Summer 2000Council Edition 2000
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Council Edition 2000 | Fall 2000 |
 Annual Council Guest - Kay Maxwell - LWV National LiaisonAlana Bowman to Speak at League Brown Bag LunchPresident's Message (Virginia Isbell)Vote Count (Arlene Ellis)Hawaii Clean Elections (Laure Dillon & George Fox)Violence Prevention (Suzanne Meisenzahl)Don't Gamble with Aloha (Dorothy Bobilin)Education Committee (Mary Anne Raywid)Judiciary Study Committee (Jean Aoki)High-Traffic Websites Team Up to Sponsor 'Rolling Cyber Debate'Kauai Annual Meeting (Carol Bain)Congressional Candidates' ForumLeague of Women Voters Clearinghouse Open!Man and his Legacy, TheVoter Service |
Annual Council Guest |
 Suzanne Marinelli, Kay Maxwell - LWVUS, Kimo Brown - Public Access |
At this year's LWVHI Council our guest speaker was Kay Maxwell, LWVUS board member and western regional liaison. Here are some excerpts from her remarks, 80 YEARS OF A GREAT IDEA.
"The legacy of the League is of an organization that has fought for and achieved so much. But, we'll never rest on our laurels. We joined the League to be activists - not archivists!
From the beginning, the League has focused on making democracy work. We have labored to turn our votes into tools for social change, hammering away at those interests in government that oppose the interests of citizens. The League has stood firm on issues because we felt we were right - although our positions have not always been popular. We've stared down tyrants in government throughout our history - from our fight against Senator McCarthy's anti-communist hysteria to our civil rights work, to today's struggle for campaign finance reform..
It was largely due to the efforts of League activists that the National Voter Registration Act, or Motor Voter as we fondly refer to it, passed. And the League is lending its muscle now to DC voting rights.
The League of the future is online.
We are becoming a 24 hour-7 day a week organization. In the past few months, we've been able to seize the electronic revolution, update our image and enter into the 21st century.
The League of the future is community based.
The results of the civic participation study the League commissioned, has led to a new understanding of the vibrant community activism that already exists in every community. By working to engage citizens where they live, we can draw them into a closer understanding of the larger political system, and of their role in creating positive change.
League of the future is diverse.
As the demographics of our communities change, so must the demographics of the League. The League of the future must be as diverse as America.
The League of the future is global.
We believe that the rights of citizens at home and abroad are interdependent. Internationalism has been at the heart of our work for decades. We have always understood that we will never be free if others are enslaved; we will never be democratic while others are repressed by dictatorship and we will never be at peace if others are at war.
The League of the future is democracy focused.
It must be because we are facing a CRISIS. A great majority of Americans are enfranchised, but they aren't interested. We have our work cut out for us. One of our activities this year will revolve around our Take a Friend to Vote campaign. The League will be encouraging citizens to ask their friends, families, neighbors and colleagues to vote this fall.
The future of the League is indeed NOW.
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