Over the past six months, CPC Ontario's Board of Directors has been discussing its name, specifically the word "pensioner".

The Concise Oxford Dictionary and Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary define "pensioner" as a person who receives a pension - nothing energetic or spirited about that. Funk and Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of the English Language, International Edition, is more explicit "One who receives a pension; hence, one who is dependent on the bounty of another".

The Board discussed changing CPC's name to update its image to not that of doddery dear old souls living in not-so-genteel poverty on meagre pensions but that of energetic, interested, engaged older citizens.

CPC already has action verbs in its Goals and Objectives, verbs such as "strengthening", "supporting", "developing", "keeping abreast of current issues", "working", "providing", "raising issues", "educating". The discrepancy between the pensioner image and the present image is evident.

Recently, Kathy English, Public Editor, Toronto Star, wrote on the subject of what to call senior citizens. Her informants nixed senior citizens, elderly, aged, and just about everything else (she didn't include pensioner). Her conclusion was that "older person" was acceptable. The First Nations people and some religious groups use the term "elder" which is a dignified title, worthy of respect and leadership.

The Board discussed substituting "people" or "persons" for "pensioner". While it doesn't pinpoint CPC members as older they are committed to preserving and enhancing a humanitarian vision of life for citizens of all ages. The Board was almost persuaded until a professional was consulted whose strong advice was that changing CPC's name would be a mistake and would take away the focus of the organization. CPC Ontario began over 40 years ago worrying about pensions and its concerns have not disappeared and still remain central.

CPC's most recent brief, to be included in a later issue of Viewpoint and available in full on the website, is Planning for Retirement Incomes in Canada: Ensuring Income Security for Older Persons.

Please take a look at it; request a copy from the office; discuss it with friends and with your adult children. If pensions remain CPC's focus, does it need to remain in its name? What do you think? What's in a name?