Wasaga
Beach, ON: Multiple
Births Canada (MBC) is pleased to provide ongoing updates to its members,
chapters and colleagues. Your
commitment to Supporting Multiple Births
Together is of great importance to Canada’s multiple-birth
community.
Chapter
Representatives: Please
forward the information below to your Chapter Executive and
members.
1. National Multiple Births Awareness
Day Theme for 2007 – The Board of Directors is pleased
to announce the National Multiple Births Awareness Day theme for 2007 --
"Raising
awareness of the need to recognize and encourage the individuality of
multiple-birth individuals, while respecting the uniqueness of their
multiple-birth relationship." This key message is one that Advisory
Member and monozygotic twin, Dr. Audrey Huberman, brought to the forefront
during her presentation at May’s National Conference in Chatham. Understanding and appreciating the
complexity of this dual identity leads to more effective and healthier
interactions with multiple-birth individuals. Establishing this truism sets the
foundation for future NMBAD themes.
2. Final Call for Western Canada to Host
Conference 2008 –
POMBA
Canada, now MBC, had its start in Lethbridge, Alberta almost 30 years ago. The
organization has evolved over the last 30 years, helping to fulfill our mission
by providing support, education, research, and advocacy, locally, nationally and
internationally to individuals, families, chapters, and organizations with a
personal or professional interest in multiple-birth issues.
Since
1978, the AGM and Conference has been held in dozens of Canadian cities from
Vancouver to Halifax and points in between (see the MBC website for complete
list of past
conference locations). However, Ontario chapters have hosted all of our
Conferences since 2000. The Board is hoping that this reminder of our western
roots will encourage one of our chapters in the west, or a partnership of a few
chapters, to consider commemorating our 30th
Anniversary
by offering to host the 2008 AGM and National Conference. Many individuals have
expressed an interest over the last few years for MBC to hold more functions in
the western portion of Canada—an interest shared by the Board and other national
volunteers; however we can only do so with your assistance.
Please
consider the advantages to your chapter and members by bringing a wealth of
information and experience through other local and national volunteers and
experienced speakers to your community. National conferences also bring local
attention to chapters and benefit them with increased membership and
support. Help us to help you and
celebrate our history. The deadline for declaring interest in this
opportunity is November 1st, 2006. Chapters learn more about this
opportunity by contacting Kim Weatherall at chair@multiplebirthscanada.org.
3. Request
for New Volunteers
– Are you looking at your fall schedule and
wondering what you can do with all that free time that will become available
when those kids go back to school?
Have you recently given up a position at the local level and are ready to
move on to something new? Wondering
how you can “beef up” your resume to go back to work when the kids enter school?
We have some suggestions for you!
Come and volunteer with a great group of national
volunteers!
Breastfeeding
Chair-
MBC is
currently looking for a volunteer with an interest, passion and/or dedication to
assisting mothers of multiples with breastfeeding, to take over the
Breastfeeding Chair position for this very important and active Support Network.
The Chair is responsible for answering questions, connecting moms in similar
situations, producing a monthly newsletter -The MilkyWay, contributing to MBC’s Annual
Report and quarterly to the magazine Multiple Moments. It is a rewarding and satisfying
volunteer position in which you can share your own experiences with others while
making a difference in an area that is so important to baby and
mom.
MM
Advertising Manager-
The
Multiple Moments Team is looking
for a volunteer to take on the position of MM Advertising Manager. This position
will focus on finding and developing relationships with businesses willing to
advertise their products and/or services within the pages of Multiple Moments. In addition, they will follow up with
current advertisers to seek renewal for MM and investigate options of
advertising on the MBC website.
Volunteer
Webmaster-
MBC is
currently looking for a volunteer webmaster with a few hours each month to
assist with some much needed updating and longer-term changes to the
website. The daily updates are
currently made through Contribute by our Business Office Manager, however there
are some additional changes needed that are beyond her capabilities and
workload. We are looking for an individual who can initially complete the
following: 1) update the publications web pages
re PayPal purchasing – new prices, adjusting shipping and making sure shipping
is adjusted for International purchases. 2) Update the Membership page re PayPal
purchasing – online form for contact details, etc. and 3) Photo gallery – post
submissions (thumbnail size that can be enlarged), and create a process so that
this can be done by an assistant on Contribute.
Financial
Director-
MBC is
in need of a financial director on its Board of Directors. Jennifer Dawson is filling this role on
an interim basis until one can be found.
If you have a financial background, and are interested in helping MBC
with both its regular financial reporting requirements and its yearend, and with
bringing financial expertise to the work of the board, we would love to have
you! Please contact Jennifer Dawson
at financial@multiplebirthscanada.org
for further information or to discuss the responsibilities of this
position. She will be happy to talk
with you!
Independent
Accountant-
to
perform MBC’s independent financial review engagement. Frank Portugais of the Chartered
Accounting firm, Bennett Gold, has had to withdraw his voluntary annual
financial review services due to workload.
Accordingly, MBC is looking for a new independent CA or CGA who would be
willing to perform the annual independent review of our financial statements for
us, and provide us with a report on our financial statements. If you know of anyone in this field,
please ask them if they would be willing to perform this function for MBC. All of the information needed will be
provided to them including working papers and draft financial statements. Such a review is expected to take about
20-25 hours of volunteer time per year.
Further information can be obtained from Jennifer Dawson at financial@multiplebirthscanada.org.
If you have an
interest in any of the above-mentioned positions, or you are willing to help in
other areas that are not currently listed, please contact Lori MacEwen at mbcvolunteers@multiplebirthscanada.org
or Kim Weatherall at volunteers@multiplebirthscanada.org.
4. Reminder of A
Perfect
Party by Cody Discount & Fundraiser – The Board
would like to thank the families who have already taken advantage of this new
MBC Discount and Fundraiser. As
some happy customers have already reported, it makes life a whole lot simpler to
shop from home! A Perfect Party is just that - all
the pieces and parts you’ll need to celebrate in style, all in one box! It’s
affordable, easy to buy, and delivered right to your door quickly! You receive
10% off your purchase while Perfect Party also donates 10% of all purchases to
MBC.
The funds raised for
MBC will assist with the purchase of a much-needed new computer for the Business
Office. By making your life
simpler, you are also helping MBC to make our Business Office even more
efficient!! Remember to order
through the MBC website – look for the little
green party box found on every page! To find the code needed to receive your MBC
discount, log into the Member’s Only
portion of the website.
5. Multiple Births Canada and Mount
Sinai Hospital’s Multiple Birth DVD Project – Multiple
Births Canada is pleased to announce that we have forged a partnership with
Mount Sinai Hospital to produce an educational video/DVD for parents expecting
multiple-birth children. It is anticipated that this DVD will become a valuable
educational resource for prenatal educators, parenting groups, and individual
families.
The
initial work in the partnership will focus on learner needs assessment to ensure
that the DVD content meets the needs of its intended audience, and on
fundraising to cover the costs of the DVD development. If you are interested in making a
tax-deductible financial contribution to the project, please forward your cheque
to:
Multiples DVD
Project
Maternal Infant Program
Mount Sinai Hospital
600 University
Avenue
Toronto, ON M5G
1X5
A
charitable donation receipt will be made available for all donations through
Mount Sinai Hospital.
6.
Message
from 2007 MBC Conference Chair
– The
members of the conference committee in Kitchener-Waterloo have been working
really hard to get things ready for 2007. We have decided that since Dr. Audrey
Huberman had such an excellent response to her workshop in Chatham, we would ask
her back as our Keynote Speaker. We have taken the suggestions offered by
everyone into consideration, and we are offering a variety of workshops that
will be informative for parents of all-aged multiples.
Since
our theme is 'Focus on Families', we are even planning offsite activities for
delegates’ spouses and kids while delegates are away at the conference. Anyone
who attended the Chatham-Kent conference knows that we are going to have a big
Oktoberfest party, and lots of other interesting surprises. We have already been
busy with Mother Stork, and if you are interested in her activities, we will be
posting pictures of her adventures on our website www.multiplebirthscanada.org/~kwpomba.
Don't
forget to mark your calendar for May 31st to June 3rd 2007! We can't wait to see everyone in K-W,
and we will keep you posted on what we are working on! Submitted by Melody Parent, 2007
MBC Conference Chair (conference2007@multiplebirthscanada.org).
7.
New
Discount for MBC Members –
one tiny suitcase –
Calgary’s premier baby equipment rental company specializes in providing its
clients with premium baby equipment for short and long term rentals. Travel with the affordable luxury of
minimized luggage. Full service
delivery available within Calgary and Banff. MBC members show your membership card
for 10% off all rentals. See the
Twin Traveller package at www.onetinysuitcase.ca!
8.
Business
Office Closed for Summer Holiday – Please be advised that the Business
Office will be closed from August 8 to 16 for a summer holiday. Vicki will be enjoying a well deserved
break at the
Barrie
Parents of Twins & More
family
camping trip. In her absence, MBC Chair, Kim Weatherall, will be monitoring the
office email.
Multiple
Births Canada/Naissances multiples Canada
PO
Box 432
Wasaga
Beach, Ontario L9Z
1A4
Toll-free
(in Canada): 1-866-228-8824
Tel:
705-429-0901
Fax:
705-429-9809
mailto:office@multiplebirthscanada.org
http://www.multiplebirthscanada.org/
The
content of this email is not intended to be a substitute for professional
medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health
provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical
condition.
Multiple
Births Canada Information Circulars (ICs) are a mass email service managed by
the Board of Directors of Multiple Births Canada and is for information sharing
purposes only. Opinions and
conclusions expressed through this service do not necessarily reflect the views
of either the Board of Directors or the caring volunteers of Multiple Births
Canada. If you wish to be removed
or added to this list, please contact the Business
Office.