Former CFUW Southport President Pat McCutcheon (left) with new President Heather Conlin at the CFUW’s Welcome Back Wine & Cheese event, September 14 at the Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre in Southampton.

Hub Staff

The Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW) Southport are gearing up for another year of taking action, holding inspiring events and addressing women’s and human rights issues.

The CFUW held their Welcome Back Wine & Cheese event on Wednesday, September 14 at the Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre in Southampton. The event was open to all women who are interested in the CFUW’s activities, including two mature students who were each awarded with a $1,000 scholarship.

Jean Higginson and Chunhwa Park were the two recipients with Higginson continuing her education at Fanshawe College to become a Personal Support Worker and Park attending Georgian College for Pre-Heath Sciences.

Happy is an understatement, said Scholarship Committee member Sandi Primeau, when asked about how it felt to help further their education. “When you’re a mature woman, there are a lot of other needs that go along with just going to school opposed to just getting out of high school,” said Primeau, who added that it costs a lot to be educated and mature students have a lot of factors working against them and are often raising a family. “They could be single and raising a family, there could be all sorts of different circumstances. So it’s to help those who need it,” she said.

CFUW Member Jane Kramer added that this is the second year they have given away mature student scholarships and they had four applicants this year. The CFUW also gives scholarships to students at Saugeen District Secondary School. Kramer said that CFUW member Luz-Maria Wilson collected donations during a European trip where she walked the 800 kilometre France-to-Spain Camino de Santiago Trail pilgrimage and donated the money she raised to the CFUW.

See: Boots, wine and triumph: Tales of a Camino Pilgrimage

See: Scholarship recipients welcomed at CFUW dinner

Over 75 women called themselves members of the CFUW during the 2015-2016 year. And past-president Pat McCutcheon said the group focuses on advocacy and projects, but that everyone gets involved. “There is so much and energy and enthusiasm in this club and all you really need to do is contain it, and direct it off into various directions in things we work on,” said McCutcheon.

Member for five years and new President Heather Conlin said the club picks projects that they are interest in. “We have an advocacy/issues group and every year they study something. And then they bring it back and help us learn about it or help us promote a project. So we had the ‘Grandma Asked Me’, which worked on the youth vote. And last year the group studied the TRC (Truth and Reconciliation Commission). And so this year we’re moving into trying to come up with projects and ways to connect and make a difference in our region and beyond,” said Conlin at the event.

CFUW Southport provides a thought-provoking monthly speaker. In October Artist Heather Beecroft will speak about First Nations and Aboriginal Art at the Southampton Art School October 12. The event will be free for the public to attend.

The CFUW believes that their motto, “Knowledge is growth, come grow with us” offers a variety of interests to involve a community at local as well as national levels. It provides an opportunity to form lasting friendships and participate in the improvement of the status of women and human rights and supports local quality education through their scholarship program. A university degree is not required.

For more information email cfuwsp@gmail.com or find them at their website or on their Facebook page.

The CFUW awarded two mature students with $1,000 scholarships at their Welcome Back event September 14. From left, Scholarship Committee members Sandi Primeau and Jane Kramer; students Chunhwa Park and Jean Higginson; Maria Bertrand of the Adult Learning Centre; CFUW member and donor Luz-Maria Wilson at the Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre, September 14.