The CWR honorary membership program provides an opportunity for communicators for congregations of women religious who are not currently CWR members to join the organization free of charge for one year. The program is designed to assist individuals working in countries with little or no representation in CWR and is therefore open to those working outside the United States and Canada.
During their membership term, honorary members are granted the same benefits other CWR members receive, including:
- Access to the CWR Google Group/listserv
- Participation in CWR Academy webinars and Flash Conversations
- Eligibility for the CWR awards program
- Reduced registration fees for the annual CWR conference
A full list of member benefits can be found here. Honorary members do not have CWR voting rights nor are they eligible to join CWR committees.
Depending on location and circumstances, it is possible honorary members may lack reliable access to technology, may find it difficult to join online events due to time zone differences and may need additional support. In light of this, each honorary member will be teamed with a member of the CWR International Outreach Committee who will serve as a mentor and resource by assisting the honorary member in learning how CWR functions and what resources are available.
It is hoped that at the end of the 12-month term, honorary members will recognize the value brought to their work by participation in CWR and will then join the organization as a paying member.
Eligibility
The honorary membership program is open to individuals working in communications for congregations of women religious who:
- Are not currently members of CWR. Please note: other employee(s) of the congregation for which an honorary member works may be active members of CWR. (CWR membership is granted on an individual basis).
- Work outside the United States or Canada, including:
- American or Canadian citizens working for congregations abroad
- Employees or members of congregations based in the U.S. or Canada who are themselves citizens of or employed in another country
- Are recommended by an active member of CWR. Applicants must be sponsored by an active CWR member who can attest to:
- The relevance of an applicant’s professional functions to the mission of CWR
- The applicant’s access to technology
- The applicant’s understanding of written and spoken English
- The long-term benefit the applicant is expected to receive through honorary CWR membership
Recommendation
All active CWR members are eligible to make a recommendation by submitting a one page letter in which the member attests to the suitability of the applicant by validating their ability (professional functions, access to technology, English comprehension) to participate fully in CWR.
Members are encouraged to recommend an individual with whom they collaborate and who they feel would benefit from CWR membership and may be inclined to continue as a CWR member after the end of the honorary membership term.
Letters of recommendation may be uploaded via the honorary membership application form.
Application
Applications may be submitted at any time of the year. An honorary member’s one-year term will begin at the point membership is granted. Once submitted, please allow six to eight weeks for application processing.
Applicants who wish to attend the annual CWR conference are asked to submit their applications far enough in advance to make all applicable visa requests.
Terms
Honorary membership offers are limited to one per congregation or entity with the understanding that some congregations may comprise multiple entities, e.g., provinces/units/chapters of a federation which have their own administration and can therefore be considered a separate entity. Active members may not recommend more than one applicant. Once granted a one-year honorary membership, recipients are not eligible to reapply.
Honorary members benefit from all access or advantages available to other CWR members from the time of activation of membership, with the exception of voting rights and participation in CWR committees. Honorary members are subject to the same rules applicable to all other members, including the by-laws, policies and procedures of the organization.