We continue to honour our declaration to raise awareness about trafficking. Thanks to a grant from the National Development Fund, we were able to bring Sr. Pierette Boise, CND, to Whitehorse where she gave an excellent workshop. The diocesan councils are still passing the video Sisters and Daughters Betrayed to parish councils and, most importantly, all diocesan councils have agreed to try to bring the play “Lost in Trafficking” to their area.
Like last year, we presented all diocesan councils with the same workshop. This has proven to be an excellent idea. The topic of discernment was perfect as we had been focusing on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We wanted to encourage members to recognize, not only the gifts and charisms of others, but of themselves too. It gave people a chance to think in a different way. Members like to be affirmed and this workshop certainly made that easy to do.
We dedicated our convention to asking graces through the intercession of the servant of God, Pope John Paul II, for the healing of our League sister Jackie Lenarduzzi. Members were asked to pray for her every day. Jackie continues to battle, and is cheerful as always and confident that God will hear our prayers.
The motion to increase the provincial per capita fee by $1.00 per member passed. This is to be kept aside to offset expenses expected when next hosting a national convention.
I know we'll hear a lot more about World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations during this convention, but I must say the privilege of attending the Study Days in Arlington, Virginia, has to be the highlight of my League life so far. What a fantastic learning experience, one that I am most grateful for and will remember for a long time. I am committed to ensuring more exposure and awareness at all other levels of the League for the importance of this wonderful group of Catholic women.
One thing that particularly stands out for me comes from the talk by Fr. Polidoro and that is the need for conflict resolution and the importance of recognizing our own abilities to generate peace, to look for the positive – always – and to start, within ourselves, a cultural revolution for positivity and peace.
When asked what we should focus on this term, these are some of the suggestions I received from the provincial executive: generosity, patience, wisdom, forgiveness, understanding, love, inspiration, joy and gentleness. What a team!
Report of Manitoba Provincial President Terri Scott
The theme, companions on the journey, suited members extremely well. It opened our eyes to the many ways we serve each other as companions and how we treat those who are on the journey with us. Each of Manitoba's three diocesan conventions contemplated what companionship means and it was truly inspiring to all who attended. Manitoba has many projects to be proud of. I would like to share three special highlights with you.
The first highlight is our Day of Celebration, held in February. This day is dedicated to take time for ourselves and to fill current needs, such as leadership training and spiritual renewal. This year, our guest, National President Agnes Bedard was truly an inspiration as we discovered what being a companion meant to her these past two years. We laughed and cried as she related details from her journey as national president. We became engrossed in the activities she led us in, as they engaged our minds and our hearts. This is the second time that Agnes has been with us on that special day. Her presence always leads to a full house and lots of fun. Thank you, Agnes, for joining us once again.
A second highlight is the provincial convention. Keynote speaker, National Spiritual Advisor Bishop Richard Smith, presented Deus Caritas Est (God is Love), Pope Benedict XVI's first encyclical letter. Members were grateful for a clearer understanding of this letter and its practical importance regarding personal encounters with Christ. Also at convention, we presented a resolution prepared and gifted by Winnipeg Archdiocesan Council entitled Bullying in a Technological Age. I encourage other provincial councils to consider a similar resolution to present to their provincial governments requesting that each school clearly communicate to students, parents and teachers the required code of conduct as it relates to bullying and on-line bullying and to ensure the implementation and enforcement of the code of conduct. A child's growing years should not be fearful, but enriching.
The third highlight is the wonderful work of our members throughout the year. For example, because of the long distance between parishes, Keewatin-The Pas Diocesan Council initiated the use of teleconference calls to facilitate membership and participation in the diocesan executive. St. Boniface Diocesan Council presented a fall workshop for understanding temperament and personality types and Winnipeg Archdiocesan Council will be chartering a new parish council this fall, as well as preparing for national convention in 2008.
In September, I am looking forward to the annual visit with the Manitoba provincial government. Delegates from our provincial council will be joined by a delegation of observers that include representatives from each of the three diocesan councils, Military Ordinariate members from St. Marguerite Bourgeoys Chapel in Winnipeg, Ukrainian Catholic Women's League of Canada and the Knights of Columbus. The presentation to the premier and as many cabinet ministers who are able to attend will no doubt evoke exciting dialogue including issues and concerns, and can become an opportunity to commend them.
Members had a very enriching year that started with a personal reflection led by Agnes. We were enriched at the provincial convention by our theme speaker, Bishop Smith, and by the presentation of the resolution on bullying in a technological age. Our membership grew with the addition of a new council because of technology and workshops culminating in more effective communication. I look forward to meeting the provincial government in September to discuss our resolutions and to inspire them as Manitoba members continue to inspire me.
Report of Military Ordinariate Provincial President Lise Medford
Do you know how many of our military personnel made their last trip home? As of today, we have 26. I realize that there is a price in peacekeeping, but this is too many. Some of the overseas serving military members are actually our CWL sisters.
What is Red Friday? Many Canadians, like you, me and all our friends, simply want to recognize that the vast majority of Canada supports our troops. Our idea of showing solidarity and support for our troops with dignity and respect starts this Friday and continues each and every Friday until the troops all come home, sending a deafening message that every red-blooded Canadian who supports our men and women afar will wear something red.
By word of mouth, let's make Canada on every Friday a sea of red much like a homecoming football game in the bleachers. If every one of us who loves this country will share this with acquaintances, co-workers, friends and family, it will be not long before Canada is covered in red and it will let our troops know the once silent majority is on their side more than ever, certainly more then the media lets on.
The first thing a soldier says when asked, “What can we do to make things better for you?” is “We need your support and your prayers.” Let's get the word out and lead with class and dignity, by example, and wear something red every Friday.
On another note, 4-Wing CFB Cold Lake has an invisible ribbon campaign. This represents the families that are left at home and the support team. We, the CWL Military Ordinariate, are part of this. Some of you may have seen the yellow or blue ribbons. The yellow ribbon represents support of the troops, and the blue is for peacekeepers.
Report of New Brunswick Provincial President Anne-Marie Gorman
The League is alive and well in New Brunswick. More than 3,000 members in 55 councils saw new leadership in all four dioceses in the spring. Women continued to be willing to serve and walk with their sisters on this journey that challenges us to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.
Using the resolutions as a base for programming and action, since January 2006 councils have heard speakers on various types of cancer, domestic violence against women, various federal bills, nursing home care and costs and the World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations. The provincial council continues to confer with New Brunswick provincial government members, an arrangement that began in 2000. The sessions are interactive, timely and informative for both government officials and League members. For example, department of health officials requested our research material on a diabetes strategy during our last meeting. Members also continue to research topics of concern including marriage and the human face of AIDS.
Several members are visibly walking the talk “For God and Canada.” Ruth Grattan and Irene Roach received Dollard Medals for long service to their parishes. Dorine Doucet is a national bursary recipient. Pamela Bryson-Weaver's work in promoting support for autistic children in the province and her international development work in Vietnam demonstrate her willingness to cast into the deep. Mary Ryan researches and writes to support the national executive and leads the Women's Inter-church Council of Canada chapter in Fredericton.
Continuing to serve the province and the League are three new life members: Frances Firth, Mary Pilgrim and Jacqueline Waye. They join the 22 other life members who act as mentors, most of whom are in active service. Five life members are serving on provincial council. Gertrude Nowlan has been appointed to the national archives sub-committee and is writing the provincial history to commemorate 70 years of the League in New Brunswick. The pride of New Brunswick , Ann Doucet, completes her second term on the national executive. Constance Firlotte replaces Barbara Firlotte as life member liaison.
It is not coincidental that the membership is moving forward in faith and action. Members understand the important role the League plays in this country, both in personal faith development and in fostering a society consistent with Christian values. It is to this end that we focus on educating our members. We are presently preparing for the 60th provincial convention in Fredericton in 2007, where we will welcome the expertise of National Spiritual Advisor Bishop Richard Smith, incoming National President Lorette Noble, and as many members as we may be able to subsidize. The spirit was certainly moving at this year's convention in Dalhousie, where St. John Bosco Parish Council hosted its first-ever provincial convention and National President Agnes Bedard delivered energetic and reflective addresses on the World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations and companions on the journey . Several new members commented that they had no idea what the League is all about. Another gift to our provincial council this year is Spiritual Advisor Rev. Stanislas Paulin, an insightful and faith-filled priest who is also a gifted musician and homilist. He has chosen to be with us in Halifax for his very first national convention. We look forward to his counsel and presence in the years ahead.
The four new diocesan presidents, Georgina Babcock, Judy Durepos, Hazel Robichaud and Rosemary Gorman, already have plans for continued spiritual nourishment and education. Bathurst Diocesan Council will study the Executive Handbook, a strong indication that many new members have joined recently and that the Spirit is moving women to accept leadership positions. Saint John Diocesan Council is focusing on spiritual development, following responses from the full day provincially-sponsored workshop, Friends+Bread=A Difference, facilitated by Betty Anne Brown, National Chairperson of Spiritual Development. Provincial Community Life Chairperson Anne Arseneau will represent the council at the presentation of research on family caregivers and home support workers – needs, expectations and the situation in New Brunswick – at the end of August.
Joseph Addison said, “True happiness is an enemy of pomp and noise… it arises from the friendship and conversation of a few companions.” With the guidance of Our Lady, may our companionship on the League journey help us to bring happiness.
Report of Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial President Marie Raymond
The highlight of 2006 was attending the World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations (WUCWO) Study Days and General Assembly in Arlington, Virginia, from May 31st to June 7th. Women Peacemakers: United in Faith and Action was the theme of the conference – and that is what we all wanted: peace for our troubled world.
Yes, I had heard of WUCWO and I knew what the organization was about, or so I thought. I spoke to so many wonderful women who were gifted, well educated and talented. I spoke to others from different parts of the world who were so sad and troubled. I listened to many real life stories of women and children being bought, sold and traded, people who suffer so much from AIDS, prostitution, and not having the necessities of life. These were real people who talked of real life stories of heartache and poverty.
I told them my story of where I lived and about my life, family and work conditions in my province. They thought I was so lucky and rich. I thought I was just an ordinary person, with an ordinary lifestyle – no grandeur and not rich – but when I left that conference, I felt like a millionaire.
I will certainly share my whole experience of WUCWO with councils in Newfoundland and Labrador. I will always be grateful for this wonderful opportunity and gift of WUCWO which was given me to share with others.
The provincial council held meaningful spiritual prayer services which were attended by 14 of our 30 councils. The same prayer services were sent to councils who couldn't attend due to distance and cost. One service was organized by our spiritual development chairperson and the other by dedicated life members who are always ready and willing to share their gifts and talents with us.
Our life members are like angels who use their wings to guide us along and keep encouraging us. They stand by us and are always involved. The annual life member luncheon took place again this year at the home of a life member. This is a time for them to get together and reflect on the past year.
A prayer service will be held in September for peace as our world is in such turmoil. We will open it to other religious groups who will take an active part, as well as the padre of the Canadian Forces Station in St. John's.
We were sorry to lose our spiritual advisor of eight years, Fr. David Butler. Fr. Butler offered the League his friendship, guidance, gifts, talents and humour. He served with five provincial presidents, and to celebrate this, we took Fr . Butler out to dinner. We now have Fr . Edward Terry, who comes from the other side of the island. Fr. Terry came recommended to us by our own Bishop Douglas Crosby, so we can't go wrong! Fr. Terry loves the League and is a dedicated person. We will mould Fr. Terry and he will be wonderful.
We had six members from different parts of the island and Labrador speak at our convention on why they joined the League and why they still remain members.
In Newfoundland and Labrador, we have walked through The Open Door, and we have certainly cast into the deep and walked on water to become companions on the journey. Last June we celebrated 25 years as a provincial council. Now that those years are behind us, we are on the next leg of our journey. Yes, we are thankful for the past, but now we have to work on our sub-theme from our June convention, Reshaping Our Future.
I have asked one of our life members to chair a committee to delve into the reasons for both a decline in numbers and interest in the League. Information will be gathered by questionnaires to every member as well as interviews. This will be compiled and recommendations made to the provincial executive. This is the beginning of Reshaping Our Future.
Report of Nova Scotia Provincial President Shirley MacDougall
I feel very privileged to give my first report to this convention in my home province. The challenge of hosting the national convention has been a major focus for all of us. Parish councils across the province have participated in fundraising, designing and making the beautiful convention handbags, and the many other duties assigned to them.
Parish amalgamations and closures present an on-going challenge as councils seek positive ways to deal with the concerns of their members. CWL roots run deep in councils that have been long established. We recognize that each council is unique and special to its members and, while some want to preserve the status quo, we need to be mindful that blessings do come with change.
It is with prayerful dialogue that we will move through this period of change, knowing that the knowledge, expertise and diverse gifts of members will enable us to find common ground and work toward positive transition.
The third annual vision workshop for diocesan and provincial executives is planned for August 26th in Truro. The guest speaker will be National Chairperson of Education and Health Velma Harasen. Her workshop will be on clustering/closing of parishes and its effect on councils. In the afternoon, the provincial and diocesan executives will take part in a round table discussion on topics of concern and interest to their councils.
Our province is divided into three dioceses: Antigonish, Yarmouth and Halifax. We have 93 parish councils, with a total membership of 5,560. We have two honorary life members and 23 life members.
Our provincial convention was hosted by Yarmouth Diocesan Council and held in Cornwallis in June. A new executive was elected, including the appointment of a secretary and a life member liaison. Two life members were installed. Our guest speaker was Honorary Life Member Irene Lefort.
A motion was passed to increase our provincial membership per capita fee to $3.00. The extra dollar will be used for the next national convention. This will defray the costs of the convention and keep fundraising to a minimum. Three resolutions were adopted. One, entitled Amendment to the Incompetent Persons Act , was directed to the Nova Scotia provincial government and the other two will come to the convention floor this week.
The provincial council formed a committee to present workshops at the deanery level. Our first workshop was held in Sydney on March 11th and we met with eight parish councils. These workshops with their focus on resolutions, legislation and leadership development will continue through the fall.
A provincial website is being developed.
Our fall executive meeting is planned for September 9th in Halifax. We have met and plans are underway for our 2007 provincial convention to be hosted by St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Dartmouth.
The play, “Lost in Traffic,” is on tour with three designated stops in Nova Scotia. Performances in Halifax, Antigonish and Sydney will soon be advertised. The purpose of this play is to raise awareness of the exploitation of women and very young girls who involuntarily become involved in human trafficking and the sex trade. Councils are involved and some have already made monetary contributions and attended planning meetings to help advertise the play.
Given that our mission as a League is to address the problems that threaten our society in light of the gospel, then the strong voice of the CWL is greatly needed in both the issue of human trafficking. The theme has awakened us to the fact that our companions are many and varied as we make this League journey. It is easy to make companions with like-minded people, but to companion with the down-trodden presents its challenges.
Recognizing the strength of our membership, we have to – more now than ever – lobby our governments and work on behalf of the under-privileged.
Report of Ontario Provincial President Shirley George
What a joy this past year has been for me as it relates to the League. Working with national and provincial officers, provincial and diocesan presidents has been a real pleasure, as has attending several parish council anniversary celebrations. It is good to meet the members who do all the work and give us such a good reputation.
In early September, the president-elect and I had the privilege of meeting with the Ontario Conference of Catholic Bishops to discuss resolutions and other pertinent matters. We will repeat this pleasant experience on September 28th this year. Tom Reilly, the general secretary who retired at the end of June, was presented with a gift for his very valuable contributions to the resolutions process and for his assistance in obtaining insurance for provincial council. He has been a wonderful asset and we are very grateful for his assistance.
I had the opportunity to attend two conferences dealing with euthanasia and assisted suicide, one organized by the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, and the other by the Catholic Organization for Life and Family. The former had speakers on demographics which focused on the aging of our society with fewer children and two speakers with disabilities who would be prime candidates for euthanasia in a more liberal society. If you look around, you need to be concerned that a society that sees the aged as a financial handicap may encourage you to shorten your life as a fiscally positive move. The second conference included many working in the medical field and was equally interesting, stressing the positive ways of dealing with challenged individuals. An interesting part of the latter conference was a speaker on end-of-life directives. Many people who have made a living will apply it only to very specific circumstances when they would not want to be resuscitated (when they are 99, terminally ill and not mentally alert). The conference certainly pointed out the need for people to be aware of the ability of the medical profession to keep patients comfortable in the last stages of life with good pain management.
Though April and May are somewhat hectic in Ontario with 13 diocesan conventions, what a great shot in the arm they are for those privileged to attend them. All but one diocesan council used the theme companions on the journey with various well-developed sub-themes (with Mary and Martha, walking with Jesus and Mary, showing kindness to each other, on the pathway to Christ, companions with all of creation, gifts to each other, gathering at His table, together we can make a difference, elder care – a gift to be shared). Alexandria-Cornwall Diocesan Council celebrated its 80th anniversary. The seven conventions I attended this year along with those the president-elect and vice-presidents visited were wonderful joy-filled celebrations.
The World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations Study Days experience was a second-in-a-lifetime experience for me, as I attended the last one held in North America in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, in 1983. This trip was a learning experience from beginning to end, starting with the special status one assumes when travelling to Washington, DC, and the special security precautions (that is, searches) one experiences at the Canadian airport, and the red tag one's luggage carries. On a positive note, the security person was very pleasant, and the Washington airport the most efficient I have ever experienced. We are proud to have Agnes Bedard as the North American representative to the WUCWO board.
Our provincial convention, hosted by Peterborough Diocesan Council with cheerful spirits in Lindsay, was a great inspiration with speakers on evangelization and understanding our Muslim neighbours. A very positive atmosphere prevailed, contrary to what you may have read on LifeSite News. Be wary of the truthfulness of your sources of information. Resolutions on greenbelt legislation, euthanasia and assisted suicide, pest control products, Ontario Works program, plastic bags, marriage and renewable energy were adopted by the delegates. Leadership courses and training programs are well underway and have been very enthusiastically received.
Since this is my swan song, I want you to know that I have the second best position in the world (Agnes Bedard has the best one, she says) as president of Ontario Provincial Council and I highly recommend the job.
Report of Prince Edward Island Provincial President Mary Hagen
The highlight for Prince Edward Island Provincial Council was having National President Agnes Bedard at our 2005 provincial convention. Agnes led delegates in a leadership workshop with her usual wit and wisdom, and remained at the convention throughout. Agnes, you were a breath of fresh air!
Another highlight was the 2005 fall conference, which proved to be an excellent venue for giving updated information. Parish priests were invited from the community in which the conference was held to address the theme companions on the journey.
In keeping the lines of communication ever-open, Communications Chairperson Ginny Grant and Corresponding Secretary Louise Larkin called each of the 44 councils and requested that a contact person be named in their council who would make sure that the provincial council's biannual newsletter would be copied and received by every member. Reports tell us that this was especially appreciated.
In April 2006, to continue with an outreach strategy, meetings were held across the province in the four deaneries. The council presidents in the area plus another executive member were invited. Provincial council members chaired the meetings and positive comments were received in favour of the smaller groups meeting, where they shared ideas and concerns.
The annual provincial convention was held in May, with 200 members in attendance. Resolutions adopted were on drug facilitated sexual assault and educating the public on the dangers of smoking while driving with children present. Both of these were submitted by St. Paul Parish Council in Summerside. The council also agreed to submit to the provincial government a petition recommending that newly-licensed drivers be accompanied in the front seat by drivers with at least four years of experience during their first year. This resolution was presented by St. Pius X Parish Council in Charlottetown. The executive met with the premier and several cabinet ministers regarding these issues on July 21st . Concern was expressed for PEI 's youth in these matters. The executive is now watching for follow up.
The provincial council was privileged to welcome three new life members at the convention, Agnes Arsenault, Velma Blacquiere and Bertha Lawless. This brings the total of life members to 13. We look forward to the sharing of their wisdom and support.
The provincial executive's goal for 2006-2008 is to build on present initiatives – i.e., continue having fall conferences and use them effectively. Our plan for the coming conference is to promote the Liturgy of the Hours and we have invited a member of our diocesan liturgical committee to be a presenter. A member of the chaplaincy team at our local hospital will address the members on palliative care. If that isn't loving one another, then I don't know what is! A World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations display will be a prominent part of our conferences and Provincial President-elect Marian Marshall will give an overview of our wonderful experience at the General Assembly.
One goal has already been achieved. Five life members have graciously agreed to be a support and a resource to the five newly-elected or appointed provincial executive members. A second goal is to deepen our spirituality by following the program Spirituality: A Day of Discovery when the update is complete.
It is my desire to meet as many as possible of the grassroots members in local councils as I attend with joy their anniversary celebrations. I will offer the support of the provincial council to those councils whose membership numbers are declining and are barely hanging on, especially as clustering of parishes takes place.
Membership recruitment can come in the most unexpected ways. For example, recently two young women joined a parish council because of how they were ministered to by CWL members when their aunt died. We must remember that it is in the every day-ness of life that we touch people and we must take a new member where she is at when she joins the League. This is a challenge for us in the next two years.
I look forward with excitement and hope as I serve as provincial president and on the national executive as well. I hold these positions in awe, but hope there will be some fun along the way.
Report of Quebec Provincial President Pearl Bridgwater
While Quebec parish councils have managed to attract a number of young people to its ranks, members still struggle with declining membership because of aging members and a certain number of non-renewals. Another major issue is the difficulty of getting members to assume leadership roles. Provincial executive members have been asking themselves, could the problem of non-renewal and fear of leadership be linked? Are members staying away because of boring or badly planned meetings? Have we equipped members and prepared them to assume leadership roles? On the next annual workshop day, which is scheduled for October 28th, an attempt will be made to address these questions with specific workshops.
The provincial executive has designated two morning workshops as follows. Diocesan presidents will attend Executive Workshop 101 while the organization chairpersons will attend a workshop on annual reporting. As a follow-up, participants will be commissioned to offer the first workshop to their own parish councils before elections take place and the second before the annual reporting period. The WOW [Workshop on Wheels] team and life members would be available to assist those who need them. The afternoon workshops, Spirituality: A Day of Discovery and The Benefits of Reflexology, will be offered for all and will be geared to the well-being of members spiritually and physically. Workshop day will begin and end with a liturgical service led by the spiritual development chairperson, as is the custom.
Next year, 2007, will be a remarkable year for members in Quebec . Not only will we host the next national convention, but we will also celebrate our 60th year as a provincial council. As always, we will rise up to any challenges these two events may bring. Needless to say, we have been busy preparing for the 2007 annual national convention. One of the special events planned is a trip to Quebec City, the venue of the 49th International Eucharistic Congress, and we hope that you will come and see us. We will pray together, we will work together and we will play together. Believe me – you'll be glad you came!
Report of Saskatchewan Provincial President Joan Petracek
Saskatchewan Provincial Council has established a social justice award beginning this September. The award is intended for young women who engage in social justice activity, either at home or abroad. Young women between the ages of 18 and 35 years will be eligible to receive up to $1,000 in one year, upon application. Monies have been assigned for the next 10 years and it will be reviewed at that time.
The provincial executive has completed revision, as of June 2006, of the provincial manual of policy and procedure, which was last updated in 1993. The new manual is much more stream-lined and user-friendly. Following the model of the national manual, it contains one topic per page, making any future changes easily done.
One May 4th, three provincial executive members and Velma Harasen , National Chairperson of Education and Health, had meetings with two government ministers. The meeting with the agriculture minister centred around Resolution 2005.03 Farmers' Right to Save Seed, as well as finishing plants, ethanol production and social justice issues related to the general state of agriculture in Saskatchewan. In our meeting with the minister of Northern Affairs/Status of Women, we brought forward the issues of child poverty, crystal methamphetamine and support for women in prison.
A tentative meeting is scheduled with the health minister in September which will be timely given the acceptance at provincial convention of the resolution Saskatchewan Provincial Health Care Funding of Treatment for all Forms of Age-related Macular Degeneration.
An emergency resolution, Terminator/Genetic Use Restriction Technology, was accepted at convention and gifted to national.
The attendance at the World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations (WUCWO) General Assembly was an awakening to the many beautiful women in many countries, particularly in Africa. Two members of the provincial executive attended with me. Two of our goals now are the twinning with members in Zambia and connecting with a farming project for women in Ghana. We look forward to interacting with those Catholic League members, as well as doing presentations within our own parishes and dioceses. We hope to spread the enthusiasm and spirituality that we gained by attending the WUCWO General Assembly.
