Greetings All. As I do occasionally I once again remind everyone that when writing to MPs and Senators we must be polite and respectful. We are seeking their support for what we seek. We want to request that support -- not demand it. If our messages come through as demanding, rude and/or insulting we will achieve the exact opposite of what we wish. I know that if someone comes on to me in such a manner I am more likely than not to be turned away from what is being sought of me. The politicians to whom we write are no different than we are in that respect. There are many ways of putting our points across without being obnoxious about it. Be factual about the information you wish to provide them. Be clear about what it is you seek. If you do not receive an immediate response to your message remind yourself that you are not the only one contacting them. They have many different people contacting them for many different reasons. Give them some time to respond. If you do not receive a response, or at least an acknowledgement of receipt in a reasonable period of time do not get upset and do not get snarky about it. Send them another polite, respectful note requesting a response to your original message. If you still do not get any response, forget about it. Many MPs and Senators will not respond to anyone not living within their constituency riding. Many Cabinet Members will acknowledge our messages but will not answer the questions we ask. These are facts. They are frustrating facts perhaps, but there is little point in getting angry about something that we can do nothing about. After saying all this, lately we have been getting a better response from our messages than we have had for some time. Most of the responses we have been getting have been positive -- since the election we had added 62 new Gold Ticks, bringing the total to date up to 201 Please remember the two basic points of my message, at all times - be polite - be respectful. Happy Hunting. Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net Co-chair Canada Census Committee Port Coquitlam, BC http://www.globalgenealogy.com/Census en francais http://www.globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f