In this Issue

• Message from the Ontario Council President
• October 21st Speakers Series - WOMEN ON THE MOVE
• CFUW Brand Refresh
• Membership Matters
• CFUW Charitable Trust
• Scholarship Survey
• OC Resolutions Schedule
• OC Insurance Policy Coverage
• Club News & Events

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Message from Teresa Habs

Welcome back Ontario Clubs!

As we move into another year of club meetings and activities for 2023 - 2024, this Autumn season reminds us it is a time symbolic of plenty, ripening, harvest and abundance. The holiday season might be known as ‘the most wonderful time of the year’, but Fall is a close second! In addition to Thanksgiving and Hallowe’en there is so much to look forward to in the fall, from cool, crisp temperatures and the stunning shades of the leaves, to seasonal movies, and books that are best enjoyed near a cozy fireplace.

Autumn is the season of all things pumpkin spice! Plus, there is no shortage of activities such as harvest festivals, visiting a local apple farm or a scary haunted house! This year, the autumnal equinox fell on Thursday, September 22, and it should come as no surprise that you might find yourself wanting to pay tribute to the coziest season of the year!

I know that many clubs are gearing up for a return to in-person meetings so I am pleased to advise that OC AGM 2024 will be held in Windsor Ontario May 24/25! Save the Date! A big thank you to CFUW Windsor for volunteering to host our return to meeting in person after four years of virtual AGM’s!

As well, the CFUW AGM is going to be hosted by CFUW Edmonton! This promises to be another great opportunity to travel out west and spend time with our CFUW sisters as well as family and friends!

Please stay tuned for an interesting and informative line-up of OC Speaker Series planned for October 21, November 25 and next February 24. OC decided we would continue our Speaker Series as virtual events; we can reach so many more members, and this has proven to be true!

2023-2024 promises to be an exciting year for Ontario Clubs! We are in growth mode and so many of the clubs have told me of their deliberate strategic plans for growth and retention of members. I am truly amazed at the energy you all exhibit! It’s obvious that

every club I speak to is ready for the challenges and opportunities 2023-2024 will provide.

No matter what – don’t forget to enjoy the camaraderie of your CFUW Sisters in your area and have fun doing it!

Please enjoy this newsletter and pass on all the great information we have to offer you and your club!

Teresa Habs, President, CFUW Ontario Council

To register please click here!

This event will showcase the accounts of three women coming from different parts of the world, who have settled in Ontario. The speakers have been asked to tell us their stories:

• Why did they choose to immigrate to Canada?
• What were the benefits and struggles for their families encountered in Canada?
• How have they adjusted to working life in Canada?
• What was the major source of support for their relocation?
• Are they glad they made the move?
• What could make their new lives easier?
• How can CFUW facilitate the transition for immigrant women?

The October session will be chaired by Niki Carlan, OC Chair, Legislation. Get all the info at CFUW Ontario Council Speakers Series. To register for October 21st, please click here.

Thanks to Kathy Wosnick, President CFUW Aurora/Newmarket for this article.

New Look. New Tagline. Same Mission.

Over the next few months, CFUW/FCFDU will begin its launch of a brand refresh. This project has been in development for over 18 months and was introduced at CFUW National’s AGM in July.

The National board unanimously agreed that the legal name of the club remain untouched, and the acronym, CFUW/FCFDU, will be used for internal and external communications.

Robert Cote, VP of Creative and Development from KiK Partners presented the new logo and tagline for CFUW.

Much consideration was given to honouring the core message, activities, and energy of CFUW with this new look. The logo and tagline capture the core of who we are and what we promise while creating a positive impression in our outward and inward communications. Read more ...

Work is being done to tailor this new look for all the CFUW clubs across the country, as well as for the regional/provincial councils. Here is the new Ontario Council logo.

The first re-branding training sessions were held in September and covered club logos. The 2nd round of training sessions will be held on October 18th and October 24th. Both sessions are online and will begin at 6 p.m. ET. You only need to attend one session. The 2nd step of the re-branding training delivers the full remaining suite of branding items to the Clubs, including social media, poster and letter templates, PowerPoints and ZOOM backgrounds. The CFUW Club Action Newsletters will provide information on how to register.

Membership in CFUW is a joy and a privilege. We love the learning opportunities, our interest groups, the advocacy and outreach projects, and of course, the camaraderie. Unfortunately, membership in CFUW has declined significantly. What does the future hold for our organization?

The sad news is that, in Ontario, membership in CFUW has declined by 12% over the past five years. The sharpest decline was understandably in 2021, during the Covid years. However, we also have lost members for many other reasons, including age-related matters. To remain vibrant, we must diversify and grow as an organization.

The truly good news is the downward trend has started to turn. In the past year. Ontario-wide membership increased by 2%. With Covid restrictions easing, women are looking to get back “out there” and CFUW could be a very good place for them. What can we do to encourage them to give us a try?

We need to make sure women know about us. It is often said that CFUW is one of the best kept secrets.  We must do everything we can to get the word out about CFUW. Membership and our future are interrelated.

In each OC newsletter, I would like to share some of the great things our clubs are doing to increase our presence. Please click on the links below for some ideas from CFUW Brantford and CFUW Georgetown.

• CFUW Brantford – New Member Handbook
• CFUW Georgetown – Increase Recognition

From Sandy Thomson, Chair CT Fellowships Committee

Expression of Interest: The CFUW Charitable Trust (CT) Fellowships Committees

We are looking to fill vacancies on the Fellowships Committee and invite you to apply.

The Fellowships Committee (four vacancies - at least two French speaking)

The purpose of this group is to receive and adjudicate Fellowship applications via Universities Canada online system.

Criteria:

• A professional degree or work experience in one or more of the fields covered by the CFUW Fellowships and Awards
• Ability to work with online software programs
• Experience in and/or knowledge of research environment in Canada
• Competency in both official languages is a desirable asset but is not mandatory
• Experience and/or qualifications in science, mathematics, engineering, social sciences, humanities is an asset

Term: The appointment will be two years.

If you wish to volunteer for this short-term project (primary work completed February to April), please contact Sandy Thomson, Chair, CT Fellowships Committee at [email protected] to obtain the Expression of Interest form and Confidentiality Agreement. Once completed, the forms will be returned to the CT Board for consideration. 

Ontario Council (OC) is exploring developing resources to support the work clubs are undertaking, with respect to Scholarships. Shortly, clubs will be receiving a survey to solicit information from OC Clubs regarding their scholarship, grant and/or bursary process. The objectives of the survey will be to:

• take a snapshot of how OC Clubs manage the process
• identify and share common concerns and best practices
• explore potential opportunities for innovation
• allow OC to recognize the work done by the clubs’ Scholarship Committees

The survey will be distributed to OC Club presidents who can then pass it on to the most appropriate person in their club to complete. The survey will be in Survey Monkey and should be completed on-line. We would also appreciate clubs providing us with a key contact should we have any follow-up questions. The information will be consolidated and formatted and posted on the OC website to be an ongoing resource for OC Clubs.

We anticipate the survey being distributed sometime in November. If you have any questions, please contact Joyce See. 

September

Before you start your Intent, please read the Ontario Council Resolutions Information and Guidelines. Feel free to connect with the Resolutions Committee Chair at [email protected] to discuss your issue and to get your questions answered.

Intent Submission October 30

The Notice of Intent is due, using the form found in Appendix A of the Resolutions Information and Guidelines, complete with title, explanation and club authorization. Submit your Notice of Intent to the Resolutions Committee Chair at [email protected] with copies to the Club’s Regional Director, and the President of CFUW Ontario Council.

Resolution Development, including Background and Bibliography Oct 30-Nov 30

Members of the Ontario Council Resolutions Committee are available for advice during this period of development. Contact the Resolutions Committee Chair.

Submission of Resolution to Ontario Council Resolutions Committee November 30

The proposed resolution is due using the Resolution Submission form found in Appendix B of the Resolutions Information and Guidelines, complete with Resolved Clauses, Background and Bibliography.

Resolution Committee Review November 30 - January 15

The Resolutions Committee will be reviewing the proposed resolution(s) prior to submission to the clubs.

The Amending Process January 15

The proposed resolution(s) will be forwarded to all OC clubs for review.

Please note that the Resolutions Information and Guidelines document is available on the OC website at https://cfuwontcouncil.org/advocacy/ontario-council-policy/ under The Ontario Council Resolution Process.

Ontario Council carries two insurance policies for our members:

1.  Directors and Officers Liability Insurance, and

2.  Commercial General Liability Insurance.

Directors and Officers Insurance protects CFUW club executive members and club scholarship trustees from being sued in the course of their duties of the club's operation. Limit of coverage is $2 million.

Commercial General Liability (CGL) covers all CFUW individual members and the clubs. Also known as Third-party Liability Coverage, our policy indemnifies/protects venue owners and CFUW members from being sued when injury or damages occur on the owner’s property. This policy provides coverage up to $5 million per occurrence for bodily injury and property damage, and a medical expense limit up to $25 thousand per any one person/any one accident.

Both policies’ coverage currently expires each year on May 24.

Still have questions? Check out the OC Insurance Fact Sheet posted on the OC website under Club Resources. The fact sheet lists several FAQs and responses, and also describes the process to obtain an insurance certificate should your Club require one.

CFUW Aurora/Newmarket has long prided itself on making a difference for women in their community. This was made more than evident at the 2023 Home & Garden Tour, as sponsors, advertisers, community partners and tour guests came together to make this year’s Come be Inspired Home & Garden Tour a success. Over $34,000 was raised by this year’s tour and the proceeds will support the club’s Charitable Trust scholarship program. The news about the success of CFUW Aurora/Newmarket's 2023 Home & Garden Tour has been posted under June Club News on the OC website, but missed the June newsletter cut-off date. You can get all the details at June Club News! 

CFUW Nepean Speakers Series, October 12, 7 to 8 p.m. on ZOOM

CFUW Nepean invites you to join them for their upcoming Speakers Series. Carleton Professor, Dr Mary Jane Edwards, will speak about “The Napoleonic Wars, Slavery, and Emigration: How the Strickland Sisters, Particularly Catharine Parr Strickland Traill and Susanna Strickland Moodie, Wrote Current Issues into Their Literary Works.” To request a ZOOM link please e-mail [email protected].

CFUW Orillia Scholarship Send-Off!

CFUW Orillia has started a new tradition, a summer Scholarship Send-Off. This joint initiative of our Membership Committee & Education Foundation invites scholarship winners, their families and mentors to an outdoor social gathering. The August 2023 Send-off celebrated the significant accomplishment of our 22 CFUW scholarship winners with 16 students, two winners from 2022 as ‘alumni’, nine CFUW Orillia Members and over 45 guests in attendance.

The message given to the young women was one of best wishes for a successful journey as they begin a new and exciting adventure called post-secondary education. All guests learned about CFUW Orillia, Ontario Council & CFUW National as prior to the winners' scholarships, few had heard about CFUW Orillia. Many of the mothers, grandmothers and mentors expressed interest in CFUW Orillia. Attended by members of both CFUW Orillia boards there was plenty of time for mixing and mingling. As one board member said “it’s definitely a highlight having an opportunity to talk individually to the scholarship winners.” Since 1974, CFUW Orillia has awarded $403,975 in scholarships to 749 women to pursuing post-secondary education.

CFUW Oshawa & District - Community Care Durham

CFUW Oshawa & District invite you to join them on October 11th at 7 p.m. when Melissa Rudan will describe the programs and services offered by CCD to support residents who wish to age at home. You may attend in person or via ZOOM. All guests are welcome and admission is free. Email your request for a ZOOM link to [email protected].

You can get all the details about upcoming club events on the OC website at Club Events | CFUW Ontario Council (cfuwontcouncil.org).

And catch up on the latest club news at Club News!

Please share your club's social media posts to

Ontario Council's Facebook and Instagram accounts!