letter from the president 2016- 17 officers · debt consolidation can increase your ability to...

1 President’s Message p. 1 • EWI Corporate; Chapter Officers and Directors p. 2 • News & Notes p. 3 • Board Retreat p. 4 • Reservation Policy p. 5 • April Meeting Directions: p. 6 • March Meeting Photos p. 7 • Chapter Postings, March 2010 p. 8 • Spotlight: Member, Kevin Robbins p. 9

Presidents Message continued on next page.

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

Season’s Greetings everyone! It’s hard to believe it is December already. 2017 is only a few short weeks away. I’m not sure if it’s just me and getting up there in age but these last couple of years have just flown by! On behalf of your Board of Directors I would like to thank all the eligible voting members who attended the

November 16th Business Meeting, as well as all those who provided proxies to allow us to meet quorum. A special thank you goes to Janine and Angela Rea for speaking to us and providing insight into Planning for our Financial Future. They did an excellent job and provided a great handout filled with tons of information to everyone in attendance. If you missed the meeting and would like the handout please contact Janine. The Christmas Season is upon us and I can’t wait to see you all at the December meeting! Our year end celebration is always a great way to wrap up the year. This is a wonderful event when we see friends that we may not have seen in a while and we celebrate and honor the commitment and efforts of our members in the beautiful surroundings at the Calgary Golf & Country Club. Please remember that there is a dress code in place and no jeans are allowed. Once again we will be sponsoring the Women’s Centre Toy Room and ask all guests to bring an up-wrapped toy to the meeting. We will also be having a Secret Santa Gift Exchange and are asking everyone who wants to participate to bring a wrapped Christmas ornament valued up to $10.00. At our Business Meeting in November and our recent Board meetings it became very apparent that we must continue to focus our efforts on re-building the membership and re-establishing

CALGARY CHAPTER

December 2016 | Vol. 8, No.1 Chartered August 1964 December 2016

2016-2017 Officers & Directors

President Sherri Cunningham Servpro Cleaning

Vice President

Janine Rea Investors Group

Secretary

Cheryl Trask Century 21 Foothills

Treasurer

Karen Jasper BMO

Sergeant-at-Arms

Lori Poirier NV Fashions

Fundraising

VACANT

Recruitment/Retention Director VACANT

Programs

Karla Lausen Re-Max Mountain View

Communications Director &

Chapter Advisor Maria Guerrero

Let’s Get Woofing Pet Services

Historian & Chapter Advisor Pat Kamitomo

Sustaining Member

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Calgary Chapter Monthly Newsletter December 2016

ewicalgary.com

EWI Corporate Offices / 515 South 700 East Suite 2A / Salt Lake City, Utah 84102 / Toll Free: 1.877.4EWI-NOW / Phone: 801.355.2800 / Fax: 801.355.2852 online: ewiconnect.org email: [email protected]

what it is to be a member of EWI. We realize that membership return on investment is going to be different to each individual but the one thing that we hear is that we need to have “that cause” that speaks to our passions, pulls at our heart strings and makes us feel good about all the efforts that we do undertake. With that in mind, the board of directors are looking into local charities that would really benefit from our support. We will keep you posted on that! The two scholarships that our chapter awards and the difference that those dollars make to the lives of the students that received them seems to be a very well-kept secret. As women we really are not very good at “tooting our own horns”. This year we are going to make every effort to share our stories of who we are, what we do and have been doing. The Fashion Show in April will be a great opportunity to showcase EWI and what we are all about to the business community. We are asking all members to please help out in whatever way you can. We need silent auction items, committee participants, sponsors and ticket sales. As the day draws closer we will be reaching out to all of you for your support. In closing, I want to thank each and every one of you for your continued support of EWI. With the current economic situation in our city and with numerous other networking groups in our communities, we are grateful that you continue to believe in and support EWI. Best Wishes for a very happy holiday season,

Sherri Cunningham Servpro Cleaning

November Meeting – Delta South Calgary Janine and Angela Rea from member firm Investors Group provided a high level look at “Investing to Protect Your Future. They gave us some great handouts to take away and help us make informed decisions. It was a great opportunity for Janine to do a Firm Fame and talk about what she does and why. At the Chapter Business Meeting the 2016/2017 budget was discussed and passed as presented. The years of dedication and commitment made by Karen Skirten was recognized when she received the Honorary Chapter Life Member status. Karen was both very surprised and touched by the recognition that the board felt was so well deserved. The nominating committee was completed with the election of Michelle Goshinmon to the committee which is comprised by Past President Maria Guerrero and board appointed committee member Pat Kamitomo.

http://www.ewiconnect.org/

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Christmas Party and Year End Celebration!!!


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The Financial Corner

FOUR WAYS TO FIND “HIDDEN” INVESTMENT MONEY Janine Rea, BA Economics

Finding hidden investment money you already have simply means reviewing and changing your current spending habits, with the goal of freeing up extra cash.

Looking over your household budget, consolidating your debt, restructuring your mortgage and changing how tax is deducted from your paycheque, are all great ways to start finding investment money.

If you have any questions about finding hidden investment money, I would be happy to help. Investing regularly is important. If you’re going to achieve your retirement and other financial goals, you should consistently contribute to your registered retirement savings plans (RRSPs), tax-free savings accounts (TFSAs) and non-registered investments. “Paying yourself first” through monthly contributions is an excellent strategy to build an investment portfolio. If you’re like most Canadians, however, you are not sure where to look to find the extra money needed to invest. There is a way – in fact, there are four good ways to perhaps uncover “hidden” money you already have, which you can use to start an investment plan on a regular basis. All it takes is a bit of smart money management using the strategies set out below. Review your household budget Carefully reviewing how your family spends its money and making changes can free up cash flow. Start by determining if expenses are essential, including your mortgage and utility payments, or if they are non-essential such as buying lunch at a restaurant every work day. Then ask yourself, what can I do differently? Small and simple changes like bringing your own lunch to work can make a major difference in how much money you have left to save each month. Debt consolidation can increase your ability to invest “Debt consolidation simply means paying off a number of higher interest rate loans or other high cost debt by taking out a single loan at a lower interest rate for a consolidated overall lower monthly payment,” says Jane Olshewski, Manager – Financial Planning Programs at Investors Group. “You can choose to consolidate debts such as car loans, education loans or credit cards and benefit through a single, more affordable monthly payment which is lower than the sum of the many monthly payments you were making previously.” It can be an effective way to regain control of your finances, manage your monthly cash flows, free up money for other purposes and reduce stress. Additionally, any repayment plan that can allow you to move from simply servicing your debt balances to actually eliminating them is positive. If you own a home, you can consider consolidating your debt using a home equity loan. Your loan is secured by your home at usually a much lower interest rate than you currently pay on most credit cards, which can often range from 19 per cent to over 28 per cent. By paying less interest monthly, you’ve created additional cash flow that can be used towards your retirement, other financial goals or paying down your principal. Restructure your mortgage Sometimes, changing the structure of your mortgage can help you find the money you need to meet other important financial goals. Many individuals set their mortgage repayment at the highest amount they can afford in order to minimize interest payments and pay off their mortgage as quickly


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as possible. Although these are two important goals, other goals like building an investment portfolio to prepare for retirement and protecting against uncertainty through insurance products also need to be taken into consideration. Does it make sense to pay off your mortgage over a different term to provide you with the cash flow you need to start an investment portfolio, or to fund the monthly premiums on a life and/or disability insurance policy? If you have built up extra equity in your home, does it make sense to use the equity to cover your RRSP contribution or to start a registered education savings plan (RESP)? With the help of a personalized comprehensive financial plan, including a cash flow analysis prepared by a qualified Investors Group Consultant, you can decide how quickly you want to pay off your mortgage while working towards your financial goals. Get tax back now, not later Getting a tax refund from the government each year might seem like a windfall profit – but it’s not. By having too much tax withheld from your pay each month, you are actually giving the government your money to use throughout the year – and they aren’t paying interest to you for your kind gesture. Instead, if you are an employee and your employer makes tax deductions on your behalf, you may be able to reduce the amount withheld from your pay cheques each month by filing a T1213 form with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). The CRA will then issue a “letter of authority” to your employer, authorizing the employer to reduce withholding taxes. You can then invest part of your usual year-end tax refund immediately each pay period.

IMPORTANT DATES TO NOTE December 6, 2016 Board Meeting - Servpro Cleaning December 8, 2016 - *NOTE – this is a Thursday* Year End Celebration & Christmas Party - Calgary Golf & Country Club December 14, 2016 Hot Heels Fashion Show Committee Meeting – Servpro Cleaning January 3, 2017 Board Meeting – Servpro Cleaning January 18, 2017 Membership Meeting – SOUP SISTERS – Sunterra Market COMMUNITYtable February 7, 2017 Board Meeting – Servpro Cleaning February 15, 2017 Membership Meeting – Carriage House Inn March 7, 2017 Board Meeting – Servpro Cleaning March 15, 2017 Membership Meeting – St. James Corner


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January Meeting – Community Giving Event

Wednesday, January 18, 2017 Sunterra Market, Keynote - COMMUNITYtable

Upstairs – 200-12th Ave SE Warming hearts…one bowl at a time For the past few years EWI of Calgary have joined forces with Soup Sisters & Broth Brothers for one night of cooking, caring and camaraderie. Our January Chapter meeting will be a Community Giving event as we get together once again to make soup for the women and children at the Calgary Emergency Women’s Shelter and Awo Taan Healing Lodge.

The fee is $55.00 per person which covers the cost of ingredients for the soups, the venue and supervision and direction by a Chef. We hope you will join us for this social evening of lively conversation, chopping, laughter that culminates in a simple sit down dinner of soup, salad, bread and wine. Space is limited to only 20 participants so please be sure to register early. We will be making approximately 150-250 servings of fresh soup to sustain the residents of these shelters.

Happy Birthday to our December babies!!!

Dec. 27 – Andrea Edwards

Dec. 31 – Dolores Trimble


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Our Mission EWI brings together key individuals from

diverse businesses for the purpose of promoting member firms, enhancing personal and

professional development, and encouraging community involvement.

Our Vision To be a global women’s organization of

5,000 engaged members empowering others for positive change.

Our Values

Integrity Excellence Respect Collaboration

MEMBER FIRMS Aarbo Fuldauer LLP Investors Group Rep: Darryl Aarbo Rep: Janine Rea Bank of Montreal Let’s Get Woofing Pet Services Rep: Karen Jasper Rep: Maria Guerrero Century 21 Foothills Miller Thomson LLP Rep: Cheryl Trask Rep: Susan Soderlund Cottonwood Golf & Country Club NV Fashions Rep: Carol McCarthy Rep: Lori Poirier Creative Differences Servpro Cleaning Rep: Michelle Goshinmon Rep: Sherri Cunningham Fairmont Hotels Western Mountain Region Thrive Limousine Services Rep: Tanya Flood Rep: Freawet Mega Gran Tierra Energy TierOne Travel Rep: Jessica Chavoya Rep: Karen Skirten GWL Realty Advisors Rep: Victoria d’Souza Rep: Julia Jiang

Sustaining Members: Margaret Bell Cheyne Parkinson

Chapter Life Members: Dianne Andrews

Danine Birkholm

Anne Davidson

Fran Esler

Dorothy Faulkner

Anne Ferrier

Freda Frizzell

Doris Harris

Pat Kamitomo

Susan May

Gladys Perrott

Karen Skirten

Phyllis Snider

Joanna Suehwold

Dolores Trimble

Gail Wallace

Individual Members:

Kathy Dunn

Karla Lausen

REQUEST FOR DOOR PRIZE DONATIONS We are asking for your support in helping to provide door prize donations for our future events. Your ongoing support is appreciated.


letter from the president 2016- 17 officers · debt consolidation can increase your ability to...

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