Author: Soroptimist International Western Canada Region

Women who serve as the primary wage earners for their families and seek financial assistance to continue their education or receive training can now apply for the Soroptimist Live Your Dream: Education and Training Awards for Women.

Applications are available online: https://bit.ly/LYDA-apply or by contacting a club near you.  The complete list of Western Canada Region clubs can be found at https://wcregionnewsite9.wordpress.com/clubs.

The application deadline is November 15. Clubs present cash awards to their award recipient(s), who will then advance to the Soroptimist Western Canada Region level, where recipients could receive up to an additional $5,000. The program culminates with three finalist $10,000 awards.

Recipients can use the Live Your Dream Award to offset costs associated with their efforts to attain higher education or additional skills and training. This includes tuition, books, childcare, carfare, or any other education related expense.

The Live Your Dream Award provides over $2.8 million in cash awards to head-of-household women in need each year. Since the program’s inception in 1972, more than $35 million has helped tens of thousands of women achieve their dreams of a better life for themselves and their families. A study conducted by The Fels Institute of Government, a research and consulting organization based at the University of Pennsylvania, confirmed the efficacy and impact of this program. It improves the recipients’ quality of life; builds their confidence; strengthens their self-determination and makes them want to, in turn, help others. Helping women in this way has the demonstrated effect of leading to stronger communities, nations, and the world.

Western Canada Region is part of Soroptimist International of the Americas, a global volunteer organization that provides women and girls with access to the education and training they need to achieve economic empowerment.  For more information about how Soroptimist improves the lives of women and girls, visit www.soroptimist.org.

Seems quiet out there . . . it’s been, what, 3 or 4 weeks since the last revelation of unmarked graves on the grounds of a residential school? Yet we all know there will be more, many more, and part of me feels like I am sitting in a room with an unexploded bomb and the bomb squad is AWOL. Going around in my head is the chorus from the old Neil Young song: “Helpless helpless, helpless . . .”

Decades ago, I attended a conference on violence against women in Ontario. There were quite a few Indigenous women there, and I have a memory of a presentation of an Indigenous model of community, with the children in the middle, then the mothers, then fathers, then grandmothers, then grandfathers. I remember tears flowing at the thought of these concentric circles of love. Then, on the last day, the whole conference disintegrated in Indigenous rage and frustration. I can’t remember the spark. I just remember – and this has stayed with me ever since – trotting after one of the women I had met, and as she strode over the ground, asking her, “Don’t we share anything?” Wanting desperately to find connection, a sense of oneness and solidarity, of community. She glared at me and said, “We all bleed.” She strode on, I lagged behind – slapped down too harshly, I thought.

I continued to think she was too harsh, for a long time. This in spite of living and working with Indigenous women in Fort Chipewyan and Fort Mackay and hearing their litany of ridiculous living conditions. Then, a few years before the Truth & Reconciliation Committee got underway, I remember seeing a movie featuring a black kid from the inner city and a privileged white guy from the suburbs. When the latter came to the ‘hood, he suddenly realized what the kid had been saying: We live in completely different worlds. That one scene got me thinking about what the Indigenous woman had said to me years before.

Over the past several years I have come to believe that we are in separate worlds, we settlers and Indigenous peoples. The worlds overlap, for some more than others. Indigenous people know a lot more about my settler world than I know of theirs. We will never be in the same world; we come from different cultures and we all want to hold our culture. Indeed, that culture – that residential schools tried very, very hard to expunge from all Indigenous children – that is the foundation for each one of us, where we come from, who we come from, our legacy. I know that my legacy is New England thrift and independence; French arrogance; French-Canadian adventure. I treasure all of it. Why would I want anyone to give up theirs?

What can I do? Any of us? Beyond feeling guilty for what “our” people did before us? I believe we settlers have a responsibility to educate ourselves, to understand. I am so grateful to our new Indigenous club member who has told us stories from her grandparents and parents and introduced some knowledge of culture. But it isn’t up to our Indigenous friends to bear the burden. So I recommend . . .

•       any book by Richard Wagamese

•       any book by Lee Maracle, especially My Conversations with Canadians

•       https://indigenousawarenesscanada.com/ – the world leader in Indigenous Awareness Training

•       https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/canada/takeatest.html – an opportunity to test your own unconscious biases

I am so grateful to the Indigenous leaders in the place I live who are focused on going forward together. What a generous sentiment. We cannot have reconciliation without understanding and acknowledgement.

I would love your comments on any discovery you have in delving into your own understanding.

Governor Suzanne

Sunday’s agenda was one of reflection and celebration.

Governor Suzanne called the business of the day to order and advised that participants would be hearing from the Region Board Members and Committee Chairs. At past conferences two sets of reports were presented by Committee Chairs, however this year both the SIA and Region reports would be combined.

Region Board Member Reports: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7dKmF477iM

Region Pillar Chair Reports: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JMHVPvIIUI

Following the report from Dream It Be It (DIBI) Chair Janneke Lewis, (SI North and West Vancouver), a motion was passed that will see WCR become responsible for the Virtual Career Library website. The Region DIBI Chair will ensure that there is a committee in place to oversee operations.

NOTE: In addition to links provided, the entire day’s proceedings have been recorded.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lRGBkMRB3GsiW4JjWZ_I6vANQVJVW2xu/view?usp=sharing

Announcement of New Region Chairs

Governor Suzanne announced that the Region Board has created two new positions, inspired by Soroptimist International (SI) and comments from President Sharon Fisher. One of the main roles of SI is Advocacy on the world stage and President Sharon has commented on the sometime lack of connection between what is happening on the global level and what is happening at the local level. To address this, a Regional Advocacy Chair has been created to engage clubs at a Region level and Janneke Lewis has agreed to take on this role.

The second position will be the Region Friendship Chair who will provide WCR members with a link to the wider SI community around the world, to broaden our horizons and realize the possibilities of friendship and service with other clubs and members. Darlene Jamieson (SI Surrey Delta) will be Region Friendship Chair.

With Chari Grant moving into the role of Governor Elect, Governor Suzanne announced the Past-Governor Heather Rollins (SI Chilliwack) will assume the position of Fundraising Chair for the remainder of the biennium.

Colleen Penrowly (SI Tri-Cities) will assume the role as DIBI Chair for the remainder of the biennium as Janneke Lewis takes on her new role.

Soroptimist Foundation of Canada (SFC) Report

Colleen Penrowly (SI Tri-Cities) provided an update on the activities of SFC which included:

• Last year six (6) grants of $8,000 were presented to women in graduate studies, this year’s applications are with the judges

• Seven (7) clubs received $1,000 grants last year for education programs for women and girls – this year’s deadline is June 30th

• In order to ensure women who don’t live in areas serviced by a club the opportunity to benefit from the Live Your Dream Awards, SFC is presenting seven (7) women with LYD awards in the amount of $2,000 each.

The Soroptimist Foundation of Canada Annual General Meeting will be October 23, 2021 via Zoom.

Award Presentations

Live Your Dream Award (LYD)

Chair Lynda Easler (SI of the Langleys) announced that due to the fact that all clubs in our Region participated in the LYD Awards program, WCR was able to present two financial awards this year. In fact, our clubs presented 45 awards throughout the Region amounting to approximately $116,000!

The second place recipient of the Region’s Awards is Reeham, who was SI North and West Vancouver’s first place recipient. She receives $3,000USD in addition to the financial support of the club. This year’s first place recipient is Andrea, who was the first place recipient of SI Abbotsford Mission’s LYD winners. She receives $5,000USD and will have her name forwarded for Federation judging.

You can hear the responses from these amazing young women and get to know a bit more about them.

Celebrating Success Awards

Celebrating Success Awards recognize outstanding club projects that improve the lives of women and girls through programs leading to social and economic empowerment and/or promote Soroptimist as an organization that improves the lives of women and girls.

These awards recognize the best practices of clubs in each of the four pillar areas: fundraising, membership, program and public awareness.

This year’s recipients are:

• SI Courtenay – Excellence in Fundraising for “Trivia 2019” project

• SI Chilliwack – Excellence in Membership for “Night at the Museum” project

• SI Tri-Cities – Excellence in Programs for “Dress the Docs” project

• SI Courtenay – Excellence in Public Awareness for “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” project

Isobel Gilhespy Memorial Award

Treasurer Donnal had the privilege of presenting the Isobel Gilhespy Memorial Award to the club that demonstrates the greatest net increase in membership from March 16 to March 15 of the next year. This year’s award was presented to SI White Rock!

Francis Wagner Award

Governor-Elect Chari was honoured to present this year’s Francis Wagner Award to Julie Kinsley (SI Tri-Cities). This award recognizes a Soroptimist who has dedicated her life to giving. Please view the recording to meet Julie and understand why she was chosen as this year’s recipient!

Keynote Speaker: Janneke Lewis

Janneke Lewis was born and raised in Durban, South Africa. She has a BA and LLB degree form the University of Natal, Pietrmaritzburg. During her prosecuting years, she specialized in child abuse cases having been told by her superiors that women couldn’t do fraud cases (the work she was interested in). They told her she should do sexual cases because she “could relate to them”. For 14 months she prosecuted rape cases – sometimes 3 in a day. It is here that she prosecuted the first sex ring case – it wasn’t called trafficking in the 1980’s.

When their daughter was three, Janneke and her husband arrived in Vancouver in November 1991 and she attended her first Soroptimist meeting within 2 weeks of arriving.

She has been President of North and West Vancouver club, a Region board member and Governor of Western Canada Region from 2000 – 2002. During her term, she attended International conferences in Australia and Osaka Japan.

 In April 2005,she presented a paper on “Prosecuting Child Traffickers” at the 11th UN congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice on behalf of SI. In November 2005, she was invited to attend a conference put on by ISPAC in Courmayeur Italy to examine the question of “measuring Human Trafficking: the Complexities and Pitfalls.” ISPAC (International Scientific and Professional Advisory Committee) is a“think tank” of the UN.

In 2007, she was invited to represent Soroptimist International in Vienna at the NGO consultative meeting to plan the UN Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking and then attended the conference in February 2008. She is on the SI list of experts in the area of trafficking and violence against women and is sometimes called upon to comment on position papers of the UN on these areas on behalf of SI.

Janneke focuses primarily on the areas of family law including abuse issues, child abduction, and parenting and financial issues including division of assets and support. She is an accredited Family Law mediator and Parenting Co-ordinator.

In 2010 she was honoured with the Canadian Bar Association, BC branch Community Service Award for her work in the area of human trafficking. She is also a member of the Trial Lawyers Association and the BC Parenting Coordinator Roster Society

Janneke Lewis’ Human Trafficking & Sexual Exploitation Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQGZM6zzifY

Following Janneke’s presentation a motion was made and passed which will see the Western Canada Region join with Eastern Canada Region in a joint Canadian Soroptimist project to ascertain whether or not police agencies in Canada implement the Nordic Model or PCEPA (Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act).

Clubs will collect this information through Freedom of Information requests to the police agencies in their area. The information will then be reported to the Regions.

The purpose of collecting this information is to lobby the Canadian Government to implement PCEPA and the Nordic Model.

Closing Remarks

Prior to Governor Suzanne declaring the 88th Annual Western Canada Region Conference closed, planning Co-Chairs Diane Summers, Shelley DellaMattia and Shirley Stewart thanked everyone for coming and for assisting in the organizing of the conference. Each shared their take away moments of the weekend and handed off the conference torch to SI Victoria WestShore for next year.

Tribute to Past Governor Roseanne Ham

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1LalFm52JIjWRLXDFBLNEsekgL0GmPJak

What a weekend!

Hosted by SI of the Langleys, Soroptimists from around the region gathered to share and learn from the comfort of their homes. Club members were joined by SI President Sharon Fisher and other international guests, SIA guests as well as Governor Jennifer Oliver and members of Eastern Canada Region. A benefit of being mindful of travel restrictions allows for our events to take on an international flavour.

Conference Co-Chair Diane Summers welcomed attendees to the conference. In her remarks she recognized the recent passing of Governor Roseanne Ham and explained that according to Region Bylaws, when the Governor is not able to complete her term, the Governor-Elect will assume the role for the remainder of that term followed by the biennium she is to serve as Governor. Governor Suzanne Heron of SI Victoria-West Shore will conduct the business of the Region until the end of this biennium and assume the position again for her term. Similarly, the Governor may appoint a Soroptimist to assume the role of Governor-Elect for the remainder of the term. In this instance, Chari Grant of SI of the Tri-Cities has accepted to fulfill the term as Governor-Elect.

NOMINATING COMMITTEE STRUCK

A three member Nominating Committee was struck at this conference to prepare nominations for the 2022-2024 biennium WCR Board.

Melanie Kenny (SI Saskatoon), Diane Summers (SI of the Langleys), and Sherry Smith (SI Central Alberta) are tasked with contacting members to determine a slate of names for election to the Board at our next conference. Please consider putting your name forward when/if you are contacted. If you are already interested in being part of the Board – reach out to any of these Members!

FEDERATION ADDRESS: Jackie DeMartini, SIA Secretary-Treasurer

In her role within SIA, Jackie DeMartini (SI Newcastle, CA) sees first hand the financial struggle that some clubs and members are facing in the current world climate. Membership is down 16% with those leaving indicating that by meeting on virtual platforms with fundraising and other interactions limited, they were “not getting anything out of their membership”. She reminded all clubs to check in with those clubs when we are able to resume regular activities.

She prefers to use the term “forward to better” rather than “back to normal”. Her words are far more encouraging!

Jackie reminded everyone that the programs and projects that our clubs take on are still very important and should be celebrated on an ongoing basis. As a way to get to know our clubs better and to re-invigorate thinking she opened the floor to hear from us directly about our programs. We thank her for getting us motivated to move “forward to better” in our new Soroptimist year!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fChjhM_Ycuc

MEMORIAL SERVICE

Memorial Co-Chairs Karen Wandler and Sharon Fisher prepared a wonderful tribute to the beautiful Soroptimists that we have said good-bye to this year. Please take a few minutes to watch and remember with us.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqNYuC6jTtI

Conference 2022 – Invitation from SI Victoria-West Shore!

After two years of “watching” instead of “meeting”, this group of women are seriously ready for a road trip! Some had booked their hotel rooms before the weekend was even over! Here’s the invitation from the amazing members of SI Victoria-West Shore.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtAPMbNwY4o

SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER – President Sharon Fisher, Soroptimist International

It is always an honour to hear from SI President Sharon Fisher (SI of the Langleys). Her positive and inspiring message is a reminder of why we work so diligently to empower women globally.

The “Road to Equality” President’s Appeal is focusing on making changes in six (6) areas that impact women and girls globally:

• Domestic Violence

• Human Trafficking

• Forced and Child Marriage

• Female Genital Mutilation

• Older Persons

• People on the Move

To learn more about what has been done and will continue to be done as a result of President Sharon’s vision please view her presentation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=359xrIU4ZKM

President Sharon reminded all that there will be a grand 100th Anniversary Celebration on October 1-3, 2021 (virtual). Members are encouraged to register and part of this historic event. The organizing committee is also looking for assistance with some of the prep work for the event, if you might be interested please let President Sharon know.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER – Emmy Skates, Executive Director, The Salvation Army Gateway of Hope, Langley BC

During the early planning of this year’s retreat, Governor Roseanne felt strongly that members should hear from a local organization that serves the community and how they have pivoted to meet the needs of their community over the past year. The Salvation Army Gateway of Hope has successfully continued to serve their existing clients in additions to many new clients in need of food and assistance with coping during the current conditions we all face.

While several programs offered at the Gateway have had to be halted temporarily, many of them were ramped up to serve the growing demand:

• 75,000 community meals – pivoted to served in house to being made “to go”

• 11,000 emergency stays

• 9,000 transition stays

• 850 school backpacks for local children – delivered by volunteers rather than picked up by families

• 3,000 food hampers for families – also delivered by volunteers rather than available for pick up

The Gateway of Hope has an operating budget of $3.3 million, with $1.5 million of that fund raised through events like the Christmas Kettle Campaign ($226,000) and Coldest Night of the Year ($87,000).

The staff and volunteers of the Gateway of Hope are dedicated to ensuring that everyone in need is provided as much assistance as they are able to provide. The support of organizations like SI of the Langleys locally continues to make their jobs easier and provides them with encouragement knowing there are those in the community supporting their efforts..

To learn more about The Salvation Army Gateway of Hope please visit: www.gatewayofhope.ca

With that the first day was done! Committee Co-Chair Diane thanked everyone for being there and introduced a wonderful video salute to 100 Fashionable Years of Soroptimist which was created by Karen Wandler (SI of the Langleys).

I am new to my Celebrating Success position but I noticed only 8 clubs sent in entries last year! Plus only 3 clubs won from each of four  priorities for Soroptimist of the America’s priorities!!!  One of our basic tenets had only 1 entry so guaranteed to win!! It is not a strong representation of all the good things we do in WCR!! 

I am hoping with an early reminder that WCR clubs can find their more exciting projects to brag about from your individual clubs!!

By tasking a Club Member to be responsible to help your executive to brag about your club you involve more members!! Plus by writing down your successes it reminds members of your quality projects under SIA guidelines!!

The most current form is found on the SIA website!

For any questions please contact me anytime at the email above or on my cell at 780 903-0426!!

Anna Der, Past-President,
Soroptimist International Club of Edmonton

Join us on September 25 and 26 at 7:00 p.m., EST, to celebrate our bright past and to dream big for our brilliant future.
Highlights will include:

• Opening SIA’s historic time capsule

• Exhibit of our early years

• Interactive game show with chance for prizes

• Launch of a new SIA video.

Stay tuned for more details about this exciting event! View our Celebration in a Box for other ways to celebrate.

With the global pandemic continuing, the SIA Board of Directors held a special meeting on January 7, 2021 to further review and discuss the risk of face-to-face region conferences and other face-to-face SIA sanctioned activities and travel. Risk is anything that jeopardizes the health, safety or welfare of our members or Soroptimist as an organization.

The SIA Board made the decision – effective immediately – to temporarily pause face-to-face meetings and activities authorized or sanctioned by SIA along with associated meeting travel, until further notice. This includes region conferences and other region and club meetings and activities.

The SIA Board is aware of its duty to manage the legal and financial risk of the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic and its effects on the members, staff, and other stakeholders, including our Dream Program participants and the general public. It was only after careful analysis of all relevant factors the board decided that the ONLY absolutely effective action was to temporarily pause all SIA face-to-face meetings, activities and events, along with related travel, until further notice. 

With the spike in numbers reported on the disease throughout the federation and across the U.S., including the new variant which seems even more transmissible and insidious, there is no guarantee that compliance with local or other governmental guidelines will insulate SIA and its members, staff and stakeholders including the general public, from bodily harm or death.  Only by removing the incubator-like situations of face-to-face meetings and activities. can SIA say that it is doing everything possible to protect those individuals and SIA as an organization.

The detrimental effect on SIA is clear and of great concern to the board.  But when weighed against the possible exposure endangering the health and safety of all concerned, as well as the financial risk to the organization and the infected individuals, the difficult but prudent policy is to take a temporary step back from face-to-face meetings and activities.

The board also considered several other possible mitigation strategies, none of which are as effective as the temporary pause.

Please remember this is a TEMPORARY PAUSE; the federation board will continue to evaluate the changing conditions of this global pandemic and remove this temporary pause when we can all gather safely. Until that time, we will support each other and create innovative solutions so we can remain strong for the women and girls who need us.

If you have questions, please go to:

https://www.soroptimist.org/for-clubs-and-members/whats-new/2021/pause-face-to-face-meetings.html