2016 Founder's Day meeting report
Founder's Day luncheon report
On Tuesday, November 8, the Toronto and Area Council of Women celebrated our founder Lady Aberdeen in a charming room in the original part of the Duncan House, now a restaurant, which is located near York Mills and Don Mills. The nineteen attendees could choose from the menu and enjoyed the delicious food served to us. Past President Connie Zboch chaired the luncheon and called on Dianne Yaneff to read Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae's war poem, written in 1915, “In Flanders Fields” since Remembrance Day was only several days away. Thanks to them and to everyone who made this event so special, especially Eileen Lackie and Leona McGowan.
We were delighted to welcome entrepreneur and international speaker Darla Campbell as our guest. Passionate about equality for women, Darla has an impressive resume: For the National Council of Women, she was Vice-President Public Relations and is now the Council's representative to the Board of the CNE Association; it honoured her this past summer as one of 100 outstanding women in Canada with a medal commemorating 100 years of women getting the vote in Canada.
From 1999-2002, Darla served on the international executive of Business and Professional Women Canada (BPW) and from 2004-06, she was its National President. Darla has traveled to London, England; Melbourne, Australia; Nagoya, Japan and to New York City for the UN Commission on the Status of Women in the course of her career and was invited by the federal government to address the Standing Committee on the Status of Women. She is also a member of the Oakville group and revealed that she, too, misses her fellow member, Carol Canzona, who passed away almost a year ago.
Darla mentioned how pleased she was to be asked to speak to us since it was also an opportunity to learn more about the Council. She referenced the introduction written by Vincent Massey (the first Canadian Governor General who served from1952 to 1959) in a history of the Council where he recognized the importance of the National Council. He lauded it for striving, right from its founding in 1893, to improve the life of Canadians. Its members were determined to improve work conditions and to assist the poor, the aged, as well as mentally challenged children. They also lobbied, for example, for safe water and milk at schools.
Darla was encouraged by the work of other women's groups, such as the Elizabeth Fry Society and the International Federation of Women's Rights, and by the number of new women Senators in Ottawa. She praised Lady Aberdeen who, as head of the International Council of Women, agreed to be the first President of the National Council of Canada, but only after obtaining permission from the Canadian Prime Minister since her husband, Lord Aberdeen, was serving as Governor General of Canada. She was able to do as much as she did, including establishing the Victorian Order of Nurses because her husband was always supportive of her and happy to assist her in her causes. They both continued their good works after they returned to Great Britain.
Diane Dyer