The International
Women's Forum

A letter from our President

Dear IWF Canada Members,

What does the IWF Canada membership mean to you?

As we renew our membership for 2010, let’s reflect on the role of the International Women’s Forum in our personal and professional lives. 

As IWF members, we belong to a unique worldwide community of women leaders representing diverse sectors and broad spheres of influence:  A community that provides opportunities to support and encourage one another; to share our stories and new ideas; and to open doors for each other and for the next generation, through our Leadership Foundation.

As IWF Canada Forum celebrates fifteen years,  “More to Follow - 1995 to 2010 -  celebrating Canada Forum Trailblazers”, the power of relationship has never been more integral to good leadership.  For Canada Forum members, the relationships can develop locally in one of our seven Chapters across the country, nationally or internationally.  Whether you are traveling, or other members visit your home town, whether you connect through the website or through attendance at an international conference, IWF membership provides the link for you to connect in meaningful and powerful ways.

We are very excited that in our 15th Anniversary year the international stage will be in Montreal as Canada Forum and Montreal Chapter welcome the IWF global community to the World Leadership Conference, October 13 to15, 2010. Naturally, we’re hoping that every Canada Forum member will attend what promises to be a spectacular event to meet and welcome members from the IWF global community of 4400 women leaders.

In January I continued my quest to meet with our extra-ordinary members – this time it was the women leaders in Alberta.   In Edmonton, we have twenty enthusiastic new members under the leadership of Chapter Chair, Ruth Kelly, who hosted a cocktail reception where I attempted to convey the IWF Mission and Values and concluded with repeating Stella Thompson’s comment, ‘you have to live IWF to get it’ and that means engagement, in one way or another.   In our long-established Calgary Chapter, led by Chapter Chair Kim Sturgess, I attended an event at the Petroleum Club where our members hosted a Welcome Reception for three women leaders who recently relocated to the Calgary community from outside of Canada.  Each of the honourees was thrilled to know that there was such a large and diverse group of women leaders in Calgary.

For me the essence of IWF is the wonderful women I've come to know through events like those in Edmonton and Calgary as well as developing  deeper connections by working with the members of the ‘2010’ Conference Committee as we all dedicate ourselves to making the ‘2010’ World Leadership Conference  in Montreal a WOW event for all attendees.

I invite you to join me in renewing and to participate in what is shaping up to be an exceptional year for the Canada Forum. 

Our membership fees for 2010 remain at $375, as they have for a number of years. We encourage you to renew your membership by March 1, 2010. 

Best,

Shirley Dawe