|
||||
 Mission Statement |
 |
Resolutions This page is a summary page of resolutions proposed by this Council during the past two years. May 2009 "For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them." Over the past two years we have journeyed the Resolution Train together climbing the steep hills and coasting down into the valleys accumulating information along the way. We've been researching and studying data to produce such resolutions as: Assist Victims of Human Trafficking; Informed Consent; End Child Poverty in Canada; Unborn Victims of Crime; Inadequate Disclosure of Abortion Risks and Reducing the Use of Disposable Products. All of these resolutions have been submitted to me and I have had the great opportunity to work with two phenomenal committees to edit the resolutions and briefs in preparation to present them to you at both last years and this year’s conventions. This has been a very humbling and educational experience. I have received direction from my provincial counterpart Marlene Pavletic who was always there to direct and guide me, keeping me on the right track. At the national level I was directed by Betty Ann Brown last year and this year by Barb Dowding. When any of these women sent me an update, I forwarded their valuable information to you in my directives. I hope that I have kept you informed and as up to date as possible. Recently, I have learned of another change in the resolution preparation progress and I am including this now. YES, it seems some what confusing even contradicting, but when you read it carefully, it does make sense. The following is the information from National Resolutions Chair, Barb Dowding:
I encourage you to check both the national and provincial web pages under Resolutions to see a listing of resolutions which have been adopted by the Catholic Women's League since 1920. As well, keep vigilant eyes on the Legislative changes. Recently Bill 152 concerning "Poverty Reduction" and Bill C-268, "An Act to amend the Criminal Code" (minimum sentences involving trafficking of persons under the age of eighteen) has been in the in the news. It is through actions that resolutions gain strength to achieve success. Take action when needed! At the provincial level there are 10 resolutions being presented to the executive and 24 resolution titles submitted to national level, as of March 2009. It is my honour and privilege to be in attendance at both of these conventions to learn the fate of all of the submitted resolutions. May Our Lady of Good Counsel be with us always. Respectfully submitted by the "Little Engine that Could -- and did!" Spring 2009 "I am only one, but I am one. I can't do everything but I can do something. But because I can't do everything I refuse not to do the something I can do." -- Helen Keller It is hard to believe that an entire month has passed since the festive and holy season of Christmas. I hope that each and every one of you had a blessed and happy Christmas and that 2009 is filled with immense love, happiness, and good health as we are all "Women of Peace and Hope - Pillars of Faith." Welcome to all of the newly installed Resolutions Chairwoman. I am delighted that you have taken on this very important role for your council and for the Catholic Women's League. With each year that I have been involved at the diocesan level and having to prepare my report for the Annual Report Book, it never ceases to amaze me how one report always stands out above the rest. This year's report by St. Joseph Parish in Fergus was outstanding! Each month they discussed, implemented and took action on many resolutions both past and present. Congratulations to Joyce Cotter for an excellent report and truly remarkable work on keeping your sister members informed about the resolutions passed at the different levels of the Catholic Women's League. When you are considering ideas for resolutions there are actually two different directions or intentions for them. The two resolutions which are listed below are meant to be forward on to provincial council, then to national with the hopes of government intervention. These are external resolutions. The other type of resolution is intended to go only as far as national council and thus it is deemed an internal resolution. Last fall two councils present me with resolutions for the 89th Annual Hamilton Diocesan Convention. They are: Inadequate Informed Consent Prior to Abortion — previously Informed Consent Reducing the Use of Disposable Products — (Education and Health) This resolution is giving us the incentive to reduce the production of unnecessary disposable items. By reducing these products the environment will not be affected through waste disposal and the cost incurred by the consumer. A copy of these resolutions in Draft Status can be found in the Presidents Envelope. I ask that you discuss them with your councils and bring your thoughts and any changes that you feel need to be made on these with you to the convention along with the copy of the resolutions. Also enclosed in the Presidents Envelope you will find three inserts: a) Checklist for Reviewing Proposed Resolutions; b) Resolution Preparation Tips; c) Building a Relationship with Your MPP. The latter is beneficial to the Legislation Chair as well so make a copy of it to ensure you both have this vital piece of information! At both the Provincial and National Conventions the Resolutions Chair holds a Resolutions Dialogue prior to the actual opening of the convention. This year, we will be implementing this at our Convention. I look forward to ALL LEAGUE MEMBERS participation at this forum on Friday, May 29, 2009 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Ballroom at the Delta Hotel. By having the Resolutions Dialogue ahead of time it allows the committee time to correct and prepare the changes for the presentation at the convention itself. So plan to arrive early on Friday to attend this very important session! I would like to thank Sue MacDonald for agreeing once again to assist me by being a part of the Subcommittee. I would also like to thank and welcome two of our Life Members, Pat Crawford and Jacqui Papke for agreeing as well to work on this committee. Without all of their assistance and expertise, it would be very difficult to successfully present these to you. Fall 2008 "I am only one, but I am one. I can't do everything but I can do something. But because I can't do everything I refuse not to do the something I can do." DIRECTIVE: #4 My eyes were opened wide this past year as I worked my way through as Resolutions chairwoman! It was a very humbling experience. On June 1, 2008 at our annual convention, I had the honour of presenting four resolutions:
Following some amendments these were debated and eventually passed and forwarded on to provincial council. There they were revamped including re-titled and at the provincial convention I was given the privilege of speaking to the resolutions on your behalf. Creating a National Strategy to End Child Poverty, formerly Creating a Strategy to End Child Poverty in Canada, and Bill C-484, Support for Unborn Victims of Crime, formerly Support the Victims of Crime Act: Bill C-484 were passed; Extension of Temporary Resident Permits, formerly Assist Victims of Human Trafficking was tabled for further work and Informed Consent -- Induced Abortion, formerly Informed Consent was defeated. The first two at the time this report was being prepared, were now in the hands of Betty Anne Brown and the national council. We wait in anticipation of their results! The two revised resolutions and briefs can be found in the Spectrum and on our web site. I urge you to discuss these with your councils and follow through with their action plans! I encourage you to continue to pray for the advancement of our resolutions. I encourage you to develop new resolutions which are important subjects for you and others. I encourage you to study past resolutions which continue to demand our attention and actions. Past resolutions can be found on the National Website and I have also listed several below of interest. Ongoing Action and Monitoring of Past Resolutions Continue to monitor and act upon areas of:
I've enclosed a paper in presidents package entitled, "More Facts and Reasons to Rid of Plastic Bags!" I was sent this information via the Internet. Even though this is U.S. based data, it is still daunting facts! Share this with your family, council, parish and community. Impress upon them the importance of plastic bag reduction. If you have the opportunity to look on the Internet - Google "Garbage Island", you will be shocked and disgusted by what man is doing to our environment and wildlife. As previously said, our resolution, Bill C 484: Support For Unborn Victims of Crime must continue to be followed with hopes of being passed this fall and we need to implement actions to reduce the percentage of poverty in children here in Ontario and across Canada. Enclosed in the Presidents Package are pamphlets with regards this. I encourage you to continue your letter writing campaigns without these letters our elected government officials will not know how we feel about issues that are pertinent to better health, well being, education and concerns of our members and their families. I have been reminded by Marlene Pavletic, Provincial Resolutions Chairwoman that:
As I end this directive I also remind you of my oral report from convention where I noted my experience this past year as that of the story of The Little Engine that Could. So start your engines and begin the uphill climb on the resolutions train. Let’s get on the same track to successfully preparing a resolution to save, protect and better our families, society, our nation, our League and our world. If you have a great interest and knowledge in resolutions and the preparation of them, I ask you to contact me to join my committee. I would gratefully accept your knowledge and expertise! May 2008 "I am only one, but I am one. I can't do everything but I can do something. But because I can't do everything I refuse not to do the something I can do." DIRECTIVE: #3 Resolutions Activity Calendar Last December, councils submitted their year-end reports, which I have accumulated and submitted to the Annual Report Book. I must say I was not shocked but I was disappointed to find that only 32/103 councils returned their form; five of them were returned blank and 22/32 did not have a Chairperson. I ask you to please return your form next December with your council's name on it and anything that you have done with regards resolutions ... even if it is only reading them! These resolutions are to help you and others, so take the opportunity of going through them, discussing them at your meetings and following up with the action plans as directed. In addition, if you are the chairperson of both legislation and resolutions committees, please send an individual report to both the Resolutions and Legislations Chairpersons, as we do not prepare our reports together. The Resolutions Committee is a committee which many people shy away from. It can often be intimidating however, without it we would not be successful in making changes in the lives of so many and our voices would not be heard by the government. I would like to thank St. Paul's (Burlington), St. Joseph's and St. Teresa's (Kitchener) for the four amazing resolutions they submitted, and for all of the work and effort that they put into preparing the briefs and resolutions. St. Joseph's is responsible for two of the four resolutions! Moreover, without the tireless works of Sue MacDonald and Jacqui Connolly, these resolutions would not have been critiqued and perfected the way they were. These two women have taught me about the process of resolutions and for this I will forever be grateful. It was brought to my attention that I made an error in the Spring Spectrum on page 12 when I referred to Unborn Victims of Violence (i.e. The Unborn Victims of Crime Act Bill C-484) "... the topic is again being revisited to help to protect the pre-born child from the travesty of abortion." This resolution is actually about the "murder" of the pre-born "wanted" child. I apologize for the error or if I confused anyone on this. This has also been corrected on the web site. My provincial counterpart, Marlene Pavletic, sends me frequent updates and she asks that I remind councils to:
Important points include:
Remember both the federal and provincial governments are in session for just a short period of time before they break for the summer, so I encourage you to be vigilant, as many important issues will be addressed. Access web sites: www.gov.on.ca and www.canada.gc.ca I look forward to boarding the Resolution Train with you, stopping at your station (council) to pick up a new resolution that has tweaked your interest! In closing, I have attached a very useful sheet "Resolutions Activity Calendar" which will aid you in what is expected while formatting a resolution with regards to timelines. May Our Lady of Good Council continue to guide, protect and teach us! Respectfully submitted, Spring 2008 "For I am certain that nothing can separate us from his love: neither death nor life, neither angels nor other heavenly rulers or powers, neither the present nor the future, neither the world above nor the world below - there is nothing in all creation that will ever be able to separate us from the love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 3: 38-39) DIRECTIVE: #2 Another year has passed; another Christmas celebrating the birth of Jesus, our Saviour has come and gone and a new year is here for us to spread the news to one and all of the good works that we are doing for God, our country and the Catholic Women's League. Since last fall the Resolutions Committee and the three submitting councils have been working on four resolutions with hopes that they will be passed at our convention in May of this year. There was one topic which was carried over from last year whereupon the provincial council asked us to further study and re-present it:
As well, we are now working on the following for presentation:
Last fall I also mentioned another topic Charitable Gaming Fund Raising. This resolution has been withdrawn at this time. I am awe-inspired by the work and efforts given by these councils and committee. Resolutions are here to help YOU and ME! Resolutions have been born to aid in the health, safety, concerns and long term needs of men, women, children, the unborn, the infirm, for environmental reasons, and so on. I invite each and every council to study the past resolutions, but don't only study them, put them into practice. We have made a difference in the lives of so many people; let's continue to take a stand. I have received a directive from my provincial counterpart Marlene Pavletic. She spoke on:
A list of resolutions and their action plans from the provincial convention 2007 are listed below. Provincial Resolutions and Action Plans ON.07.01 Dangers of Impaired Driving: Education and Awareness WHEREAS, The number one criminal preventable cause of death in our country is impaired driving; and Action plan: Members are encouraged to:
*This resolution was referred to the national education and health standing committee for action. ON.07.02 Government Funding for Volunteer Screening: WHEREAS, Volunteers are an important part of every community and may require a mandatory police records check; and Action plan: Members are encouraged to:
*This resolution was renamed and adopted at the national convention. In addition, refer to action plan: 2007.01 Government Funding for Police Records Checks found in the fall National League Magazine. ON.07.03 Withholding of Funds for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research: WHEREAS, Some well-known organizations conduct and/or support research projects using human embryonic stem cells; and *This resolution was directed to the national chairperson of education and health for further review and study. Councils and members are encouraged to:
In conclusion, I challenge you to continue to create new resolutions and help to better and change the world. Respectfully submitted, Fall 2007 "I am only one, but I am one. I can't do everything but I can do something. But because I can't do everything I refuse not to do the something I can do." (Hellen Keller) Dear Parish Resolutions Standing Committee Chairs DIRECTIVE: #1 Welcome to all seasoned and new Resolutions Chairs! My name is Rosanne Sogan and I am a seasoned member of your Diocesan Council. I've previously been chair of Communications, Spiritual Development, Christian Family Life and most recently, Recording Secretary. This past May, I was elected as your First-Vice President and our president, Georgina Bourke, assigned me to Resolutions. This is a very new position for me: a great challenge with big shoes to fill! Last May, at our Diocesan Convention, Ana Sousa presented three resolutions, all carried:
These were forwarded to the Provincial Resolutions Committee. However, only one was accepted, Funding for Volunteer Screening. After a great deal of dialogue and scrutiny, this resolution was passed at the provincial convention in July and will be presented at the national convention. I will report at the Fall Region on its success. We have, however, been asked to work further on the other two resolutions. Congratulations to Ana and ALL involved. When I returned from provincial convention, I was pleasantly surprised to receive an e-mail from St. Teresa council in Kitchener regarding a proposed resolution. At this time we have three resolutions that our diocese may consider working on for 2007-2008:
Please remember, there is always room for more! If you have a vision to work on and formulate another resolution, I would be more then delighted to hear from you. As well, if you find any information on these topics in newspapers, magazines or on the Internet, please forward them to me as soon as possible. Please consider working on these resolutions at your home parish and report your findings to me. Don't forget, resolutions are exciting and historical! WHEREAS, the members of the Catholic Women's League can and have made a major difference in this countries laws, and Create a resolution that will make a difference for you and me, for our families and for our country! Your resolutions must be ready for presentation to the Diocesan Council by October 31, 2007, as I must have a list of proposed submissions to the Provincial Resolutions Chairwoman by December 15, 2007. I ask for your prayers and for Our Lady of Good Council to guide me through the next two years. top of page | Directives | Home Send us your comments, ideas and suggestions. |
||
