PRESIDENT’S COMMUNIQUE #11
From: Christa Grillmair, President Date: January 9, 2021
Dear Sisters-in-Christ and Father Alfredo:
I wanted to wait to send this communique until the provincial update of our pandemic restrictions was announced. Unfortunately, due to the continued rise in COVID cases, the restrictions on any social gatherings (which includes meetings and church services) has been extended to February 5, 2021. So, it continues to be our challenge to maneuver our activities within these restrictions.
I am amazed at how very innovative and creative you have been in coming up with ways to keep yourself and your team motivated and to keep communication lines with your members open. Over this past year, you have participated in and hosted virtual meetings, gathered in parking lots or parks to meet or pray the rosary, held virtual bazaars and bake- less bake sales, developed newsletters, revitalized phoning committee to ensure shut-ins are contacted and carried on the business of our League as best as you can. On the horizon is the vaccination. And this gives us hope!
Here are a few items that I would like to draw to your attention:
1. No In-person Member Meetings
Our COVID restrictions will last until at least February 5, 2021 and until they are lifted, we will continue to hold monthly virtual Zoom meetings with our Diocesan team (parish presidents and diocesan executive. I am so happy that some of you are also planning to use this virtual communication tool to connect with your executive and members.
ACTION: Continue to be creative in connecting but please stay within the guidelines and stay safe. Use all available communication tools
(virtual meetings, emails, texts, phone calls), to keep members informed and included. If you have a virtual meeting, remember to follow an agenda and keep detailed minutes. At these virtual meetings, you can present motions and make decisions but all must be clearly documented and must be ratified by the general membership at the next possible in- person meeting.
2. Motions to Amend the National Constitution and Bylaws
The package sent to all parish council presidents contains detailed information on the various proposed amendments. These are the result of many months of deliberation and address the issues of annual meetings, our structure, our Patroness and an increase in fees. Each amendment is followed by a rationale that outlines the reasons for the change.
ACTION: We will make this a priority for our next Zoom meeting on January 27th and work through the package together and discuss our options on how to proceed with the instructed vote. Please familiarize yourself with the contents and prepare your questions for the meeting.
3. Diocesan Executive Positions
Although it has been an exciting 3rd year for your diocesan executive, we need to step away and let others take the over! I am looking forward to being Past-President, Laurel has been patiently waiting to be President and Bertha is ready to take on her role of President-elect. We are fortunate that Renee and Gerry have let their names stand. But we need to fill the positions of Secretary and a minimum of three chairpersons (faith, service and social justice) as the new structure proposes.
ACTION: Please discuss the opportunity with your executive and encourage them to let their name stand to serve on the diocesan executive by contacting any of the nomination committee members: Maureen Ingram, Blanca Stead or Cathy Weswick.
4. Annual Reports Laurel sent out several notices with regards to annual reports and I just want to remind you of the various dates. January 15 is the final date for parish executives to complete their annual reports. Once national compiles these reports, they will send the recap to Laurel, who will forward it to the diocesan executive. The diocesan annual reports to provincial are due on February 15th. We know that 2020 was a year when we accomplished some extraordinary things. Laurel, in her final year of President-elect and Organization chair, is compiling our 2020 Victoria Diocesan Book. This is will be a record for the future to show just how resilient our CWL is and how we rose to meet the challenges of a pandemic year. Annual reports for the book are due by February 28th.
ACTION: The Catholic Women’s League of the Victoria Diocese has done some amazing things this year and we want to make sure that your council’s activities are included so that future CWL members can see all that we accomplished during this extraordinary year.
Websites – National: cwl.ca, Provincial: bcyukoncwl.com, Diocesan: cwldov.org
5. Inspired
After thousands of volunteer hours and the creative work of our marketing agency we have launched the CWL awareness campaign. I hope that you have seen the various vignettes on Facebook and YouTube celebrating the many aspects of our League, including our resolutions.
ACTION: Go to the national website cwl.ca or The Catholic Women’s League of Canada Facebook page, share them with your family and friends and spread the news that our CWL is a one-stop shop for faith, service and social justice. Thanks to Gerry Heywood, our multi-task guru, our diocesan website (cwlcdov.org) and Facebook page (CWL Victoria Diocese) continues to inspire, enlighten and entertain us.
6. Information, Information, Information
Our various websites (cwl.ca, bcyukoncwl.com and cwldov.org) are full of information and many communiqués and emails are being sent from your national, provincial and diocesan teams. This can sometimes feel overwhelming as you decipher what is important to share with your parish team and members.
ACTION: As a parish council president or diocesan executive, you need to be aware of all of the information but remember: you have a team. As you review this information, decide who should act on it and pass it on for action, response or implementation.
7. Next Zoom Meeting
Our next Zoom team meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, January 27, 2021 at 2 pm. In addition to reviewing the instructed vote material and a continued discussion on our invested funds, are there any other agenda items you wish to include?
ACTION: Send me agenda items by Wednesday, January 20th. If you cannot join us at our virtual meeting, please arrange to have another member of your team attend to ensure we have the representation of all councils.
Many blessings,
Christa
P.S. As we continue to work through the many hurdles and challenges, please remember what St. Francis of Assisi said, “All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.”
Together we can keep that candle burning
Websites – National: cwl.ca, Provincial: bcyukoncwl.com, Diocesan: cwldov.org