 |  | Hello again!
Since I was last in touch, I had the good fortune to attend our national League's (LWVUS) Convention as a LWVTX delegate. I was one of about 1000 League members attending - 600 attending virtually and 400 attending in person in Denver. I attended virtually, participating easily from my home office via Zoom.
The convention's three-day business meeting began on Friday, June 24, just hours after the Supreme Court's decision reversing Roe vs Wade was announced. What timing! The meeting opened with the typical formalities - the Pledge of Allegiance and the National Anthem.
If you are familiar with Zoom, you know that you can see others who are signed in on your Zoom. So here I was, seeing a view of the hotel ballroom in Denver where so many of my Texas League friends were sitting, AND little boxes that I could scroll through to see the 600 or so of my League sisters (representing Leagues in all 50 states and the District of Columbia) participating virtually.
We began with the Pledge of Allegiance, led by young girl who is sure to be President of the United States one day. As we moved to the National Anthem, I was amazed to see the women participating virtually begin to stand, alone in their homes but together in spirit. Their standing reminded me of "the wave" at ballgames. I caught the wave and joined them - standing in my office to sing - filled with emotion.
These few minutes stayed with me as an uplifting reminder of our collective power. Just a short while earlier, I was asking myself if the world had gone mad and if there was anything I (or we) could do. But these few minutes filled me with hope and confidence. It took three generations of women to get women the right to vote, and the collective muscle memory that came with that struggle lives in the League. We are stronger (and more determined) together - and have been for the 102 amazing years of the League's history. I am sharing this story with the hope that you can tag on to my experience and feel a bit more hopeful if you too have been feeling discouraged in these troubled days.
Our local League's pace will be picking up as we move through the summer and head to election season, so check the list of What's Happening below, show up when and how you can, and help us build this League (remember, together we are stronger!) by inviting friends to join us.
Please know that we welcome your ideas, feedback and energy. Get in touch at any time via text or call (361-772-3228) or email. I would love to hear from you
We'll be in touch with another newsletter right after the first of August. In the meantime, have a great July!
Janis Richardson
President | What's Happening
July 9, 11:00 am - 2:00 pm
Voter Registration & League Info Table at BRIDGE's Meet & Greet Community Social
KC Hall 405 South St. in Schulenburg
BRIDGE is a new nonprofit organization in Schulenburg, formed last summer to bridge the racial gap in education, business, government, and community. At this Meet & Greet Community Social, community members will have an opportunity to meet the BRIDGE team, visit vendor tables (that's where we'll be), and enjoy games and other festivities.
We'll be there to share information about the League and offer opportunities for people to register to vote or update their registration. We're also rolling out a new activity for children - a Texas Animal Election, where those under 18 will have an opportunity to vote for their favorite Texas animal and get a fun "I voted" sticker. We got this idea from the LWV of Comal County and are excited to try it out!
Look for us, say hello and come hang out if you have some free time on Saturday and want to check out the Bridge event!
July 11, 7:00 pm
LWV of South Central Texas Annual Business Meeting
Via Zoom
This is our annual business meeting where we take stock of what we accomplished in the past year, reaffirm our nonpartisan policy, and keep wheels turning for the coming year by reviewing League priorities, electing Leadership Team members, voting on a proposed by-laws change and approving a budget. All are welcome to attend, but only current League members are eligible to vote.
Here's the Zoom information for the Annual Business Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82185100017?pwd=Y4LWAOSv6HAfc8ZEyPG46wj_eEgEgE.1
You can participate via telephone by calling346-248-7799
Meeting ID: 821 8510 0017 Passcode: 414208
July 12, 7:00 pm
Texas League Rural Caucus
Via Zoom
You are invited to join representatives from rural Leagues all over Texas for the July meeting of the newly formed Texas League Rural Caucus. The goal of the Rural Caucus is to connect rural Leagues so we can share what we're learning about being a League in a rural community and ramp up work on issues that impact our rural areas. Remember - together we are stronger!
This meeting will be devoted to priority setting and planning - setting up a game plan for the coming year. This will be a great meeting for those that enjoy getting in on the ground floor of something that has great potential! All are welcome to join this and future Rural Caucus Zoom meeting.
Here's the Zoom link you need to join the Rural Caucus Zoom meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86445008954?pwd=YjNxTU5mYU05ZzFiWGhEVGVvMEdqdz09:
July 13, 7:00 - 8:30 pm CST
Preventing Violence from Assault Rifles Webinar
Via Zoom
LWVTX will be co-hosting a webinar about gun prevention "Preventing Violence from Assault Rifles" with the League of Latin American Citizens, (LULAC) and the Texas NAACP on July 13th, 2022 from 7:00-8:30 p.m. CST.
Panelists will include Art Acevedo, former Chief of Police for Austin, TX, Houston, TX, and Miami, FL, and Dr. Roy A. Guerrero, a pediatrician at Uvalde Memorial Hospital in Uvalde, TX. (Watch Dr. Guerrero's testimony to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform about gun violence here.) Additional speakers are still being confirmed. The moderator for the event will be University of Houston history professor Gene Preuss, PhD.
Register for the webinar here..
July 19, 7:00 pm
LWV Book Group Zoom Meeting
Via Zoom
Join us for the first meeting of our League Book Group. We'll meet by Zoom to discuss the New York Times bestseller, Hell and Other Destinations: A 21st Century Memoir by Madeleine K. Albright.
All are welcome to come and go with our Book Group as desired, joining in when there is time and interest in the book we're discussing. Check out this page on our League's website for the League Book Group information.
Here's the Zoom link for the Book Group meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84696975077?pwd=dFpHSGV0QVFKUnJqWEVpM0lidW5sZz09
or connect via telephone by calling 346-248-7799
Meeting ID: 846 9697 5077 Passcode: 170810
July 26, 2:00 pm
Colorado County "Get to Know the League" Ice Cream Social
The HOUSE Coffee Shop
632 Walnut Street in Columbus
Join us for a fun get acquainted afternoon with new members and interested friends in Colorado County! We'll have ice cream and talk together about the League. Many thanks to Lois "Robin" Robinson for organizing what promises to be a great event!
If you are in Colorado County, please join us and bring a friend. Or if you're from elsewhere in our South Central Texas area but have Colorado County friends who might be interested in the League, please share this invitation!
RSVP to Robin via phone or text (713-503-4302) or email. We need to know how much ice cream to have on hand!
Date TBA in Early August
Grape Picking "Creative Escape" with Majek Vineyards
Majek Vineyards and Winery has been a great supporter of the League from our beginning days, and now we have the opportunity to say "thank you" and have fun at the same time by helping to harvest grapes! Watch for more information on when and where!
Coming Up - Planning for:
- Women's Equality Day (August 26)
- National Voter Registration Day (September 20)
- Voters Guide distribution & collecting candidate information for Vote411 for the November 2022 General Election
- GOTV (get out the vote) for the November 2022 General Election - early voting (October 24-November 4) and election day (November 8)
| How Things Work: Gearing Up for Voters Guides/VOTE411 for the 2022 General "Midterm" Election
With more area to cover now that we are a five-county League, we have more opportunity to introduce area voters to the League's much-loved and highly respected printed Voters Guide and its on-line version, VOTE411.org. But with more opportunity, comes more work, more responsibility, and a greater need for volunteers.
Producing Voters Guides: Who Does What?
As a three-level, largely volunteer-run organization, the League of Women Voters logically divides the work needed to produce Voters Guides before each election into three buckets:
- LWVUS collects information on national races
- State Leagues - such as LWVTX - collects information on state races
- Local Leagues - such as our League in South Central Texas - collects information on local and district races
The Voters Guides that our League has been distributing throughout the area are produced by LWVTX and include information on national and state-wide races. What is not included in the Guides that LWVTX produces is information that our League collects on local (county and municipal) and district (US Congressmen/women, TX Senators and TX Congressmen/women representing our area) races. We make information on those races available to voters online via VOTE411.org.
How Does This Work - What Does Our League Do?
For each election, we are responsible for doing what is needed to insure that candidate information for all local and regional races that will appear on our South Central Texas area voters' ballots is included on VOTE411.org or in a printed Guide.
- We identify races that will be on the upcoming ballot and what candidates have filed to run for these races. For those US Congressional and TX Senate and Congressional districts that we share with other Leagues, we work with those other Leagues, taking the lead in some cases and deferring to them in others, so that candidates only hear from one League and are not bombarded with similar requests. Currently, we are the lead for collecting information on all county races and the TX Congressional Districts 30 and 85 races; we are lucky that the Austin and Houston Leagues are doing the heavy lifting for other US and TX district races.
- We find contact information - emails and/or phone #'s - for each candidate. This often requires some detective work!
- We develop a list of questions that we want to pose to candidates in each race - being careful to craft questions that are not leading or biased in any way.
- We contact all candidates, inviting them to respond to our questions and submit a photo and short bio for inclusion in the Voters Guides/VOTE411.
- We follow up, follow up, and do more follow up - aiming to hear from all candidates so voters can have as much information as possible before they vote. If we do not contact candidates or are unsuccessful in getting candidates to share their information, no information will appear for these races in the Guide or on Vote411.
- Meanwhile, Cindy Meredith, our League's VOTE411.org manager, ensures that VOTE411.org is set up and ready for the candidate's responses.
- We thank candidates that responded.
What we haven't done but would like to do:
In the past we have purchased printed Voter Guides from LWVTX and have encouraged voters to go to VOTE411.org for information on local and district candidates. Other Leagues begin with the information that LWVTX includes, but then add local and district candidate information so that the printed guide that they distribute includes ALL candidates that voters will see on their ballots. They have these expanded guides printed (often working with a local newspaper) for distribution in their area.
Wouldn't that be fantastic? We too would like to produce our own printed Guides - and have ALL elections on our ballots included!
What will this take? Our Two Biggest Needs
- Volunteers who are willing to contact candidates and do the follow up needed so that our Voters Guides is as complete as possible. Specifically, we need "leads" who will take responsibility for their county's races and for the two TX Congressional District races (District 30 and 85) that are assigned to us.
- People who have contacts with local newspapers to help us find a good resource for printing our guides at a reasonable price.
If you're interested in helping, please contact Janis via phone or text (361-772-3228) or email. We will be getting a group together for some basic "how to" instructions and next steps planning soon!
| League Wish List
Can you help us check these items off our League wish list?
- Help getting our League finances set up on QuickBooks
- A good idea for how we can celebrate Women's Equality Day (August 26, the day the 19th Amendment was ratified, giving women the right to vote)
- Connections with League-curious people in Gonzales County
- Connections with local high school government teachers
If you can help with any of these wish-items, please contact Janis via email or text (361-772-3228) or email.
| League of Women Voters of South Central Texas
PO Box 78, Hallettsville, TX 77964
361.772.3228
lwvsouthcentraltx.org
lwvsouthcentraltx@gmail.com
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