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NEWS Catholic trustees uphold stringent school fundraising guidelines KATHY YANCH US kyanchus@metroland.com 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 rein­ stated. "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 institution we will vet our charities and nonprofits to ensure they are compliant with a fundamental tenet of our faith, the sanctity o f life in all stages and the funda­ mental 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 o f 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 suggestions that a letter from the board accompany donations to ensure funds raised would not end up in the hands o f a subsidiary group that sup­ ported abortion. The reality is once the money is given, it would be impossible to control and its destination not guaran­ teed, said Burlington trustee Susan Trites. The motion fills a void in the moral criteria o f 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 undermines the Church and the school system," said Oakville trustee Anthony Danko. "This is such a major vio­ lation of our principles, it boggles the mind we never had a policy before today," said Danko. The fallout from some students was immediate. "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. "I do not believe the board has reasonable grounds to impose this regulation upon our schools. We have always been taught to serve oth­ ers; aiding others when they are struggling is a fundamental aspect o f our Catholic values." Fellow Bishop Reding student representative Margaret Manangan said, "We strongly believe, as students and parents of the board who account for a high percentage of the fi­ nancial contributions, that we should be able to voice our opinions and have a say for where our money goes." 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