June 1, 2026
TO: Provincial Presidents and Secretaries
CC: National Officers (for information), National Life Member Liaison
FROM: Shari Guinta, National Past President
Please forward this message to past presidents.
“Trust the past to God’s mercy, the present to God’s love,
and the future to God’s providence” (St. Augustine of Hippo).
In the spring issue of The Canadian League magazine, my article began by stating, “Ignite Your Passion, Empower His Mission is a powerful theme that calls members, as Catholic women, to be involved and to work for the church and for the Catholic faith.”
Continued involvement as a past president can sometimes be difficult. Some women find the role rather demanding, and it seems some gradually fade into the distance and are no longer as involved in League activities as perhaps they would like to or should be. However, I encourage past presidents to concentrate on continued involvement as a passion! Councils, in turn, should continue to rely on the wisdom and experience of past presidents, particularly for archiving, historical reports, elections and guidance concerning the League’s Constitution & Bylaws.
I once again refer to the (#611) Handbook for Past Presidents, available under Resources on the national website. The duties of a past president differ from any other position previously held within the League.
Recently, two members of the national archive committee—past national presidents and honorary life members Fran Lucas and Anne-Marie Gorman—and I travelled to the national office in Winnipeg to examine and organize the archives. We looked through boxes and files and concentrated on certain items and areas needing organization. Archives are so important. While not everything needs to be preserved, significant historical materials certainly should be. Past presidents at all levels are encouraged to be involved in preserving and archiving items important to their council’s history.
Storage may present challenges at certain levels of the League. I encourage councils to investigate a safe place for their archives. Diocesan offices will often offer space for diocesan or provincial archives to be stored, or a parish within the diocese or province may have suitable room available. Acid-free protective boxes and file folders should be used for paper items to help preserve the integrity of documents and photographs.
The other area I would like to mention is history. Past presidents are encouraged to review the council’s history regularly and prepare a summary at least every five to 10 years. Often, councils will create a history book for a special anniversary, and this practice is encouraged. Councils may budget for this expense and even offer copies for purchase to interested members.
I also encourage councils to reflect on past national themes when conducting historical reviews. Over the years, the national themes have facilitated many good works and highlighted areas of societal concern. Look back through past issues of The Canadian League and on the national website for past themes and historical reviews.
Your sister in the League,
Shari Guinta
National Past President