Spring1998 Home   Newsletters

Summer 1998

Fall 1998

President's Message (Jean Aoki)
State Council / Board Actions May 15-16 1998
Honolulu's Loss - Seattle's Gain (Suzanne Meisenzahl)
Guidelines for Maintaining League Nonpartisan Policy
League Local News - Hawaii County (Susan Dursin, Helene Hale & Marian Wilkins)
League Local News - Honolulu (Grace Furukawa)
League Local News - Kauai League (Susan Wilson)
Elections and Campaign Finance Reform Bills
Making Democracy Work - Campaign Finance Reform HICLEAN (Toni Worst)
Hawaii's Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP)
Voter Services
Education Committee Projects 1998-99
Action on Motor Voter!
Important Dates
Web Page
Rhoda Miller Peace Memorial
On National Issues...
Small Schools and Schools-Within-Schools (insert)

State Council / Board Actions May 15-16 1998

The biennial State Council meetings are a place for reflection. President Jean Aoki provided the thirteen attendees with some provocative questions on LWVHI in the twenty-first century:

Do our purpose and long-range goals need revising?

What are the Community's expectation of League? Are we doing enough viv-a-vis education and advocacy? Are our resources (human, financial and public support) up to the job?

How can we strengthen our organization?

There was general consensus that our mission statement to increase understanding of major public policy issues and influence public policy through education and advocacy is still valid. And we are probably doing as much as we can in advocacy and education. It will always be a challenge to meet community expectations of the League. Here is the list of community expectations that emerged from the discussion:

  1. impartiality

  2. intelligent digestion of issues

  3. registration of voters

  4. provide non-partisan issue-oriented forums

  5. educate the public about issues and candidates

  6. encourage and facilitate neutrality

  7. be non-partisan, knowledgeable, credible

Are we up to it?

Some ideas that were put forth to make League more effective:

Must keep a balance; too much advocacy makes people think we've lost our nonpartisanship stance.

You get struck down if you advocate without education. Presenting both pros and cons strengthens our position and credibility ( but if it needs to be short, like a letter to a newspaper, only pros is okay). Coalitions are essential to spread resources and reach more people, but be careful who you sign up with. They may have another agenda.

Chairs of committees need to recruit a full committee; it's the best way to involve members in activities and develop leadership.

Recruit new members, don't wait for them to ask to join!

Think big! Foundations and corporations have money they MUST give away each year. Don't be shy about asking.

A great session, following a great dinner prepared by Suzanne Meisenzahl and Jona Sing. Mahalo for your hospitality.

State Board Actions

Approved a Nonpartisan Policy for placement in "Policies and Procedures".

Reviewed and approved Guidelines for Maintaining League Nonpartisan Policy (see separate article)

Recommended reviewing and updating our position on land use.

Agreed that League members testifying before legislative bodies should not add their own opinions to League positions.

Nominated Dot Bobolin as Gambling Chair and Joyce Torrey as Publicity Chair to the Board.

Reviewed Part II of the Domestic Violence Report and approved the holding of concurrence.

Requested the Honolulu Board to take the lead in the production of a State Directory.

Authorized the Executive Committee to decide on the allocation of education fund money between the International Relations Committee Model UN Project and the Education Committee Charter School Project.

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