Serving the people of San Jose, Santa Clara, Milpitas, Morgan Hill & Gilroy
June 2022
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President's Message from Carol Watts
Reflections . . .
As I reflect back over the last three years, the impact of COVID is huge.
It had its impact on us in several ways: As many of us in the League have worked together for years and we already knew each other pretty well, we made the transition quickly to virtual meetings. In many ways, they are easier and sometimes better: they take less time as we need not get ourselves dressed top to bottom and then drive to a meeting place. It is easy to record our meetings so anyone can easily answer a question like "Now what did she say?" Our candidate forums and Lunch with League events can now be seen by a much wider audience than before.
After last Saturday's "Newcomer's Picnic," which was a success thanks to many people, we easily felt how wonderful it is to meet in person. We share more energy and excitement. I hope all who attended enjoyed the morning as I did and will continue to work with us.
I feel so honored and humbled to have been your president for the last three years. It has been a pleasure to work with dedicated and experienced people who share a common vision to make our democracy work better in our community.
We will greatly miss those members of the board who are leaving:
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Julie O’Keefe has served as treasurer since 2018 and has done a fabulous job tracking our money by improving reports so the board has more clarity when money is an issue in making decisions.
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Kathy Muller has served as our very able secretary since 2020 and, when she saw that we needed to raise some money this past year, she volunteered to also chair the fundraising committee which included applying for and winning a grant from the Farrington Foundation to further our Voter Service work.
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And, not least, Marie Arnold has served as our Membership Director for many years and has tirelessly brought new members into our organization and managed our pre-COVID in-person Lunch With League events.
And now it is time for NEW Leadership! I am very excited to turn over the "keys" to Diane McNutt and Taryn Upchurch. Both of them bring strong leadership skills. I know they have a lot of exciting ideas for how our League of Women Voters can strengthen our community. Join me in supporting them while they lead us forward!!
Stay safe and healthy,
Carol
president@lwvsjsc.org
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Are you registered for Annual Meeting?
All League members are encouraged to attend the Annual Meeting on Saturday, June 11, 10 a.m. - 12 noon via Zoom. Our guest speaker will be Stephanie Doute, Executive Director of LWV California, who will describe some of the work of the League on the state level. Download the Annual Meeting Kit to review the agenda and background materials for the business meeting and REGISTER now to attend.
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Congresswoman Jackie Speier
keynotes LWV Bay Area Convention
Saturday, June 4
10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. via Zoom
Congresswoman Jackie Speier, who is retiring after 14 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, will kick off the biennial convention of LWV of the Bay Area as the keynote speaker. She has been a strong and ardent voice for gun safety, voter rights, reproductive rights and for the passage of the ERA, and will reflect on her years of service in public office.
At the event, League delegates will vote on LWV Bay Area officers, budget and program priorities for the coming two years. All League members are invited to register for Congresswoman Speier's talk and to observe the business portion of the meeting. Registration is free.
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June 7 Primary Election is here!
The Primary Election is just a few days away, but there is still plenty of time to learn more about the candidates and issues on the ballot. Start by visiting Voter's Edge to see your personal ballot and background on candidates and measures. It will also provide you with links to recorded Candidates Forums held earlier this spring by the League, or you can access on the League website.
Also available on Voter's Edge is the League's unbiased Pros & Cons analysis of Measure B, a proposed Charter Amendment for the City of San Jose that would move the election of Mayor to the same year as presidential elections in 2024, and Measure D, a proposed Charter Amendment for the City of Santa Clara that would establish six districts for the election of Council members and establish a 30-day residency requirement for all elected officials.
Voting questions answered with these links:
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Newcomers brunch was a hit!
More than 25 League members gathered on May 28 to welcome newer members and answer their questions about League policies and activities. Planned by Marie Arnold and the Membership Committee, the outdoor event was a fun opportunity to get together in person
Gloria Loventhal led an icebreaker activity to check on what members know about the League by asking three questions:
- What are 3 things you know about the League?
- What are 2 things you think you know about the League?
- What is 1 thing you'd like to know about the League?
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Convention open to all League members
All League members are invited to virtually attend the 2022 National League of Women Voters Convention June 23-26. If you register as an observer, you will be able to enjoy workshops, speakers and other programs of interest to you. Registration for virtual attendance is $300 and more information is available on the LWVUS 2022 Convention website.
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Climate Change/Natural Resource Committee
The next meeting of this committee is Thursday, June 9, 2 p.m. via Zoom to review the past year and discuss areas of focus for 2022-2023. All members are welcome to attend and contribute their ideas. To receive the Zoom link, contact co-chairs Judy Chamberlin or Virginia Holtz.
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Reversing Our Polarity:
Moving from Us vs. Them to You & Me
Wednesday, June 22, 7 p.m. via Zoom
- Why is it so hard to talk with those with whom we disagree?
- Why do we have negative reactions to those who are different from us?
- Why are stereotypes useful?
Very often, even rational decisions have many emotional elements. This is because we don’t have access to all the facts needed to make a completely logical decision and our brains can’t analyze all the information. Wherever we lack facts, emotion often kicks in and nudges us toward certain decisions without our full conscious awareness.
Neuroscientist Terry Wu, Ph.D. will discuss how our brains process "otherness," why this is a normal situation, and how we can manage our way through it. Sponsored by LWV of Santa Clara County Council and AAUW of Sunnyvale-Cupertino. REGISTER HERE.
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Voter Registration volunteers |
Even though 89% of eligible voters are registered to vote in California (compared to 70% average nationwide), there still remain millions of individuals who are not. The League continues to schedule in person voter registration activities at local libraries, high schools and other community locations. If you would like to be part of the team of volunteers helping citizens become an active participant in democracy, please email Voter Service Chair Sandy Mory.
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QUICK LINKS
Join the League of Women Voters of San Jose/Santa Clara HERE
Donate to the League of Women Voters of San Jose/Santa Clara HERE
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