Dear League Sisters
I may have met some of you at Diocesan Conventions or Interim Meetings. I have just finished a two-year term as Diocesan Treasurer. I am a past president of St. Patrick’s (Campbell River) Council and have previously served on the Diocesan Council as Secretary. I have also served my Parish Council as President, Treasurer, Spiritual and Christian Family Life. I retired in 2009 from my position as St. Patrick’s Parish as Administrative Assistant, where I worked for 17 years. That is a term for jack-of-all-trades, which included financial management, word processing, record keeping, volunteer management, hall rentals, etc., etc. I am married to Doug; we have two adult daughters and three grandchildren. In my spare time I volunteer at the Wellness Centre at the Campbell River Hospital. I also enjoy golfing, cycling, fishing/camping and reading.
Now for the Nitty Gritty
Welcome to all the Organization Standing Committee Chairperson, I hope to get to know you over the next two years. Don’t miss the excellent slide presentation of the 90th Annual Diocesan Convention by Gerry Heywood at our Diocesan website: www.cwldov.org.
If you do not have a copy of the Handbook for Organization Chairpersons, it can be downloaded from the national website: www.cwl.ca, where it can found under Resources, then Manuals.
National office staff is working under very difficult conditions this year, due to unforeseen complications with the service provider, to process memberships and see that diocesan and provincial councils receive their per capita fees. Staff is processing on a first-received, first-processed basis. Approximately half of our Diocesan memberships have been processed to date. Please be patient and keep them in your prayers.
Anne Gorman, National president-elect and chairperson of organization wrote the following: “Strategic planning continues, the steering committee will be finalizing a draft for presentation to the board at the national pre-convention meeting in August. If adopted at the pre-convention meeting, the plan will be rolled out at the 98thannual national convention in Winnipeg. The steering committee’s work would then be complete, and an implementation committee will be charged with the “how to” of making the plan work for every member and in the best interest of the future of the League.”Diocesan President Christa Grillmair and I will be in Winnipeg for the national convention. We will keep you informed.
Training – Boot Camp, Catch the Fire, S’Mores– these programs, information, resources and more are now in my keeping. If you feel that new members or others who have not attended these training would benefit, please get in touch with me and I will endeavour to make sessions available in the fall.
Please continue to pray individually and collectively for the League. The more than 80,000 women who have chosen to belong are not just important to their individual parish; they are an organization that is vital to the church, to Canada and the world. Why wouldn’t all Catholic women want to belong to such a life-giving group?
Please feel free to contact me by telephone or email, or if you are in my neighbourhood this summer, stop by for coffee or a cool drink on the patio.
May our Lady of Good Counsel hold you in her loving care,
Laurel