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President's Message: Convention Highlights
League Receives ABA Award
Hawaii Coalition Against Legalized Gambling (HCALG) (Grace Furukawa)
National Convention (Marianna Scheffer)
League Attends Special Drug Policy Forum Event (Suzanne Meisenzahl)
Whither Goes Our Republic? (Jean Aoki)
Sad News (Carol Whitesell)
Explanation Worth Considering (Valere McFarland)
Voter Owned Elections (Kory Payne)
On Voting and Not Voting (Carol Bain)
Other Voting Facts
BOE Election (Mary Anne Raywid)
Report of Convention 2006 Action (Sue Irvine)
Growing Movement for National Election of President (Jean Aoki)
Chapter Report - Kauai (Carol Bain)
Chapter Report - Honolulu (Piilani Kaopuiki)
Chapter Report - Hawaii (Marianna Scheffer)

National Convention

Sue Irvine, President of Hawaii League of Women Voters, and I attended the national LWV Convention from June 10-13 in Minneapolis.

We were presented with a slate of candidates headed by Mary Wilson, our new president, which won easily; but there was dissension. Some delegates voted for the alternates as a protest against the current vetting of candidates. Candidate selection could become a larger issue by the time of the next Convention.

For us outdoor Hawaiian types all this sedentary activity meant more sitting in conference rooms and listening to the many many discussions than we really cared for. I wished we could do this sort of thing while hiking or swimming. We did manage to walk around downtown Minneapolis, and we ate in some very nice restaurants.

And we were entertained and informed. Garrison Keillor provided us with one of his clever, if to my ear somewhat patronizing, extemporaneous monologues; Brookings Scholar Thomas Mann spoke on his worries about the future of democracy. Local singer and songwriter Ann Reed sang us songs both romantic and political, including a satirical song about George W. Bush set to the melody of "On the Bayou."

I was pleased by the outcomes of this convention and I know that the hard sit work was necessary. I hope more members can attend the next convention. Our Mainland sisters could use more of our Aloha spirit!

Marianna Scheffer
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