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39| The IFP -H alton H ills | T hursday,M arch 1,2018 theifp.ca Halton Catholic trust- ees have upheld their deci- sion to ban board dona- tions to charitable and nonprofit organizations which violate church teachings. At the Jan. 16 board meeting, Oakville trustee Helena Karabela's motion to disallow donations to any group that supports, either directly or indirect- ly, abortion, contracep- tion, sterilization, eutha- nasia or embryonic stem cell research, passed. Halton Hills trustee John Mark Rowe, who ini- tially voted in favour of the motion, asked for it to be reconsidered at the Feb. 20 meeting, where the motion was defeated, then reinstated. "At a time when taxpay- ers expect very little from politicians, it is refreshing that some Catholic trust- ees chose to promote the Catholicity of the Catholic institution and students under their care," com- mented Karabela. In response to trustees who felt the policy would deny funding to groups which may violate these moral beliefs, but other- wise provide good servic- es, Karabela said it is al- ways the right time to do the right thing. "We must not be by- standers to today's gross violations of human life. This motion ensures that as a Catholic institu- tion we will vet our chari- ties and nonprofits to en- sure they are compliant with a fundamental tenet of our faith, the sanctity of life in all stages and the fundamental right to life." Rowe voiced his con- cerns about the "nebu- lous" nature of the word 'indirectly' in the motion, and that constituents he heard from were confused as to how that word would be interpreted. Students are particu- larly concerned about schools having to abandon charities and nonprofits (such as WE) that provide a sense of community in schools and with which schools have deep rooted traditions, commented student trustee, Ingrid Schwecht. Much discussion en- sued about a "blanket mo- tion" that would tie stu- dents' hands in helping people less fortunate through high profile char- ities; would students be al- lowed to fundraise for a hospital's child and youth mental health program if the facility performed tub- al ligations, for example. There were sugges- tions that a letter from the board accompany dona- tions to ensure funds raised would not end up in the hands of a subsidiary group that supported abortion. The reality is once the money is given, it would be impossible to control and its destination not guaranteed, said Burling- ton trustee Susan Trites. Trites added that Kara- bela's motion was "com- mendable and courageous and sets a precedent for other Catholic boards and other Catholic institu- tions." The motion fills a void in the moral criteria of the board's guidelines and is needed for fundraising and financial transparen- cy, said Karabela. "To fund pro abortion groups with donations gathered via the Catholic school system under- mines the Church and the school system," said Oak- ville trustee Anthony Danko. "This is such a major violation of our princi- ples, it boggles the mind we never had a policy be- fore today," said Danko. Oakville trustee Paul Marai urged his fellow trustees to "either ap- prove the motion today or defeat it," after it was sug- gested discussion be post- poned. It was Marai who brought the motion for- ward for the second time at the same meeting, for reconsideration, and it was subsequently ap- proved. "I felt the motion origi- nally passed was a reason- able interpretation of our mission as a system. The motion provides greater clarity as to where we hope we can target our charitable efforts. This is certainly a responsibility of the board of trustees." The board's decision prompted an immediate response from some stu- dents. "Our school celebrates our ability to help others and has taken pride through participating in initiatives such as WE and Relay for Life, making a significant difference," said Bishop Reding Catho- lic Secondary School stu- dent representative Ash- wini Selvakumaran. NEWS Catholic trustees uphold stringent school fundraising guidelines KATHY YANCHUS kyanchus@metroland.com Don't be a LitterBug! Please keep our community clean. Cell: 416-989-7809 Dave LoDuca • Ceramic & Porcelain Tile Installation • Bathroom Renovations • Kitchen Backsplashes • Heated Floors C C T I L EE RAM I …with up to 30%* in savings & discounts PLUS, save up to an additional 25% with our new smartphone app TELEMATICS!1 A convenient app to help you learn more about your driving habits, and potentially save. • Winter tires? Save up to 5%* • Multiple vehicles? Save up to 15%* • Hybrid or electric vehicle? Save up to 5%* • College or university student? 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