Vice President Communique #1 September 10, 2023

Dear Sisters, Father Mike and Friends of the League:

This is my first Communique as Diocesan Vice President but please think of it as a personal letter to you. You probably know me from other positions I have held in our League over the years; most recently Spiritual Chair.

I have been a member of the CWL for ten years and have a background teaching, working with Federal inmates and being a mom and regular parishioner.

As vice president, two of my responsibilities are to act as a fill-in when Bertha is not available and membership.

The state of our membership is very much on my mind these days since about half of your councils will be holding elections this year. Or, you other councils may have already selected your leaders but have problems staffing all your positions. I have checked the various parish and diocesan councils in our BC/Yukon Province and have heard what other councils across Canada have to say. We are all experiencing the same problem. This problem is: how do we encourage members to step up and take on active roles in leading our League?

Members say that there are plenty of reasons why people are holding back in taking on these challenges. Some say we are still recovering from COVID. We are aging. We don’t know what we’re supposed to do and we are afraid to make a mistake.

This last reason, in my opinion, is probably where the truth lies.

We have done a fine and much needed update over the past five years to the structures and workings of our League. We have also done a good job in communicating what our reformed structure looks like. It looks fresh and modern and is very exciting. Let me say that, again; fresh, modern and exciting. And it is. We have defined the pillars our League is built on: FAITH, SERVICE and SOCIAL JUSTICE. These are the ancient pillars of the Christian Church and these are the names and purpose of our former structure. Only, now we “shuffled” the cards and dealt them in a different order. They are the same cards only more understandable. Also, it must be pointed out that this rearrangement requires fewer people to lead your council but at the same time it needs the backing of the your whole council to make it work.

I am reminded of a story about a famous actor:

“Kenneth Branagh, a student of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, struggling with a role, wrote to Laurence Olivier asking for advice. He was surprised when Olivier replied to his letter and simply advised him, “Don’t waste your time striving for perfection; instead, strive for excellence doing your best. Have a bash and hope for the best.”

                                   —“Quora”, on-line magazine

So, in closing, my friends, step up, strive for excellence, do your best and have a bash as we go forward in Faith, Service and Social Justice.

Blessings on your day as we hope for the best,

Gerry Heywood,

Vice President, CWL Diocese of Victoria

ORGANIZATION/PRESIDENT ELECT: COMMUNIQUE #5

Date: October 20, 2022 Communique #5 From: Bertha Landrie
Greetings, hope you all had a blessed Thanksgiving. Hope you took that day to give thanks for all the wonderful blessings and of corse the wonderful people we have in our lives. I thank God for all of you and want to say how thankful I am for the League and how it enriches our lives. I am sorry I am a bit late with this communique because it was a busy summer with moving and sickness including Covid 19.

As the leaves turn different colors I am reflecting on the things that we have been working on that were to be completed in the fall. The one that stands out in my mind is the Executive Orientation Program that we are all working on in our parishes. I have received the feedback forms from one parish already. It seems like a good idea to have the forms at each meeting when the modules are presented and fill in the space for whatever module was presented that day. Otherwise it is hard to remember later what to fill in. I don't have a completion date yet when the completed feedback forms need to come in but I will let you know when I know.

I realize elections happen at different times so I would like to welcome the new Parish Organization chairpeople and welcome back those already in this position. For the new people I will list the duties of the Organization Chairperson:

Recruit and MaintainMemership

Leadership Development

Annual Reports
Life Members

League Resource Manual

Resourses: Our Provincial Organization Chair Catherine L'Heureux sent the following, and I quote “We are living in exciting timesbecause of the 5 year strategic plan. Many new resourceshave been added to the already existing resources. Go to the National website cwl.ca and review the resources. In particular look at the Faith, Service, Social Justice brochure#627. This brochureexplains the new model for faith, service and social justice chairpersons.”

It was so nice to see some of you in Kelowna at the National Convention. A gentle reminder that our Diocesan League is having a Leadership Development Day on Octorber 29th hosted by Alberni Valley Council, Holy Family Parish/ NotreDame Parish, 4731 Burke Road. Port Alberni. Hope to see you there.

Annual Reports should be coming out in the near future so jot down those memories of what your Parish CWL League has been doing over the year in preparation for putting it in your annual report.

Make God keep you and bless you all,
Bertha Landrie Victoria Diocesan Organization /President Elect

Organization Communique #2

Date: December 14, 2021 Communique #2 

From: Bertha Landrie, Organization and President Elect

Sisters in the League and Father Alfredo: 

Advent occurs during preparations for Christmas and although we feel busy, anxious and determined to find the perfect gift we need to remember that Jesus is and always was, the perfect gift. We need to slow down and allow our hearts time and peace to prepare to receive him. Jesus brings love, peace and joy not only at Christmas but all through the year. No other gift we receive can do that. 

By now you have heard about the “All for one and one for all” membership contest. I am going to list the contest rules if you don't have them or have forgotten them: 

1. The contest will run from November 15th, 202 1untilFebruary15,2022 atMidnight.

• 2) Prizes in the form of a certificate will be awarded as follows. Councils that recruit the most
  members. This will be tallied in two ways: the council with the largest increase and the
  council with the largest percentage increase.

• 3) Have Fun!

• 4) Parish council presidents or organization chairpersons write down your council name and where it is located. Also write down your your membership increases and email to your diocesan organization Chairperson (that is me Bertha Landrie) before February 15, 2022. I will then forward the top 3 councils in our diocese to Catherine L'Heureux Provincial Organization Chairperson.

Every member is being asked to ask one woman to become a Catholic Women's League member. Ask friends, acquaintances, neighbors and relatives. Keep in mind, non Catholics can become associate members. If every member can recruit one new member, our BC/Yukon numbers would go from 7500 to 15,000. Getting our numbers up will bring in new people with new ideas while invigorating all our present members. Yes, this can happen if every current member gets a new member. So talk to that woman and if you don't get a new member, you might get a new friend. 

Another exciting program in the works right now from National is the “CWL Executive Training Program” Hopefully your parish has began presenting this program to your members. Each module has interesting and facts about a different aspect of the League. For new members it is a perfect way to get to know the League. For more experienced members it is a wonderful refresher program to go over and reinforce what you already know or may have forgotten. If you need more information go to cwl.ca and click on “To Organize”. 

Training and Development Using Technology Survey: It can be done on a mail in form or online at form.jotform.com/212846340382050 (I have already done it and it only took a few minutes). Your feedback is very important. The working group is looking for responses from members throughout Canada. Every voice matters. The deadline to participate is December 15, 2021. 

Mail in written Annual Reports should be sent in by today. On-line Annual Reports are due by January15,2022. Thanks you everyone for your good work on getting these in. 

I pray you all have a Wonderful Christmas with Jesus at the center of it. May the New Year bring much love, peace and good health to you and all your families. 

Blessings, Bertha 

Dates to mark on your calendar for 2022: 

•  Winter Diocesan Team Meeting – Virtual – Monday, January 17

•  Spring League Development Day – St. Patrick’s, Victoria – March 12

•  Diocesan Convention – St. Peter’s, Nanaimo – May 13 & 14

•  Provincial Convention – Virtual – June 17 – 19

•  National Convention – Kelowna – August 14 – 17

•  Fall Diocesan Team Meeting – Virtual – September 19
  

Communique 1 from New Organization Chair

Mt 7:8: Everyone who asks will receive; Whoever seeks shall find, and to him who knocks it shall be opened.

I want to welcome and share this opening with all the new Organization Chairpersons and also the returning Organization Chairpersons. Thank you for stepping into this position. Any time we choose to do something new it can feel a little overwhelming. If we ask, seek and knock the way will be given to us to accomplish all the new tasks at hand. I also want to acknowledge all the new and returning Diocesan Executive and I look forward to working with everyone.

My name is Bertha Landrie. I have been a CWL member for 35 years. I have been married for 48 yeas to my husband Joe and we have three sons and eight grandchildren. I am a proud Metis woman who has grown a lot by being involved in CWL and my Metis community. I am Past President of my Parish CWL League and have served as President, Secretary and Education and Health Chair positions. I have also served as Education and Health, Christian Family Life and Community Life positions on the Diocesan Executive. I am hoping to meet all of you I don’t know yet and of course hear any concerns as well as questions you may have. As you may be aware, all membership dues from each Parish League should now have been sent in to National. Thank you for all who have sent them in already.

Bertha Landrie,

President Elect and Organization

ORGANIZATION COMMUNIQUE #8

The Catholic Women’s League of Canada VICTORIA DIOCESAN COUNCIL

Date: February 18, 2020 Communiqué #8

From: Laurel Phyall, Diocesan President Elect/Organization Chair 

Dear League Sisters and Fr. Alfredo,

2020 is a new year that will be full of fun, adventure and exciting changes ensuring we are putting CWL sisters at the centre of our decision-making and creating many opportunities for participation.

ANNUAL REPORTS

Thank you to those Organization Chairs who did the Snap Survey and those who replied to my email, 9/16 Council responded. By now the Diocesan Executive has submitted Annual Reports to our counterparts at Provincial. And are writing or collecting reports for the Diocesan Convention Booklet. Learning from experience last spring, I have started work on the Convention Booklet. This is a great keepsake of the Diocesan Convention and useful for those moving up in their Council executive. Please have your report to me by March 15, it needs to be in Microsoft Word Arial 12 – Maximum of 1 page. Please see the enclosure.

THE LEAGUE OF THE FUTURE – YEAR 1

Thanks to Kathy Weswick, Christa Grillmair and myself, we rolled out Year 1 of the Strategic Plan presentations to 15/16 councils and 389 individual. I hope Iit has filled you with a sense of renewal and anticipation for the changes coming next year.

MEMBERSHIP RECRUITMENT & RENEWAL

Per capita fees of $28.50 are to be forwarded to the National Office by February 28th. It is also very important that you continue to forward any fees that are collected during the balance of the year. Please note that the National 1-888 number is no longer in service, if you have an issue with entering membership online, please call (204) 927-2310 or email Katherine Choi at membership@cwl.ca.

CWL BORROWING LIBRARY

Laurel Phyall, President Elect/Organization

I apologize, as I have been very lax at bringing the materials from the Borrowing Library to meetings and events during my term. I have recently looked through the box and find that a lot of the materials are missing. I will include an attachment to the email with a list of materials, please note that the material indicated by an * are those missing. Please look on your bookshelves and in your church cupboards and bring anything you find to the Interim Meeting.

THE FOLLOWING IS FROM SHARON GEIGER, PROVINCIAL ORGANIZATION CHAIR:

• Hopefully all of you have received The Canadian League magazine and noticed that the implementation committee for the strategic plan is looking for members to get involved in the next round of working groups. You can also find the information of these working groups on Facebook and the national website – check the website for the latest updates.

• Council Registers – In an election year the president or secretary must send notification advising national office of the newly elected or appointed executive along with contact information. Throughout the year, if there is a change of position or contact information, including the spiritual advisor, notify the national office as soon as possible. This can be done through email to info@cwl.ca, regular mail or through the online membership process. In the Diocese of Victoria, we also ask that you send your lists to the Diocesan Secretary, Nancy Horsfall, at nancy55@telus.net.

• Mailings – An issue has come to light where some councils report not receiving council mailings along with other information sent from national office. The steps below indicate how the mailing should be dispersed to ensure a better flow of communication.

1. If a past president receives the e-mail or package containing the parish council information, she passes it on to the current parish council president as soon as possible and asks her to advise national office of the change in position.

2. Once the parish council president receives the information, it is her responsibility to separate the information and pass it on to the respective officers and chairpersons.

3. The officers or chairpersons, in turn, share the information in a short report with members at the next parish council meeting, or a soon as possible.

4. Date sensitive information is required to be shared in a timely manner as necessary.

2020 DATES TO PLAN FOR:

February 28—Deadline for Per Capita Fees: National Office

March 3— Spring Interim Meeting: Christ the King Parish, Courtenay

March 6—World Day of Prayer

March 8—International Women’s Day

March 15—Convention Booklet Reports Due: Laurel Phyall

April 23 & 24— Diocesan Convention: Oceanfront Resort, Cowichan Bay

June 11 – 13—Provincial Convention: Vernon, BC

August 9 – 12—100th National Convention: Le Centre Sheraton Hotel, Montreal

Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile. – Mother Teresa

I look forward to see you at the Interim Meeting.
May our Lady of Good Counsel hold you in her loving care,

Laurel