MINUTES: Annual Meeting of the League of Women Voters of the Northampton Area
Tuesday, June 8, 2021 By zoom – Mary Lou Bouley, Convener, Socializing: 6:45-7 p.m.
The meeting was called to order by Lou Bouley at 7:00. It’s likely this is our 100th anniversary meeting. Our league was founded September 23, 1922. Twenty-one people participated in the meeting.
Speaker: Ethan Zuckerman: Spoke about his new book: Mistrust. The subject is the danger to American civic life from rising mistrust in institutions and what we can do to revive civic life in the coming decade. He described how our society has moved in the direction of mistrusting government and institutions since the Vietnam War which was a departure from previous history. Interestingly, as a society we have lost our faith in institutions but not in people. Citizens now seem to lack the trust that institutions will listen and can solve problems. In conclusion he suggested that, in this climate, it is not helpful to try to convince people to go back to the civics of the past but rather to listen carefully to the activists of today to better understand what motivates them. He mentioned the defund the police movement as an example of a current movement that can lead to productive change.
Speakers: Dahlia Breslow and Lila Nields-Duffy (Northampton High School students): Vote16 Northampton: Informed us about the initiative to allow 16 year old youth to vote in local elections. The presentation was informative and convincing. They have been working on this for some years, and they encourage LWV members to circulate petitions and contact legislators to encourage them to extend the right to vote to 16 and 17 year old youth. LWVMA supports this initiative.
Budget: Lou Bouley presented the current financial situation which is stable through the generosity of members in spite of the pandemic having made the traditional Book Sale impossible in Fall 2020. She proposed the budget for FY 2022 (see below) which was unanimously approved by vote following a motion by Nancy Polan and second by Osa Flory.
EXPENSES | BUDGET | ACTUAL | BUDGET | ACTUAL | BUDGET |
2019-2020 | 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 | To Apr.30 | 2021-2022 | |
A. General Administration | |||||
1. President | |||||
2. Board Tools | 150.00 | 56.00 | 56.00 | 111.00 | 56.00 |
3. Administrative Committees | |||||
a. Finance | |||||
b. Membership | 130.00 | 52.98 | 100.00 | 100.00 | |
c. Unit Organizations | |||||
d. Public relations | |||||
e. Budget and nominating | |||||
4.Operating costs | |||||
a. Equipment (Web site) | 250.00 | 100.00 | 100.00 | ||
b. General supplies | |||||
c. Telephone | |||||
d. Bank charges | |||||
e. Book sale | 1,100.00 | 1,017.55 | 50.00 | 50.00 | |
f. Annual meeting | 1,500.00 | 7.70 | 200.00 | 200.00 |
B. Delegates, Travel Affiliation | |||||
1. State Council/Convention | 250.00 | 250.00 | 250.00 | 250.00 | |
2. National Convention | 1,500.00 | 500.00 | 500.00 | ||
3. Workshops and Reg. mtgs. | |||||
4. Area (Regional Councils) | 100.00 | 124.00 | 50.00 | 50.00 | |
C. Programs and activities | |||||
1. Publications | |||||
a. National and State | |||||
b. Local | |||||
c. Bulletin | 320.00 | 500.64 | 320.00 | 320.00 | |
2. Program committees | |||||
a. National | |||||
b. State | 200.00 | 100.00 | 100.00 | ||
c. Local | 950.00 | 1,605.63 | 250.00 | 5,927.13 | 250.00 |
3. Community service | |||||
a. Meetings | |||||
b. Voter service | 300.00 | 150.00 | 67.73 | 150.00 | |
c. Action | 100.00 | 100.00 | |||
4. Support for National | 3,000.00 | 3,984.00 | 3,416.00 | 3,616.00 | 3,400.00 |
5. Support for State | 2,200.00 | 2,754.25 | 2,380.00 | 2,495.50 | 2,100.00 |
Retun dues | 23.97 | ||||
Return Scharfmann | 300.00 | ||||
Total | 11,270.00 | 10,652.75 | 8,022.00 | 12,241.33 | 7,726.00 |
2021-2022 | ||||||
INCOME | BUDGET | ACTUAL | BUDGET | ACTUAL | BUDGET | |
2019-2020 | 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 | To Apr.15 | 2021-2022 | ||
A. Dues | $3,000.00 | $3,283.04 | $3,200.00 | $2,994.71 | $3,000.00 | |
B. Contributions | ||||||
1. Members | $100.00 | $250.00 | $500.00 | $1,663.11 | $1,000.00 | |
2. Non-members | $100.00 | $500.00 | $181.00 | $500.00 | ||
Exhibit contributions | $3,823.79 | |||||
C. Other sources | ||||||
1. Book sale | $6,625.00 | $7,081.70 | ||||
2. Bulletin | ||||||
3. Interest | ||||||
4. Annual meeting | $900.00 | |||||
Scharfmann Fund | $500.00 | $300.00 | $500.00 | $600.00 | $500.00 | |
LWVMA Phonathon | $300.00 | $217.50 | $300.00 | $300.00 | ||
Total income | $11,950.00 | $11,232.24 | $5,000.00 | $9,262.61 | $5,300.00 | |
Program reports 2020-2021
Health Care – Osa Flory reported that Covid-19 dominated health care concerns this year. It has highlighted the importance of working toward a state-wide or national single payer health system.
Education – Margie Riddle reported that Covid also curtailed a number of planned activities. However we have borrowed the “She Shapes History” historical exhibit that originated at the Berkshire Museum and shown it at Art for the Soul Gallery in Springfield in the fall and in Florence storefronts in the spring. Material from the exhibit, which covers the effort by suffragists to win the vote for women in the U.S., has also been made available to schools in Springfield and to JFK Middle School in Northampton virtually.
Meeting Basic Human Needs – Cynthia DiGeronimo reported that the pandemic made it impossible for us to help at the Cot Shelter this year, but our participation will return next fall.
Voter Service – Osa Flory reported that we were unable to be actively involved this year, and there were few races to cover.
Membership – Brigid Glackin reported that the phonathon in January was successful both for raising money and making personal contact with members. Brigid reminded us how important it is for us to convey to our members the value of being a League member. She described many ways in which we have been able to raise the profile of our organization this year.
Natural resources – Nancy Polan reported successes in passing the climate bill and protesting against the wood burning plant in Springfield. This advocacy will continue next year.
Legislation – Nancy Polan included the legislative report within her report on Natural Resources.
Report of the Nominating Committee- Lou Bouley presented the report of the Nominating Committee. The proposed slate was approved unanimously.
Report of the Nominating Committee
Officers:
President Vacant
Vice President Bob Riddle (2021-2023)
Secretary Margie Riddle (2021-2023)
Treasurer Mary Lou Bouley (2021-2023)
Assistant Treasurer Ingrid Flory (2020-2022)
Directors Continuing (2020-2022) Directors (2021-2023)
1. Connie Burak 1. Janice Moulton
2. Sharon Farmer 2. Nancy Polan
3. Brigid Glackin 3. Cynthia Sigda Digeronimo
4. Gillian Hinkson
5. Randi Klein
Nominating Committee (2021-2022)
1. Nancy Brady
2. Fran Volkmann
3. Donna Zuckerman
Proposed Local Program – Lou Bouley presented the Local Program as follows.
Membership: Chairperson Brigid Glackin reported that the goals of the membership subcommittee continue to be to raise the profile of our local League through nonpartisan voter education and voter access advocacy, to recruit new members, and to assist current members in pursuing their individual interests and concerns, within our organization’s overall mission.
Newsletter: Chairperson Brigid Glackin reported that the newsletter will continue to update the membership through the year on advocacy initiatives they can pursue individually, and opportunities to volunteer with the chapter’s activities
Voter Service: Chairperson Brigid Glackin reported that candidate forums will be planned for municipal elections in the fall of 2021, and voter registration and engagement activities for the Congressional elections of Fall 2022. We will continue our traveling suffragist history exhibit SHE SHAPES HISTORY, at its future exhibition sites through the centennial anniversary of the founding of our Northampton LWV chapter in June 2022. Particular outreach will be directed towards young and first-time voters. Engage in redrawing district lines in western MA, following the census. Provide voter information on vote411.org and with tools from the state and national leagues.
Meeting Basic Human Needs: Chairperson Cynthia DiGeronimo reported that although the emergency shelter plans are still developing, we expect to return to our regular meal team schedule in the fall. Taking into consideration the health and safety of all, and depending on shelter needs, members will work as a team once each month (November-April) to provide the evening meal for guests at the emergency shelter for the homeless. Members have the opportunity to join our team once or multiple times, preparing a component of the meal in advance and/or serving the meal at the shelter. (digeronimo@comcast.net)
Legislation: Chairperson Nancy Polan reported that our advocacy will focus on two issues: 1.Voter service: Passage of the For the People Act, S1, which has passed the House, and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, critically important for protecting voting rights in every state. Passage of the Massachusetts VOTES ACT. 2. Climate: Work for passage of bills to implement the MA Next Generation Climate law and the Transportation Climate Initiative. Develop policies at the municipal and state level to transition to 100% renewable energy by 2050, and build communities more resilient to the climate crisis. Focus on conserving natural lands and enabling forests and farms to store carbon, and maintain biodiversity.
Education and 100th Anniversary Celebration of Women’s Suffrage in the U.S. Chairperson Margie Riddle reported that our local League will continue to sponsor throughout our area the educational exhibit, “She Shapes History,” on loan from the Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield. We will recruit sites and promote the exhibit as well as fund-raise to cover expenses. The exhibit has been shown this year at Art for the Soul Gallery in Springfield and Florence Center storefronts. Future sites in the planning stages are JFK Middle School in Florence, Franklin County, and Smith College. Our local League was founded in 2022 so this will be our anniversary year. The exhibit highlights the importance of voting and the history of the fight for equal access to the vote. The Committee also plans to bring back the Voting Rights Book Group open to the public for four meetings in fall-winter 2021-22.
Health Care: Chairperson Osa Flory reported we will continue to monitor the progress of the Massachusetts Health Care Reform Act and national health care legislation. The committee will continue to support efforts to obtain single-payer universal health care as endorsed by the National League.
Springfield Unit: Member Gillian Hinkson reported on the following four areas:
Member Growth: Focus on building the Springfield Unit membership, intentionally recruiting younger women new to civic/voter engagement in the community (especially new Americans) in the colleges and in the high schools. (Springfield Unit)
Voter Service in Springfield: We will continue to work with other groups to increase voter participation in the upcoming elections. (Springfield Unit)
Police Accountability Committee: We will continue its work by releasing the results of our series of community deliberative discussion forums and offering continuing opportunities for public education on civilian police oversight in Springfield. (Springfield Unit)
Observer Corp: We will continue to develop our Observer Corps to help residents understand and participate in the work of Springfield’s boards and commissions, as well as City Council and School Committee. (Springfield Unit)
Directions to the Board were invited.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:00.
Respectfully submitted,
Margaret Riddle, Secretary