Four LWVMHR members attended this event in Albany: Dare Thompson, Leslie Simons, Cindy Bell, and brand new member Deborah McManus.
The newest president of LWVUS, Dianna Wynn, was with us for a full day and among the most interesting things she talked about was how and why LWVUS decided to declare that the U.S. is in a constitutional crisis. Dianna was open and accessible – “Hey, remember, I’m a local League member like you!” she said. She’s from Cary, North Carolina (near Durham) and is a communication consultant with several books on that topic to her credit.
Another speaker was Olivia Hill, a transgender woman who has managed to get elected to the Nashville, TN city council as a Member At-Large. That victory against a background of so much hate and misinformation even in a blue city was inspiring to all of us and we gave her a huge standing ovation. Two things from her talk that will forever stick with me are 1) even she was surprised by the significant changes she experienced when she lost “white male privilege” and 2) becoming a female changed her body AND MIND in ways she totally didn’t expect – e.g. lost upper body strength and gained a confusing new ability to multi-task! I think we are now all more prepared and enthusiastic about supporting former males in female sports and wherever people say a trans woman doesn’t belong. Go to https://theoliviahill.com/ for more. She also has a memoir coming out.
MEMBERSHIPS:
Every year we also look at our membership numbers as of January 31 of the current year. We saw that in the state as a whole the membership grew by about 10%, thanks not only to the hard work of League members but also to the political climate.
And what local League now has the most members? You might think NYC but no – it’s in second place. Number 1 is Saratoga County! It has 287 to NYC’s 219! With 168 members we are in 5th place, after Albany County with 195 members and Rochester Metro with 182. All of us are clearly doing good work but where Saratoga really stands out is with the fun they have. Let’s remember that in all we do. Joy is not only important in keeping us going – it makes us better!
LEARNING FROM ONE ANOTHER:
The speakers are great, but the main reason we go to Convention is to learn from one another. On the last morning, all the presidents met in a separate room for breakfast and to talk with our executive director, Erica Smitka, and president, Nancy Rosenthal. Many of us continue to learn from one another throughout the year but not in person in one room! Go team!