By Doreen Gowans, CWL National Chairperson of Communications
[Winnipeg, Manitoba] – The board of The Catholic Women’s League of Canada, with more than 70,000 members across the country, met by videoconference March 4-6, 2021, for its annual winter meeting. Every province and territory was represented as board members met to discuss matters important to Catholic women and their families.
Technology and virtual meetings, and their implications, were a theme that ran throughout the meeting.
The League has seen the need to update how it communicates with current and potential members, parishioners and communities in which it serves.
To keep within the scope of today’s digital world, the League has approved Clark Marketing Communications to make three videos comprised of interviews with young Catholic women, a 30-second video commercial, a digital affirmation campaign for members and a digital map. These are exciting times as members do their part to reach out to Catholic women in the pews to invite and welcome them into the organization. Watch for these new ventures to become available on the national website, cwl.ca.
The implementation committee is seeking members interested in helping to roll out the strategic plan. The deadline to apply is March 15, 2021. The various working groups are looking for 36 dedicated women. Interested members may find more information on cwl.ca. (Further details can also be found on pages 18 and 19 of The Canadian League magazine’s winter issue.
The continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has magnified the risk and uncertainty of gathering voting and accredited delegates for the 2020 and 2021 annual meeting of members in Toronto, August 8-10, 2021. The board weighed the risks and the uncertainty and has determined in-person attendance would be limited to board members and support persons. There will be an opportunity to view the meeting online for those who pre-register. More information will be shared in the coming weeks.
As members will not be meeting in person, resolutions will not be presented. To keep members informed on the League’s position on issues such as abortion, human trafficking, water and more, the current position papers will be posted to the national website. They will be reviewed and updated or affirmed as the League moves forward.
Board members expressed thanks to outgoing provincial presidents Glenda Carson (Nova Scotia), Gisela Montague (B.C. & Yukon), Shirley Pierce (Prince Edward Island) and Tawnya Stringer (Military Ordinariate) for their devoted service to the League over the past three years.
About The Catholic Women’s League of Canada
The Catholic Women’s League of Canada, founded in 1920, is one of the largest organizations of women in Canada with more than 70,000 members represented in every province, territory and the military. The League is organized and pledged to serve all citizens and has often received the commendation and keen appreciation of federal, provincial and municipal authorities for the voluntary services ably performed by its nationwide membership.
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