Hello Brother and Sister Vincentians,

There has been a lot of interesting developments in our community in the last month as well as some important government policies announced that will have a significant impact on our work. Please review the summaries below or go to our website for other news. Also, please check out the August edition of Vincentimes. Please send this to all members of your Conference to keep them up to date on our Vincentian Community. Your work is very important and appreciated and we are stronger together.

SPIRITUAL MATTERS

This month on September 9, we celebrated the feast day of BLESSED FREDERIC OZANAM, our founder. Please read one of his writings which is an appropriate reflection for monthly meetings.

We also celebrate the Feast Day of SAINT VINCENT DE PAUL, our patron, on September 27. Stay tuned for a posting on our website later this month in celebration of this feast day.

Denise Bondy, ONRC Spiritual Advisor, reminds us of our Vincentian Promises which we should renew annually. We will renew our Vincentian Promises at the Commissioning Ceremony following the mass celebration on September 30 as part of our ONRC meeting.

HAPPENINGS AND EVENTS

The Ontario Regional Fall General Meeting is coming up on September 29 / 30 in beautiful Bowmanville. There is a great selection of workshops being offered, and the meeting is open to all Vincentians. We encourage you to send a few members from your Councils and Conferences to benefit from having attendance at all 5 workshops offered on Saturday to take information back to your Conferences and Councils. It is so important for building relationships and improving our effectiveness. More information is available here.

PRESIDENTS AND VICE PRESIDENTS

It is never too early to start looking for your successor It is the responsibility of all Officers to consider who will replace them. We need to cultivate the next team of leaders to enable SSVP to be a strong and dynamic society. People are reluctant to nominate themselves, especially if the current officers are doing a good or great job. A succession planning workshop has been developed and piloted in several areas in Ontario with great success. Phil Bondy will be presenting this workshop in Bowmanville on Friday evening, September 29. He and his team will be asking Council and Conference Presidents to sign up to have the workshop done in their community should they be past the expiration of their term or their term is coming up in 2018 and they have no one ready to step into the President’s role.

The Rejuvenation Committee has developed checklists to assist with orientation for new Presidents, as well as annual checklists to help current Presidents which can be found here:
New Conference/Council President Orientation Check list
Annual Checklist for Conference/Council Presidents
Servant Leader Guiding Principles - Conference and Council Presidents

SOCIAL JUSTICE

Some recent articles on social justice have been posted on our website including a request to sign a petition rescinding the Safe Third Country Agreement between Canada and the U.S.A. to help individuals enter Canada at the border in a safe and humanitarian manner. You can read more social justice articles on this home page prepared by Jim Paddon, National Social Justice Chair on “Say NO to Hate and Racism” and “Is a $15.00 Minimum Wage Fair?”

NORTH OF 60

Thank you to everyone who donated funds and time to help with the North of 60 project this year. The sea containers stuffed by Vincentians from Ottawa Central Council, St. Catharines Central Council and Windsor Essex Central Council, along with the skids gathered by St. Raphael Conference, Burlington, were shipped during the summer months to our friends in 5 northern communities. You will hear more about this project at our upcoming ONRC meeting in Bowmanville.

Linda Dollard
President