The Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW) now welcomes any woman who supports the pursuit of education and the advancement of the status of women worldwide.
To welcome prospective new members, the Sunshine Coast Club of CFUW will be hosting a tea on Monday, Sept. 16 at 1 p.m. in the lower level of St. John's United Church in Davis Bay.
Back in 1919 when the CFUW was founded, women with a university education were a small minority in the general population. Forming a Canada-wide organization made sense, because it offered support and encouragement to these women after they graduated, and brought them together to pursue common goals.
"When my family moved halfway across Canada from Edmonton to Ottawa, my mother soon contacted the local club of CFUW," said current CFUW member Eleanore Bonyun. "Belonging to the CFUW gave her a ready-made circle of acquaintances that shared similar backgrounds, and it was from the university women's group that she drew the first of her new friends in a strange city."
Nowadays, a woman with a degree is no longer unusual, so there is less need for a group dedicated to providing them with friendship, support and shared goals.
At the same time, the CFUW has become increasingly aware that by restricting their membership to college and university graduates, they were cutting themselves off from a large pool of capable, knowledgeable and talented women - women who would be valuable additions to CFUW.
CFUW is still largely about education for women. The Sunshine Coast club is focused on providing bursaries to mature coast women pursuing post secondary education. But you don't have to have a university degree to be interested in helping other women improve their lives.
The CFUW offers:
Camaraderie with informed and pro-active women who value education.
Guest speakers.
Community involvement: Symposium on Child Poverty 2013.
Social and fundraising events: Christmas luncheon, Mad Hatters Tea, The Great Canadian Quiz.
Local and national newsletters and websites.
Interest groups.
Book exchange.
Come to the tea, meet the group and get involved. If you are unable to attend the tea, you can learn more about us by going to our website at www.cfuwsc.org.
-Submitted
