In the words of one of our League’s founding members, Emma Lou Sederholm, “If you belong to an organization and you believe in the organization, you need to be active in it.”* We should all take her words to heart and it’s easy when so many opportunities exist to become involved! Here are a few:
Join the Observer Corps! Our League would like to start an Observer Corps, which is a decades-old League program of keeping a watchful eye on government. As a member of the Corps, you serve as the ears of our League by attending local government committee meetings of your choice and interest and then report back to the board on what is going on. This allows the board to respond in time to support or oppose municipal or county actions based on our positions. Nancy Cassano was in the process of forming an Observer Corps when she sadly and unexpectedly passed away in July of 2020. We’d like to move forward with this program in her memory. Learn more about how the Observer Corps works by visiting the League of Women Voters website, and contact any board member if this program interests you! Check your membership booklet for contact information.
Start a Book Club! Many local Leagues have formed book clubs to read titles that deepen our understanding of what diversity, equity and inclusion means.
Join the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee! We’re seeking League members willing to take the lead on how our League can translate our DEI Policy into purposeful action. The state Community Alliances Committee will soon release a model framework for implementing DEI at the local League level, which can be used as a roadmap. Results of the Demographic Survey members completed earlier this year reveals the current diversity profile of our membership and incorporates member ideas on how we can make our League a more diverse, equitable and inclusive organization. If you are interested in learning more about this committee, please contact Ellen Penwell at ellen [at] lwvwhitewater.org.
Help with the League’s Work! We have League members chairing aspects of the League’s work in the areas of voter services, membership, social media and website platforms, public relations, newsletter production, fund development, and candidate forums. They need your assistance! Contact any board member to offer your assistance in any of these areas. Check your membership booklet for contact information.
*Oral History Interview with Emma Lou Sederholm, 2021. Watch her full video interview on our Google Drive.
