Education | Action | Advocacy |
|
Women Helping Women for a Better Future |
|
CFUW Ontario Council News |
|
In this Issue
- Message from the Ontario Council President
- From the May 13, 2023 AGM
- Membership Challenge winners & strategies
- Carolyn Day Award winner and honourable mentions
- Club anniversaries
- In the News!
- Advocacy Corner
- Club News & Events
If you are having problems viewing this e-mail, click on the View as a Webpage link in the top right corner.
|
|
Message from Ontario Council President |
|
Message from Teresa Habs
During my first year as OC President, I heard from many members that it was time to concentrate on the future, our strengths, and be guided by the aims and objectives of CFUW and the sisterhood we, as members, have created with and for each other – to build on each other’s strengths and be motivated by each other’s efforts.
Of course, this would not have been possible without the OC board members, their advice and counsel, and their work with the clubs over the past year!
This past year was truly our springboard to the future – the beginnings of the E-Club, the re-invigoration we all felt after COVID and the enthusiasm of you, the membership, in your traditional club settings.
2023 began with the introductions of the new staff members at the National Office and the CFUW Board of Directors. It continues with their seminal work on rebranding CFUW.
You, our members, continued your support for advocacy, for education, and life-long learning, for the friendships we have forged, and the fun we have together – it’s all part of why we value CFUW!
I often describe the role of Ontario Council as the railroad track on which all the ‘club cars’ ride. This is a powerful visual: it evokes the idea that OC is there to guide and assist in the narrative of who we are and what we stand for, but not power the individual clubs or dictate their activities.
To think of ‘managing’ the 49 clubs in Ontario is overwhelming – it cannot be done under our structure and our culture! But that’s why it’s so important to forge as many connections as we can with each other, so we know CFUW is one big TEAM where ‘Together Everyone Achieves More’!
As we move into our 2023 – 2024 activities, I urge you to use every opportunity
to strengthen your club’s connections with each other, with your community, with
Ontario Council and with CFUW. Meet as often as you can, whether for business or for fun; plan events with each other and with OC. I hope you will invite OC to some of those events, and perhaps even consider hosting AGM 2024 in person!
In the meantime, enjoy your summer with all the gusto and camaraderie you have to share!
Teresa Habs, President, CFUW Ontario Council
|
|
2023 Membership Challenge |
|
Recruitment and Retention Awards 2023
Submitted by Heather Conlin
Thank you to the seven Ontario Council clubs who took part in the Ontario Council Recruitment and Retention Membership Challenge, 2023 (Kincardine, Nepean, Northumberland, Orillia, Peterborough, Southport, Windsor). All the ideas were valuable and worthy. Winners were chosen in the two categories of Recruitment and Retention and each received a $300 prize. The criteria for judging was based on:
- following the contest directions,
- creativity,
- stated measurable results,
- ease of replication by other clubs.
And the winners are ...
Retention: CFUW Orillia – Their specific strategy to retain new and recent members is a “newbie team challenge”. In February, during a fun filled event for new members, they ask the new members to become a team to host this same event next year. They work with a mentor from the previous year and members of the membership committee. They have found giving new members a purpose, a sense of belonging, the opportunity to meet others and possibly form long lasting friendships has resulted in 100% renewed membership the following year.
Recruitment: CFUW Windsor – Their specific effective recruitment strategy was a membership drive held at a wine bar. They targeted women involved in other community activities. Invitations were sent through social media, email and personal invitations. They chatted and shared CFUW’s purpose, their advocacy work, handed out flyers about an upcoming Mayoral debate. All the while, profiling their club in a relaxed atmosphere, wine tasting and snacking on charcuterie platters. This resulted in a large boost to their club’s membership.
.
What was working for the clubs who entered the challenge:
- Word of mouth and personal invitations.
- Engaging new members immediately through buddy systems, personal calls, special orientation meetings, immediate involvement in activities.
- Up to date social media to raise their visibility was well used, digital connections such as e transfers for membership, scholarship donation, special events to align with current banking processes.
- Creative membership drives such as a free trial membership.
- Advocacy that connected to the needs of the community, province or country through speakers and actions.
|
|
The Carolyn Day Award for Environmental Action
AGM May 13, 2023
|
|
The Carolyn Day Award Submission Review subcommittee recently met and reviewed the three submissions received this year from CFUW Southport, CFUW Nepean and CFUW Ottawa.
Submissions were judged based on perceived impact of their action/campaign, number of club members involved, extent and numbers of public reached, sustainability of the action/campaign, and innovativeness.
All three submissions described excellent projects and the choice of one clear winner was challenging. Nevertheless, it was a unanimous decision to choose CFUW Southport as most deserving of the award for your Saugeen Environmental Alliance Symposium.
All decision parameters were met by Southport. Your club’s campaign is poised to have
a significant impact on the communities Southport serves (and has had a major impact
already). It involves all club members, has a large community outreach partnering with
service clubs and enterprises that have impact on the environment, and local county
and municipal groups. Perhaps most significant is the involvement of First Nations as
part of reconciliation action.
It is clear that CFUW Southport is cementing a strong environmental leadership position
using multiple events and media to create sustainable engagement. Please extend Ontario Council’s congratulations to all your members for their work!
Teresa Habs
OC President 2022-2024
|
|
Please join us in celebrating the following milestone anniversaries!
UWC Toronto 120 Years!
|
|
CFUW Thunder Bay 90 Years
CFUW Kingston 80 Years
CFUW Sudbury 75 Years
CFUW Markham/Unionville 40 Years
CFUW Ajax/Pickering 35 Years
CFUW Muskoka 30 Years
CFUW Barrie & District 25 Years
|
|
Congratulations to UWC Toronto! |
In the June 3rd edition of the Globe and Mail, UWC Toronto was recognized for its outstanding contributions to the education of women and girls through its Scholarship fund. It cannot be stressed enough the difference that our efforts make in the lives of these young women as they pursue their academic dreams.
The University Women's Club of Toronto Scholarship Program
submitted by: Susan Freeman
The University Women’s Club of Toronto was recently highlighted in the Globe and Mail Business Section column, Pitching In, for their scholarship program. We are thrilled and honoured to be featured. The UWC (Toronto) Foundation is responsible for giving financial awards, scholarships to young women and girls who wish to pursue a university education. The University Women’s Club Toronto states that it will always recognize and fulfill its mandate through the work of the Foundation to help provide educational opportunities for young women with excellent academic records, community involvement and financial need.
Our Awards
In 2023 the UWC (Toronto) Foundation awards nine scholarships of $6000 to deserving young women from 17 central Toronto high schools. Recipients are chosen from these schools, each of which is allowed to submit one candidate, on the recommendation of the principal and guidance counsellor.
We are presently supporting three $3000 scholarships each year for four years to students from Inukshuk High School in Iqaluit. This will be changed to one $5000 award annually as of 2023.
An Innis College Student is awarded a $5000 residence scholarship in the belief that the community provided by the year in residence will be of great benefit throughout the university life of the student.
Two young women who have aged out of foster care with the Children’s Aid Society each receive $5000 annually for four years.
We have also been awarding the Mary MacDonald Scholarship for the past four years to four young women who each receive $25,000 over their four university years thanks to the generosity of Mary’s family.
Each recipient of our scholarships is welcomed into the UWCT Scholars Program. They are awarded a UWCT Scholars’ pin, certificate and, on graduation from university, receive a year’s membership in the University Women’s Club. Our goal is to provide an informal organization for the young women to get to know and appreciate each other, with events such as Coffee, Croissants and Conversation during the Christmas break, a private, dedicated FaceBook page for the sharing on news and ideas among the young women, a workshop event during the winter Reading Week with an inspirational speaker, Spotlight events and workshops during a day at Innis College. The young women are invited to our Scholarship Reception each year to renew acquaintances and to meet the newest recipients.
The University Women’s Club transfers $50,000 annually from the club to the Foundation. We are indeed fortunate to have the legacy of the original University Women’s Club of Toronto and the sale of the house which they purchased in 1929. The club sold the house at 162 St. George St. to the University of Toronto in 2010. The money from the sale is invested and generates funds for our scholarships. In addition, at Christmas this year our members donated another $25,000 of personal contributions. We are so grateful for these funds and so pleased to be able to help deserving young women through our
scholarships.
You may read the full Globe and Mail article here:
|
|
|
|
Tightening Bail Laws to Protect Victims of Intimate Partner Violence
As a result of the work of our Advocacy group and especially CFUW Orillia,we are gaining momentum in our efforts to have the Bail Laws to Protect Victims of Intimate Partner Violence tightened. On February 14, 2023, Adam Chambers, MP Simcoe North, presented petition e-4185 to the House of Commons and on March 30, 2023, the government tabled its response. Read the full account here.
An Update from Tribunal Watch Ontario
The topic of our November Speaker Series was The Administrative Justice System. The day featured a presentation by Tribunal Watch Ontario. We would like to share these updates with you:
Support for Women in Afghanistan
Afghanistan -- Are You Interested in What’s Happening?
Do You Care About the Women and Girls?
University Women Helping Afghan Women Invites You to Join Them
University Women Helping Afghan Women is an outreach group of CFUW-Ottawa and for the last 13 years has been learning about the circumstances of the women and girls, has been advocating on their behalf, and providing scholarships so bright, disadvantaged young women could attend Gawharshad University.
Over the years UWHAW has supported more than 100 young women with scholarships and 47have graduated. The return of the Taliban and their recent ban on women attending university has meant a halt to our program. But we are now in talks with a Canadian organization operating in Afghanistan to offer online education.
We meet the first Thursday of every month at 1 pm by Zoom and are joined by CFUW members and friends from across the country. We have many extraordinary speakers, including senior officials from Government departments, humanitarian agencies, human rights organizations, Canadian and Afghan Ambassadors, and high profile Afghan women who are fighting on behalf of their sisters.
If you would like to be added to our invitation list, please contact Ann Lieff aplieff@rogers.com
CFUW members are an important voice for Afghan women and girls and we are stronger when we work together. We can collaborate on advocacy efforts such as writing to our Members of Parliament, encouraging our local universities and colleges to find ways to open their courses to Afghan women, coordinating events such as marches and seminars, and taking advantage of important dates such as International Refugee Day, Human Rights Day, and the like.
We can speak with the same voice for greater impact. Please join us.
|
|
CFUW Belleville & District
Home & Garden 2023 Tour
Sat June 24th, 10 am - 4 pm
We invite you to attend our Home & Garden Tour on June 24, 2023. The event is our premier fundraising initiative in support of scholarships for deserving young women in the local community who are going to college or university.
The event features a self-guided visit to eight gardens in the Belleville area. See our website for more information.
|
|
Women Helping Women
Our vision for Ontario Council can be summed up in the following key words:
Education. Action. Advocacy.
|
|
Ontario Council News is a newsletter for and about our Ontario Clubs.
- Because Ontario Council includes close to 50 clubs, we are not able to publish club meetings, AGMs, scholarship winners and other charitable giving.
- Club newsletters are published on the OC website under Club Actions & Events
- To help you help us, click the link below for all the information you need about our publication schedule, submission deadlines, and preferred format.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
