Executive positions and Committees
Our members enjoy travel, entertaining, and the many benefits of active lives. As a result, we have found that job-sharing is an excellent way of getting the work done, and embrace the adage that ‘many hands make light work’. We have a calendar of monthly activities to guide us through the year.
PRESIDENT/PAST PRESIDENT:
Our President in name is the ‘face’ of CFUW Brantford, representing us at CFUW National and Ontario Council . In 2023-24, we have six members who share the President’s job and two members rotating as Past President. Our club is unique in the way that we have addressed members’ reluctance to take on the big job of President. It is impressive to see a handful of members share the role — one person each month — handling the meetings, the ‘monthly to do list’, and ably passing the ‘leadership baton’ from one person to the next. This team shores each other up, recovers if a ball is dropped, and genuinely cares about one another’s success.
TREASURER:
Our Treasurer manages the financials for both our Club and our Scholarship Committee, developing the annual budgets for approval, tracking actual vs budget, collecting dues and other receivables, issuing tax receipts, and disbursing funds to National, OC, international organizations, etc. She maintains our financial records and coordinates an annual audit of our books.
SECRETARY:
The Secretarial duties are currently shared by two people, ensuring that Agenda and Minutes are accurate, and distributed. Our Club uses DropBox as a virtual filing system that allows the Executive to access records and update the files that are their responsibility.
COMMITTEE CHAIRS are equally impressive, key contributors at our monthly Executive Meetings, who capably manage their respective committees.
ADVOCACY:
The Chair of Advocacy manages the annual CFUW Resolutions process. She or her designate provides feedback to National and the respective clubs. In the past, the Committee has met with local Councillors, MP and MPP, conducted All Candidate Meetings during elections, and taken on projects to advocate for the rights, freedoms and education of women and girls.
INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT:
For the past few years, our club has allocated the portion of our dues targeted for ‘supporting the rights, freedom, and education of women and girls globally, and in third world countries in particular’ to not-for-profit organizations that our club members actively support with their own personal time, talent and treasure.
In the past four years, our club supported Barbara Mayo Melara’s work with Amarok Society, Bangladesh; Joan Prior’s support of Canadian Nurses in Africa; Bev Golden’s work with CUSO, Jen deAlwis’ work with the Grand River Grannies, Linda Tripp’s work with World Vision, and Evelyn Picketts’ work with Home of Hope in Malawi.
COMMUNICATIONS:
The monthly newsletter and periodic emails keep us advised about CFUW at the local, national and international level. Our website and Facebook page are well maintained – of interest for our members as well as helpful to the general public for women seeking a women’s group in Brantford. Our outreach connects with members who are ill as well as ensuring that members who don’t have technology are kept up to date through the delivery of information such as newsletters and membership renewal forms.
INTEREST GROUPS:
Our Chair of Interest Groups tracks membership renewals and provides the Chair of the respective Interest Group with a list of members who have indicated they wish to participate in that group. Most of us say that it is the Interest Groups that are at the heart of our organization. In these smaller gatherings, we have a better opportunity to connect and get to know one another over bridge, games, books, golf, food, walking, day trippers, biking, and world awareness. Our members value the engaged conversation about a myriad of topics that arise during these smaller group events.
MEMBERSHIP:
Our Membership Chair is the key contact for new members and people interested in finding out about CFUW Brantford. At General Meetings, members greet us at the door, give us our name tags and welcome guests, helping them to get situated. The Membership Chair manages the annual membership renewal process, coordinating with the Treasurer and Chair of Interest Groups. Our Membership Chair maintains and distributes the membership list, so if you have any changes of address, email or phone, please contact the Chair of Membership.
PROGRAM:
Our General Meetings are lively and bright thanks to guest speakers who inform, educate and entertain us before the business portion of the meeting. Our Program Committee researches and engages speakers locally and farther afield to speak at our General Meetings and the AGM.
SCHOLARSHIP:
Scholarships are awarded to girls graduating from high school and to women who are mature students returning for post-secondary education. Our Scholarship Committee fosters relationships with local secondary schools and relevant organizations to ensure that potential award winners are encouraged to submit applications. The Committee invites members to participate in the review of the applications and recommend recipients of the awards. The Scholarship Fund is supported by annual dues, and commemorative donations. Trivia Night, an annual Scholarship fundraiser, has raised nearly $30,000 over the years. Trivia Night raised over $3,000 in 2023 AND had about 30 Club members — over a third of our Club — actively engaged in everything from selling books and tickets to participating on teams.
SOCIAL:
We feel a sense of belonging and community that happens from the moment we walk into the Carriage House, our venue for General Meetings that is so graciously provided by Thorpe’s Funeral Home. Our Chair of Social and her committee set up the meeting room, provide sweets and treats, clean up after meetings, and organize the annual Banquet.
NOMINATIONS:
A Nominations Committee is established each Spring to reach out to the membership and develop a roster of candidates to sit on the Executive for the coming year. The Chair presents the candidates at the AGM, and manages the voting or acclamation process. If you would like to participate on a committee or get more information about the Club’s activities, please contact anyone on the Executive (see page 11/6. CONTACTS)
MEETINGS:
We offer hybrid General Meetings so that members have a choice of attending in person or by Zoom. Some Interest Group Chairs conduct Zoom meetings as circumstances dictate, and Zoom is a good platform for special meetings such as Resolutions.
WELCOME! We wish you a rewarding experience with CFUW Brantford.
