Carol: And what has the CCLOW - Regina group done since this change?

Lenore: Several things... We have developed a paper, "Access to Learning Opportunities for Women", and presented its recommendations to appropriate government officials; developed a constitution for our local group, which clarified priorities; undertaken the study "National Training Act: Its Impact on Women"; and developed and implemented the Bridging Program for Women.

Carol: Through all these activities, what happened to the CCLOW Network?

Lenore: For many reasons, the group became a small core; a small group did the work and the others fell away from active participation. Women always supported the activities wholeheartedly, but if they were unable to contribute to the work, they stopped attending the meetings. It may be that with the focus on the tasks at hand, there was not enough energy spent on bringing new women into the projects, involving them and helping them learn the ins and outs of lobbying, proposal writing, strategizing against blocks etc. The task took precedence over the relationships.

Carol: What do you anticipate as the next stage in the evaluation of the CCLOW network in Saskatchewan?

Lenore: The present Saskatchewan Director, Florence Flynn, has made a commitment to reestablishing the links with other women's organizations and rebuilding the larger networking aspect of our group. We need to reach outward once again, to form coalitions with other women's groups, to build on the commonalities between and among various women and women's organizations, and to share this information so that we can mobilize around issues as they arise. This is all essential to the continued growth not only of the CCLOW Saskatchewan Network, but of the women's movement in our community. While it is exciting to see the many different kinds of women's groups that have sprung up over the years, the diverse interests make it difficult to mobilize when a specific issue arises.

Carol: Do you see any relationship between what has happened to the Regina network and the national organization?

Lenore: Yes. Government funders require bang for the buck - something to show for the investment: this makes us focus on accomplishing things that are obvious and measurable, rather than simply valuing the process of learning that takes place when we meet and share. This focus in the national board was carried back to our provincial group. The provincial group actively worked to carry out the short-term priorities of the Board (especially in the case of the National Training Act (N.T.A.) Study). The provincial network did things on a national as well as a local basis.

The experience in participating on the national board is incredible for those women who are elected to participate. It is very important that each director bring back to her network what she has learned and share it. If there were unlimited money available, it would be ideal to have several national committees, so that many more women could have this experience. It gives you a national network, a national perspective on this country, and the energy to keep working in your own area because of the innovations that are happening elsewhere in the country.

Carol: Turning for a moment to the Bridging Program for Women: what do you think about the process which resulted in its establishment?

Lenore: In spite of some of the negative effects of the singular focus on developing the Bridging Program for Women, the program is a tremendous asset to the women of Regina and it will serve as a model for future programs elsewhere in the country.

Carol: Looking back on your work and your volunteer involvements, what do you find encouraging?

Lenore: Because I have worked almost exclusively with women and women's organizations, I recognize that women work differently from men. With the ever-increasing numbers of women moving into regular organizations, I believe that profound change will occur in those organizations. By the sheer force of our numbers, changes to those institutions, which have so long ignored our values and interests, are inevitable. Knowing this (especially when the organizations don't recognize it) makes it all worthwhile.