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CFUW Stratford September 2014 Fall Newsletter 1
Canadian Federation of University Women
CFUW Stratford September 2014 Newsletter
REMINDER It's time to renew your membership for the coming year! Stratford membership dues are $95 for regular members, $45 for full time students, and $30 for dual members. New and returning members can register in person at the Meet & Greet. We look forward to including you in the great 2014-2015 program. Please invite friends, neighbours and colleagues to our September 23 Meet & Greet and encourage them to join CFUW. An invitation is attached (pg 6). Membership Chair, Mary Fisher
CONTENTS Message from the President page 2 Program page 3 Building Community in a Fragmenting World Advocacy page 4 2014-15 Executive page 5 Interest Groups page 5 2014-15 Art Series page 6 Meet & Greet Invitation page 7 Encourage prospective members!
Email: cfuwstratford@gmail.com Website: www.cfuwstratford.wordpress.com
CFUW Stratford – Who We Are Founded in 1954, CFUW Stratford is a voluntary, not for profit, nonpartisan organization of more than 70 women, both university graduates and other women who share our goals and values, living in and around Stratford. We are dedicated to positive change for a peaceful, sustainable future and are affiliated with: • CFUW Ontario Council, representing over 6,000 women in 55 clubs across the province; www.cfuwontcouncil.ca
• CFUW, the Canadian Federation of University Women with more than 9,000 members in over 100 clubs across Canada; and www.cfuw.org
• IFUW, the International Federation of University Women, with more than 70 affiliates around the world. www.ifuw.org
As a club we are committed to: the pursuit of knowledge; the promotion of education; the improvement of the status of women and girls; the protection of human rights; the promotion of peace, justice and equality; and active participation in public affairs in the spirit of cooperation and friendship. Our fundraisers and donations provide annual scholarships for the education of local female students.
* WE WELCOME NEW MEMBERS *
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Message from the President
What a delight it was to attend the National CFUW AGM in Waterloo in June. CFUW Stratford was able to send three delegates covering the three days of the event, (with no cost for travel or hotels!). Sheila Clarke, Anne Carbert (our new Ontario Council rep) and I attended, along with an incoming member, the former president of CFUW Sherbrooke who is just moving to Stratford. The experience of learning about how other Clubs operate, interacting with members from across the country, and getting to know the National staff and their roles were all great benefits. And while I enjoyed the workshops, and speakers, the connections with other CFUW members was the best aspect of this event for me. It provided two things: an inspiration about moving forward with Club plans, and a sense of pride in what CFUW Stratford has accomplished. While many clubs are experiencing slippage in membership, we have maintained or increased our membership over the last few years, and the transportation project is one of the significant efforts among the Clubs. However, it was also clear that we have many possible areas to grow in, and I look forward to the challenge to do so. It seems to me that the strength of our Club is in the bonds of relationship that we forge in our interest groups. They are the cords that hold us together and are very important to the wellbeing of the Club, and to our personal wellbeing as well. We know that isolation is devastating to physical and emotional health, and is so destructive to the survival of cities and communities. This has led to the plan for this year’s theme: “Building Community in a Fragmenting World”. There are so many challenges that undermine relationships and the speakers have been chosen to help us look at ways those challenges can be addressed. Of course, CFUW is not only about interest groups. The twin focus of advocating for women’s issues and supporting the education of women is validated by research, which shows that the wellbeing of women and their education are key to the wellbeing of their country. These are important issues and help us to make a difference in Stratford, in Canada and, through IFUW, in the world. However, I am undoubtedly “preaching to the choir”-‐-‐-‐as members, you already know the benefits of being part of this local, national, and international organization. I am hoping that you will, however, pass this information on to your friends, and encourage them to come to the Meet and Greet, 7:00 pm on September 23rd, and then join. We look forward to that event as a wonderful chance to reconnect after the summer, and to have a very stimulating presentation to kick off the 2014-‐2015 year. See you there!
Louise McColl -‐President
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2014 – 2015 PROGRAM Building Community in a Fragmenting World
Sept 23: ANNUAL MEET & GREET for Prospective and Returning Members 7:00 pm, University of Waterloo, Stratford Campus,
Screening of the Stratford Festival Forum Event "And Her Children".
Canadian Senator and retired Lt. Gen. Romeo Dallaire, Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish, founder of the Daughters for Life Foundation, and Dr. Samantha Nutt, founder of War Child Canada, come together for this extraordinary examination of the living legacies of war.
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REGULAR MEETINGS at Central United Church* 7:30 pm Oct 28: Mary Bastedo, former community leader, L’Arche Stratford, co-ordinator of “The Cedars” at L’Arche Daybreak, Richmond Hill Nov 25, Jan. 27, Feb. 24, April 28: sequence for the following speakers to be confirmed Anne Copeland V.P. Anne Hathaway School and past Coordinator of the Avon Maitland District School Board "Safe Schools" Program Altiera Essensa Executive Director, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Stratford & District Eugene Dufour Chair Stratford Perth Residential Hospice Steering Committee Mar 24: CFUW National Resolutions : Come Prepared for Discussion
*********** Dec 6: Seasonal Celebration 11:30 AM, The Queen’s Inn, 161 Ontario Street, Stratford April 11: Elizabethan Dinner Fundraiser 6:30 pm, The Queen’s Inn, 161 Ontario Street Stratford May 26: Annual General Meeting: 6:00 pm, The Queen’s Inn, 161 Ontario Street, Stratford Speaker: Michelle Baldwin, Exec. Director, Pillar Nonprofit Network
Pillar Nonprofit Network provides leadership, advocacy, and support to the nonprofit sector through the promotion of volunteerism, professional development and networking opportunities, and information sharing.
Note: Regular meetings are held at Central United Church, 194 Avondale Ave., Stratford. Please use the back door off the Huntingdon Ave parking lot. The meeting commences at 7:30 p.m. with the evening’s speaker. The regular business meeting follows a short refreshment break at 8:30 p.m.
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CFUW NATIONAL ADVOCACY URGENT CALL FOR ACTION: Justice for Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women and Girls The August 17 discovery of 15 year old Tina Fontaine’s body in the Red River again focused attention on the 1,200 Aboriginal women and girls in Canada, missing or murdered, over the last 30 years. CFUW joined the Native Women's Association of Canada, the Assembly of First Nations, the Canadian Human Rights Commission and many others calling on elected officials to implement a full public inquiry and a national action plan to address the disproportionate violence faced by Aboriginal women and girls. Letters went to the Minister of Justice, and the Premiers of every province demanding action. CFUW clubs and individual members wrote to federal and provincial elected officials. On August 27, in Charlottetown Canada’s premiers and native leaders renewed their demand for a federal inquiry and invited the Prime Minister to participate in a roundtable discussion. Please join fellow CFUW members by writing to your Member of Parliament, Premier and relevant provincial Ministers to demand justice and action for Missing and Murdered Aboriginal women and girls. Templates and addresses are provided at http://www.fcfdu.org/en-ca/advocacy
ADVOCACY: CFUW Stratford Public Transportation Project After a summer of renewal, the CFUW transportation project, You Can't Get There from Here www.gettingthere.ca, is set to refresh efforts to maintain rail transportation to and from Stratford, within an integrated transportation framework. On June 19, Advocacy members Liz Dolan and Sheila Clarke met with Metrolinx (Go Transit) executives Leslie Woo, V-‐P Policy, Planning & Innovation, and Bert Peverini, Chief, Rail Network Planning. Discussion centered on the transportation needs of SW Ontario, and Stratford in particular, noting the presence of the rail yards. On June 22, two presentations were made at the CFUW National AGM in Kitchener – once to the Ontario attendees and again to the full gathering with the website live in the background. Many, many members described similar transportation difficulties in their provinces. The on-‐line petition reached its goal of 500, and was submitted to Premier Wynne along with a cover letter. We await word on a meeting request to the Transportation Minister's office. Ongoing initiatives include membership in SWOTA, the Southwest Ontario Transportation Alliance, including Sarnia, London, St. Mary’s and Stratford. This group is restructuring under new leadership, and seeking opportunities for political voice. We continue to be represented on the United Way Transportation Task Force, which is exploring transportation alternatives to enable their clientele to reach services and employment. We are also involved in an Ontario CFUW Standing Committees meeting that will highlight transportation in the coming year. We are renewing efforts to speak with the federal government re: VIA, and with the new VIA President, Yves Desjardins-‐Siciliano, and will continue our liaison with the City and other community groups. Additional community engagement may also be a direction to look at with reference to GO trains. Stay tuned! (And stay trained :)
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Your CFUW STRATFORD EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 2014-15
President Louise McColl 519-271-6942 plmccoll@cyg.net
Past President & Scholarship Chair Katherine Gunnel Gavin 519-305-1066 gunnelgavin@rogers.com
Vice President Charlotte Gillett 519-272-1101 cgillett15@hotmail.com
2nd Vice President Lois Battle (duties only) 519-272-5032 lbattle47@hotmail.com Secretary/Newsletter Pat Shewen 226-921-5021 pshewen@uoguelph.ca
Treasurer Jean Hillen 519-271-1516 jrhillen@rogers.com
Membership Chair Mary Fisher 519-271-7062 fisherjm6@gmail.com
Program Chair Pat Reavy 519-273-0176 preavy@rogers.com Advocacy Chair Margaret Reid 519-273-0068 rielreid47@gmail.com
Communications & Archives Nora Walden 519-272-0001 twalden@orc.ca
Fund Development Ann Reynolds 519-273-7727 no email
Interest Groups
Interest Groups start again this Fall. Think about which ones you want to join, then sign-up at the Meet and Greet September 23rd. Most groups meet once a month and it is a great way to meet new people, reconnect with friends and also take part in an activity you enjoy. You will be able to sign up for the following groups:
Advocacy and Action Lunch Bunch Book Clubs (Noon, 3rd Friday each month) Bridge Movie Night Crafts & Chats (3rd Monday each month) French Mystery Readers Gourmet Quilting Learn to Play Basic Bridge Walking New this year: a group to engage with IFUW activities
If you would like to start a new group, please contact Lois Battle. lbattle47@hotmail.com
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Join Bob Phillips for two interactive presentations:
• Conversation with a Sculpture: Developing Relationships with Art
Explore ways of interpreting ideas and locating personal meaning in visual artworks. No extensive knowledge of art is required!
• Shark in the Gallery: Making Connections with Contemporary Art
This presentation will attempt to calm fears and open eyes to the complexity,
ambiguity and meanings to be found in recent visual art.
Dates: Fridays - Nov. 14 and 21, 2014 Time: 1:30 – 3:30 pm Location: River Gardens Retirement Residence, 10 Romeo St., Stratford Light refreshments will be served.
Fund Raising Event for:
Canadian Federation of University Women – Stratford Club
Local Post Secondary Scholarship Program
$30.00 for a Series Ticket (available at Blowes Stationery) Single tickets available at the door for $ 17.00
For further information and tickets contact 519-273-7727 or 272-5032
Bob Phillips is currently Education Officer for Teacher Programs at the Art Gallery of Ontario. Bob taught visual arts and drama with the Peel District School Board for thirty years. He was sessional professor in the Art and Art History program at the University of Toronto and Sheridan College and taught elementary and secondary teachers at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto. Bob maintains a passionate affair with contemporary global art (even does some of this own.)
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Canadian Federation of University Women
CFUW Meet and Greet
Tuesday, September 23rd, 2014 at 7:00 pm University of Waterloo Stratford Campus
125 St. Patrick St.
You are invited to enjoy social time and refreshments followed by our program: viewing and discussion of the video “And Her Children” from the 2014 Stratford Festival Forum.
This speakers panel examines the contemporary equivalents to Mother
Courage’s children and the living legacies of war.
This meeting is a chance for you to consider joining CFUW Stratford with its array of interest groups and monthly meetings
with stimulating speakers.