In this Newsletter... - President's Message
- October Meeting
- Our November Speaker
- Advocacy
- Interest Groups
- Scholarship Committee
- CFUW National
- Ontario Council
- GWI News
- In Memoriam
- Extra Extra
- Contact Information
| You know it's autumn when the clock goes back and it's suddenly dark at 5pm! I hope everyone is enjoying the last of the fall colour and looking forward to the holiday season. At our upcoming November 26th meeting we have a terrific speaker addressing a topic that impacts each and every one of us – long-term care (LTC). Dee Tripp is the Executive Director of the Ontario Association of Residents’ Councils (OARC), and she has an insider understanding of the challenges facing LTC homes and what could be done to shake-up the current culture to achieve positive results. Our club has been deeply involved in this important issue, and it aligns with a new National Study group (see below under CFUW National). Please be sure to attend, bring your friends, and your questions for Dee. There are two events in December worth noting in your calendars; Our Violence against Women (VAW) Advocacy group is leading the White Ribbon Campaign. Tragically, December 6th marks the 35th anniversary of the Montreal Massacre, when 14 engineering students, and several other women, were murdered at the École Polytechnique in Montreal. CFUW Stratford will be marking this occasion with a flag lowering and tribute to these lives lost. All members are asked to wear their white ribbons and attend this ceremony if able. We will be meeting at City Hall at 8:15 am. Additionally, we are also asking for volunteers to hold the pictures of each slain women as her name is called. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Cynthia Hastings, cynthiahastings6@gmail.com On a lighter note, we are hosting our annual Christmas Brunch at the Stratford Country Club on December 14th. We will have our book sale for Scholarship, an entertaining program, and our gift card drive for Emily Murphy Centre. All of you should receive an invitation via email - please let us know if you plan to attend by November 30th. The cost is $43, which includes not only the full buffet but also tax and tip! And this is also a 70th birthday celebration, so do expect cake 😊 Finally, our 2024/25 Membership list is now available on the Members Only section of our website. See you on the 26th, Cambria Ravenhill, President 2024/25 | Speaker Program 2024 - 2025 | Past, Present, Furure - Living Your Best Life | October Meeting Highlights Ad Hoc Grand Trunk Renewal Committee | It was so interesting to have committee members, Barbara Cottle and Ron Dodson speak to us! They reported that their approach to planning is community inspired, coinsidering the needs and wants of all aspects of our city. Ron cited The Joy Experiments, by real estate developer Scott Higgins and creative mind Paul Kalbfleisch, in their contention that an urban planning strategy should prioritize infrastructure for the human spirit. Their belief is that cities of our size offer a scale that can tangibly change the quality of our lives and an intimacy that allows us to influence what our communities can become. Changing cities can change the world!
| November 26th 2024 General Meeting 7pm Is a new vision for long-term care in Ontario possible? | Changing our culture of elder care requires a fierce and deep examination of the historic status quo and a brave commitment to doing things differently. Join Dee Tripp, Executive Director of the Ontario Association of Residents’ Councils (OARC), as she shares insights into the challenges facing long-term care (LTC), what the culture is and could be, and paving the path towards positive change so that homes are excellent places to live and work. Please join us! This has been an important topic for our club and remains so nationally. See CFUW National Zoom below. | | To Remember Is To Work For Change
Join us at Stratford City Hall, Fri. Dec 6th, at 8:15 am | A reminder that CFUW has arranged for a lowering of the flag in memory of the 14 women who were murdered at École Polytechnique in Montreal. It is the 35th anniversary of their deaths. White ribbons will be available at the Nov. general meeting and again at the memorial on the 6th at City Hall.
| Geneviève Bergeron, 21, was a second-year scholarship student in mechanical engineering.
She was a music lover who played the clarinet and sang in a professional choir. Bergeron had moved into an apartment with her best friend six months before she was killed. She was buried in the town’s tiny cemetery. You can learn about each of the young women by going to " Montreal Massacre - Remember the 14"
| | Optimism Place Executive Director, Jasmine Clarkand the Residential Manager, Hannah Skinner conducted a fascinating tour for our Women's Issues Committee | | Optimism Place looks after women from all socio-economic backgrounds and all ages. It provides a large number of services including group psychotherapy sessions, a resident artist, a computer room which is open to the public and outreach programs including legal aid and support for women planning their escapes from abusive homes. Recently expanded, from 7 to 17 bedrooms, no one has been turned away this year. | Emily Murphy Food Drive Please participate generously in this month's Food Drive by bringing your contibutons to our November General Meeting. Our Emily Murphy Centre is greatly in need of the followng items: Coffee, Tea, School Snacks, Pasta sauce, Canned fruit, Condiments (mayo, ketchup, mustard, etc), Cake mixes, Ramen/Instant noodles. Thank you! See our Extra! Extra! Section for our upcoming gift certificate gathering.
| Climate Change Action Committee | Once again we will survey schools for no idling signs, speak to the bylaw officers and police, and forward a parent letter and flyer to all Stratford schools. We will also explore using the 60 second idling bylaw for enforcement, not just education. We're tigers! ☺️ | Our new adventures include a once a week "Green Byte" item in Stratford Today, an online news source. The bytes will give helpful hints for green living, and will promote CFUW Stratford in the community. Watch for a logo being created by our own Patsy Berton to mark the spot! | | Our newest project: "sustainable- green- climate-wise shopping list. Watch for responsible shopping locales that will promote categories such as local, organic, palm oil free, plastic-free and bulk, among others. We're starting the shopping venture with a field trip! On November 20th, committee members will meet for lunch and then tour Organic Oasis, where bulk vegetables can be transferred directly to our cloth bags- no plastic! We'll tour the shop, the greenhouses and parts of the farm. Join us! Contact Sheila Clarke | Beginners' Bridge Free Beginner/Rusty Bridge lessons this fall/winter. A big time commitment -- 11 weekly lessons for you to play bridge with ease and confidence. Start-up Location: #106 – 400 Romeo St N, Stratford. | | Bridge is worth it - a great workout for both long and short term memory with lots of team building and socializing opportunities. If you are a card player, bridge is (perhaps arguably) the most interesting and challenging of games. | 1:30 pm on Wednesdays, Nov 20th to Feb 19th.
Anyone who is interested and is available most of these dates please contact : vernagmdennis@gmail.com | | Saturday’s Café Book Club
Join us on the FIRST Saturday of each month from September to June to share your latest read. We meet at 10:00 a.m. at Coffee Culture Café for just over an hour. One of last Saturday's recommendations: Amy Tan's "Backyard Bird Chronicles" RSVP Margaretta Skulsky | | Cinema Club - still spots available "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" - our first film this year. Celebrating the late Maggie Smith and presenting a great movie! Only $12. The Little Prince Cinema, "Home of the World's Smallest Movie Theate", 62 Wellington St, Stratford Tuesday, November 19, 2024 at 4 pm. Only $12. Next up: Tuesday, December 17th , 4pm. The movie is yet to be confirmed. Contact Leora Rissin | | Excursions
Our intrepid explorers were off to The Museum in Kitchener to see the exhibit of Ann Innis Dagg, the first biologist to study giraffes in the wild. Join in next trip :-) | | Indigenous Rights Learning Group We will be visiting the Woodland Cultural Centre, Six Nations of the Grand River, Brantford on Thursday November 21., leaving Stratford at approximately 10:00 a.m. This visit will include self-guided tours of the Museum and the Art Gallery. Interested members should contact Pat Reavy, 519-272-0176 or Barbara Collier, 549-273-0429 for more information. | | We are looking for someone who would be willing to teach our group of eager players. We'd love to start this group up again! Please contact Nijole Tinits | | The Prize Book Club What a great fall season with the 5 Finalists for the Giller Prize! We had wonderful discussions. Although all five books were appreciated (and that doesn't always happen :-), our group was pleased with the result. And our vote for the Winner of the $100,000 Giller Prize is: 🤞 Tune in next spring for Canada Reads! | | Saturday Breakfast Club On October 26, 2024, 16 members of the Saturday Breakfast Social Group dined at Foster’s Inn for a wonderful time! This was our second get-together of our 2024/2025 season.
Our next breakfast is scheduled for Saturday, November 23rd at The Parlour Inn. RSVP Margaretta Skulsky | | Don't be shy - Check out our website for other great interest groups! Interest Groups
| Super Book Fundraiser! Get ready to participate in our annual Seasonal Brunch book fundraiser! As this year is also our 70th Anniversary, we hope to have some very special offerings. Please start to look through your collections. Books may be brought directly to the Golf Club on December 14th. All proceeds go to our Scholarship Fund. | | Affordable Housing: A Human Right | This is a virtual meeting, held on our Zoom platform. These events are free and all members are welcome to attend but you must register to attend. Saturday Nov. 30th, 10am - 12pm Registration is now open!
Click here to register.
Hope you can join us! | | Long Term Care and Older Persons’ Rights Study Group | Season Opener: Thursday, November 21, 1:00-2:30pm ET We are excited to introduce the two new coordinators of this dynamic study group: Lois Flakstad, Edmonton, Alberta: loisflakstad@gmail.com
Suzanne Brake, St. John’s, Newfoundland: suzannebrake@gmail.com Agenda: Finding powerful implementation strategies for the 2024 Aging in the Right Place and Incentives for Adoption of LTC Standards resolutions. Here is the Zoom link for the recurring CFUW Long Term Care and Older Person Rights Study Group meetings: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88492898402?pwd=aDHBaNLGXSnHXZe4ky7VDYEpNU1gkg.1 CFUW Stratford has been involved in this important issue in the past. We'd love to have someone or a group join in this conversation! Contact Bev Symonse look forward to seeing you | Graduate Women International | Graduate Women International Peer-to-Peer Webinar | UNiTE to Eliminate All Forms of Violence Against Women and Girls In recognition of the launch of the UNiTE Campaign by the United Nations on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women An international webinar co-hosted by CFUW Montreal Lakeshore University Women Club and the Democratic Republic of the Congo "UNiTE to Eliminate All Forms of Violence Against Women and Girls" Thursday, Nov 28, 11;00-12:30 ET International Webinar supported by Graduate Women International. Register Here
| GWI is excited to announce the opening of applications for the 2025 round of International Fellowships! These esteemed fellowships are designed to support women scholars worldwide as they advance their postgraduate studies and research. This year, GWI welcomes applications from women currently enrolled in PhD programs and encourages all eligible readers to apply. Don’t miss this opportunity to advance your studies with GWI’s support! Please note that the application deadline is 15 January 2025. To review the 2025 Fellowship Guidelines and Instructions, click HERE . | It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Ron Fischer on Saturday, November 2nd. Ron was the husband of our long-time member Joyce Banks and father of our member, Beth Fischer. A memorial service with reception following will be held at the W.G. Young Funeral Home, 430 Huron St. Stratford on Saturday, November 16, 2024 at 11 a.m. | Gifts for Teens and Moms Once again, we will be collecting a variety of gift certificates at our Holiday Lunch for Emily Murphy for the holidays. Their suggestions include certificatres from Amazon, Walmart, Giant Tiger and Game Stop.
| | | | |
.jpg?1731516836616)
.jpg?1731537445963)
.png?1730900414228)
.jpg?1725132468765)