LWVAC is proud to have several Life Members—those who have been League members for 50 consecutive years! We’ve set out to interview them. Here we talk with June Girard, who has been with the League for 62 years. This interview was first published in the June 2019 LWVAC Voter.

June grew up in Los Angeles. As a teenager, she was working as a model and a health benefits administrator when she met her husband Jerry (now also a member of the League) on a blind date. They married and, after Jerry completed flight school, moved around the country wherever his career as a United Airlines pilot took them.

As a result, June has been active in many Leagues. She has been the President of three, and has been on the state board in two states.

When did you join the League?

June tackled college later in life (“the same year my grandson started kindergarten”). She graduated from Mundelein College (now part of Loyola University) with BA and MA degrees in International Relations.

In 1978, June and Jerry retired to Key West. They moved to Gainesville in 2005.

I joined in Bloomington, Minnesota in 1956. I was drawn to the interesting women there who wanted to do something about important issues.

In the 60’s we moved to the Chicago area. I first joined the Lake Bluff League, serving on the board and spearheading the publication of a “Know Your Town” guide. (Each League had to put together a guide for the community which described the local history, government, protection (police and fire), recreation, education, library system, hospitals, judiciary, voter guidance, churches, other organizations, and industry.)

I then helped start a new League chapter in Libertyville/Mundelein, Illinois, and became President.

We later moved to Woodstock/McHenry, Illinois, which had a long-standing League. I was President there and also served on the Illinois League state board (from 1969-1973), which undertook some interesting projects:

• for Chicago TV, the state board produced a four-part series on political structures
• we wrote a leaflet on campaign financing (it was so popular that it sold out)
• we produced a film on the history of the League to be shown at our convention.

In 1974, 90 of our Illinois League members wanted to attend the national convention in San Francisco. We negotiated with United Airlines for a plane that flew around the state picking up our members, then transported all to San Francisco. The plane was piloted by League husbands, the captain being my husband Jerry. (Photo of crew shows Jerry Girard at upper left, June at lower right.)

The Illinois state board had worked directly with Governor Dan Walker (even having him to meetings in our homes) and in 1974 we were all honored with a formal dinner at the Governor’s mansion.

Jerry and I retired to Key West in 1978. I joined the League there, then called the Monroe County League. I hosted a TV show called “Countyline,” and when Governor Lawton Chiles visited I was able to bring him onto the show. I was Vice-President, then President of the Monroe County League. I also served on the LWVFL state board as secretary in the early 90’s.

When we moved to Gainesville in 2005, I joined LWVAC. Here I worked with Doug Ray of the Gainesville Sun to begin the publishing of our monthly League columns. In 2012, I started the Oak Hammock unit of LWVAC.

It has been an education. From the League I have learned many things, among them: critical thinking, clear and effective writing, how to deal with people, how to work on issues, and public speaking.

What issues have moved you the most?

Women’s suffrage and rights have always been important to me. The environment has also been a concern: in Minnesota, it was the use of DDT on the food crops; in Illinois, it was land use and planning; in the Keys, it was water.

What big changes have you seen in the landscape—political, the League, Gainesville?

In the League there used to be more focus on the Study & Action process, in which we would select an issue, study all sides of it, and take a position. It was a thorough and formal process.

What advice or lessons learned would you pass on to our members?

Look at both sides of a problem. Learn why the other party thinks the way they do. Learn to compromise to get things done.

Meet more often as a League. Make the members feel as though they belong to something. Each meeting could have a theme: how city/county government works, or an issue tied to the League’s Study & Action. Make it social. Give members a chance to understand and discuss issues from both sides.

I am proud to see the work that the state League has done on redistricting.