President's Words
2010 witnessed CISV-Montreal achieve exhilarating heights. Among the highlights in 2010 was the hosting of the first ever Village in Montreal including delegations from twelve countries plus a handful of junior counsellors and international staff. The success of our Village quickly catapulted our chapter into obtaining full-status as a voting member of CISV-Canada officially recognised this past November.
2010 also saw CISV-Montreal send delegations to Villages in Norway and Denmark, a Summer Programme in Norway, and a National Interchange with Victoria. Our chapter also sent a junior counsellor to a Village in Brazil, a junior branch member to a Seminar Camp in Amsterdam and International Youth Meeting in Sao Paulo Brazil. In total, CISV-Montreal permitted twenty delegates ranging from ages eleven to nineteen years old plus leaders and staff to take part in these programmes.
The achievements highlighted in the opening paragraphs were realised through outstanding contributions by individual volunteers and families. I first and foremost wish to recognise the enormous contributions made by our chapter’s former president Luc Myre and his predecessor and founder of CISV-Montreal Hélène D’Allaire. Behind CISV-Montreal has been Nadia Laurendeau’s unlimited contribution as a past leader of numerous Village delegations, leadership training of our junior branch and delegation leaders, overseeing mini-camps, and most recently was the director of our Village hosted here in Montreal. Along with her were also other outstanding individuals including Bertil, Jessica, and Nick who made up the dynamic staff of our Village. Other volunteers also deserve recognition and particularly Melanie Rodrigue who has lead two Summer delegations, contributed to mini-camps and continues to give in a variety of ways to our chapter. Beyond these individuals I wish to note the extraordinary efforts of Zanie, Matthieu, Marie-Luce, Diane, Benoit, Renaud, Anick, all of the junior branch, and many others who in so many ways have given time and resources toward helping CISV-Montreal grow and ultimately contribute to making the world more just and peaceful through inspiring leadership and global friendships.
The combined efforts of the past years and 2010 have certainly launched CISV-Montreal off to an encouraging start and there are many more great things still to come. Among the programmes and activities to watch for in the years to come includes the coming of age of junior branch members who will soon be entering the age bracket of taking greater leadership roles where they will be old enough to lead delegations. In addition, the recently elected board of directors in collaboration with the junior branch are in the process of establishing a calendar of events for 2011, our 2011 programmes already listed. An information night on January 14th 2011 is also listed where all CISV members are invited to attend and especially those who wish to travel in 2011. The information night also offers interested new families and individuals the opportunity to meet the people of CISV-Montreal and ask more detailed questions about our programmes.
Respectfully,
Michael Kaiser, president CISV-Montreal
