(Daisy on left with League member Christine Henning)
“I always wanted to get involved in local issues in the community”, she says. “I have always liked learning about all levels of government including at the national and international level. A friend had been suggesting I join for some time, and once I retired I felt I had time to contribute." And contribute she certainly has. Daisy has always been active in voter registration, wherever it took her, and then she volunteered to keep the League’s materials - all the “stuff” needed for events, and she also admits to being the pastry chef.
Daisy says she “inherited” the book club, which has been fun. “We have a good time in restaurants, but of course we can’t do that now." In fact, Daisy is complaining that at the moment she does not have much to do for the League. The naturalization ceremonies, at least in Ulster County, are on hold, and in Dutchess they are few and far between. She continues to work on voter registration at any event where she can, but now that she is helping three of her grandchildren with their distance learning, her days are quite full.
Three years ago Daisy joined the League's board. She enjoys the interaction with the other board members and seeing how the organization works from the inside. However, she says, often the work ends up being done by just a few people, and the officers, especially the President and Vice President, do need help. “We don’t have enough members who are willing to take on tasks”, she says, “if we had more members who would volunteer, the tasks would not be so onerous." She would like to see a real recruiting effort, especially in Dutchess County as the pandemic recedes.
One of the problems she sees the League facing is how to make people aware of the value of the League, especially when it comes to local issues, which often directly affect everyone. “I would like to see more young people and a more diverse and active membership,” she says. “Not surprisingly many retired people are active in the League, but we are all getting older, and we need people who can take on more tasks, including those involving technology."
Being involved with the board, Daisy sees that, in general, the League is guided by the original tenets of civic education and active participation in contemporary issues of government, all of which are valuable. But she feels it is easy for the larger organization to become too bureaucratic and the local groups can find they are spread thin when trying to achieve the required goals; they often do not have the time or resources to achieve them.
Apart from her family, Daisy has found most of her work in her community related to what she does for the League, often speaking on Radio Kingston about the League. Within the Latin community she has worked hard on voter registration and would like to do more. However with the Covid crisis, she finds helping her grandchildren takes most of the day. With one grandchild in elementary school and younger twins also in school, she is busy helping with remote learning. “I really admire what the teachers have managed to do” she says, “this has not been easy”.
