Civitans of Canada,

Our best wishes to all of you from Civitan World Headquarters!

As we have communicated to all Civitan members in Canada, over the last year the Civitan International Board and Staff have invested much time, thought and effort into creating revised structures, opportunities and options for all clubs outside the United States. As part of that process, a survey was distributed to all Canadian Civitan members, in addition to live Town Hall style meetings for members to express thoughts, concerns and ask questions, and a staff person official visit to Canada.

Those efforts, especially the written feedback in the membership survey, told us the following:

• Canadian Civitans do not wish to return to a higher dues-paying structure similar to pre-2022,in order to receive more membership benefits.
• Canadian Civitans generally wish to stay with current “at-large” style structure, with more focus on local efforts rather than International participation.
• At this time, Canadian Civitans do not recognize the need for a united Division leadership structure, which includes a General Secretary – a Division leader and non-voting liaison to the International Board.

As we informed you all in the Spring, a preliminary new section of International Policy was drafted then modified based on feedback from Canadian Civitans.  This policy was approved by the International Board at the August 2024 meeting, effective October 1, 2024.  The policy series includes defined geographical areas with the option for local leadership, dues structures with associated membership benefits, and allows more flexibility in requirements to match local operations and governments. In addition, it outlines a new policy for “Club in Good Standing”, which is more friendly and flexible to the operations of clubs outside the United States.

So, what does this mean for you? Here’s a quick overview:

1.) Canadian dues will remain at $18.00 USD per member/per year, will be billed annually, and can be paid annually or quarterly, at each club’s discretion.
See new policy 2025 – Dues Structure for Clubs Outside of the United States

2.) The membership benefits associated with that dues structure will remain the same as what was published when the transition was made to clubs-at-large. Those benefits are now more clearly and explicitly outlined in the new policy section.
See new policy 2025 – Dues Structure for Clubs Outside of the United States

3.) In the eyes of Civitan International, per policy, all clubs in Canada are considered part of the Canadian Division, much like European clubs in European Division, Asian clubs in an Asian Division, etc. There are no dues or fees associated with belonging to a division, it is purely for organizational and data purposes.
See new policy 2015 – Organizational Structure Outside of the United States

4.) HOWEVER, Canadian Civitans have indicated they are not interested at this time in adopting a unified leadership structure of the division under a General Secretary. The existence of a General Secretary, as well as description and duties, remains outlined in this policy should the division ever choose to utilize it.
See new policy 2020 – General Secretary, Divisions Outside the United States

5.) Canadian clubs and members are encouraged to participate in International programs such as Junior Civitan events, International Competitive Awards, and International Conventions and Elections. To participate in International Elections, a registered delegate’s club must be considered in good standing per the NEW club in good standing policy, referenced above.

6.) To have accurate and up-to-date member data to publish online member anniversary lists and sponsorship honor rolls, we will return to “Add & Delete Forms”, at the time of membership changes for Canadian members. These will be much simplified from past forms, and no initiation fee or payments will be required.
See new policy 2030.1 Specific Guidelines for Canadian Division Operations

So what’s next for all Canadian Members?
Continue the good work of Civitan in your communities as you always have!

What about for Canadian Club Officers?
1.) Complete the Canadian Club Certification form (linked on the right sidebar of this page) by November 30th, 2024 to be considered a club in good standing for the 2024-2025 year.

2.) Look out for your club’s annual membership dues invoice in October reflecting membership totals as of 9/30/24. No further dues, fees or payments will be assessed until the October 2025 annual billing.

If you have any questions about the information above, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at growth@civitan.org. We would be happy to have a conversation with any club or member wishing for further explanation or clarification.

We are excited about the future of the global Civitan family and moving forward in UNITY! We are Civitan!

Mark Eisinger
Executive Vice President
Civitan International