CWL is a worldwide organisation, united in friendship and love, where members use and develop their talents in projects for the world, the nation, the diocese and the parish.

Dear Members

On behalf of your National officers I would like to assure all our members that you are very much in our thoughts and prayers in these strange and unprecedented times. I expect most of the Branches and Sections have understandably suspended meetings for the time being.

AGM ONLINE – 17th November 2020

A SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FOR ALL CWL MEMBERS   October 2020

Dear Members,
Over the summer months we had all been looking forward to the time when we could resume our face to face meetings and have a chat with our fellow members. Last week, the Government announced new measures following the sharp rise in new Covid-19 cases and warned that these restrictions could remain in place for the next six months.

As a result of this National Officers feel it is the right decision to cancel the previously re-arranged Annual General Meeting for the weekend 19^th – 21^st March 2021 and The Hayes, acknowledging current restrictions, have agreed to carry over our deposit once again to the November 2021 meeting.

The 2020 Annual General Meeting will now be held on Tuesday 17^th November 2020 at 11 am via Zoom. We hope that as many of you as possible will be able to join us. The National Treasurer asks that any AGM monies held by the Section be returned to the members concerned. There will be no need for any member to financially commit to any physical meeting for some time.

I can hear you saying that you won’t be able to join us as you don’t have Zoom or are unsure how to use it. But please, I urge you to read on …

Recently, I had a useful discussion with the League’s Accountants about our work during this last year and how we have been dealing with the covid crisis.  One consequence is that the Trustees and Accountants have agreed to use some of Headquarters Reserve Funds to encourage the use of video conferencing to ensure maximum communication between Section and Branch members. Even before Lockdown I had been virtually meeting – almost weekly – via Zoom with the National Treasurer and National Secretary so that we could keep in touch and up to date with League matters. Monthly Zoom meetings with the Executive and Trustees have become quite commonplace, too. Zoom really is an easy and useful way of keeping in touch and it is free to download onto your computer, tablet or phone. The important point is that ONLY ONE PERSON in your Section needs to download the app and they can then invite up to 100 people to join a meeting. Whilst the Zoom Basic Plan App itself is free it does restrict you to 40 minutes per meeting but this now is where we are so excited to offer to one person in each Section a subscription for one year to the Zoom Pro Plan. This means you will have up to 24 hours for each of your meetings.
The cost of the Pro Plan is approximately £145 per year. Please do give this exciting and innovative project for the League some very serious consideration. Before you commit, why don’t you try just downloading the App and giving it a go? Or before you get that far you can ask the National Secretary to send to your email an invitation to chat with her and try it out. It really is quite straightforward to use and the next issue of the CWL magazine will give further tips and ideas on holding Zoom meetings. When you have decided to go ahead please contact the National Secretary. And if your Section already has an account which you have been using then please contact the National Treasurer to discuss payment for a renewal (as and when needed) or a refund.

We fully appreciate that some members in some Sections feel very unsure about these digital times in which we find ourselves and would not wish to – or are not able to – communicate by any electronic means. To these members we owe a very special responsibility so Section Officers,  and indeed all members, please set up small ‘bubbles’ of three or four people who can chat by phone on a regular basis or even meet up for a cup of tea if local restrictions allow.

I SINCERLEY WANT CWL  TO SURVIVE THIS PANDEMIC AND TO DO THIS  WE MUST KEEP IN TOUCH WITH EACH OTHER.

You will have seen from the monthly diary that Father Marcin is livestreaming a mass  on his Facebook page for all CWL Members on Saturday 24^th October – you do not have to be a member of Facebook, just use the link given on the October Diary sheet to connect. The National Secretary will forward to each Section the Mass Sheet so that you can follow at home – and sing along to the hymns as Elizabeth Upsher will provide taped music for Fr Marcin. Elizabeth will also record the Mass and put it on the website so you can see it at any time after wards. If any member wishes to attend the mass in person you will be very welcome but please let the National Secretary have your name and telephone number in advance.

Please keep in touch and keep safe.

God bless you all,

Jeanette,  National President