advance no)ce of upcoming ac)vi)es. may 2017
TRANSCRIPT
Website: www.lwvjc.org Facebook: League of Women Voters of Johnson County Twi er: LWVJCIA 1
NOTE: The Voter is issued on the last
Friday of the month to provide readers
advance no)ce of upcoming ac)vi)es. The Voter
May 2017 LeagueofWomenVotersJohnsonCounty,Iowa
In this Issue:
Annual Mee)ng 2
CCC meets 2
New Members 2
City High students register 2
League Coffee 3
Annual Agenda Topics 3
Member Profile 4
League Founda)ons 6
New Members Corner 7
Calendar 8
Board of Directors 2016-2017
President–SyndyConger,[email protected]
VicePresident-NancyLynch,[email protected]–SandyKeller,[email protected]–LindaKroon,[email protected]
CathyEisenhofer,
Nancy Porter,
Linda Schreiber,
Paula Vaughan,
Gaylen Wobeter,
Julie Wittig,
FromthePresident
TheLWVIAinvitesmemberstoitsFridayandSaturday,June9–10,ConventiononthecampusofGrinnellCollege.Itsthemeis“We’re
NotThereYet,”anditwillformallybeginFriday,June9,7:30p.m.,withaconversationbetweenKathieObradovich,DesMoinesRegisterPoliticalColumnist,OKayHenderson,RadioIowaNewsDirector,attheBucksbaumCenterfortheArts,152LawsonLectureHall,1108ParkSt.TheSaturdayprogramwillincludetheBusinessMeetingandspeakers,includingLWVIAPresidentMaryRaeBragg,LWVIALobbyistAmyCampbellandKeynoteSpeakerSecretaryofStatePaulPate.AsilentauctionofitemscontributedbylocalLeaguesaroundthestatewillraisemoneyfortheLWVIAandprovidememberswiththechancetogohomewithConventionmementos.
RegistrationispossibleonFriday,from4to7p.m.,andSaturday,from8to9a.m.,atJoeRosen4ieldCenter(JRC),11158thAvenue.LeaguemembersdineontheirowninGrinnellonFridayevening,thenshareacontinentalbreakfastonSaturdayandalunchonSaturday.
Costsarequitereasonable.Registrationis$50fordelegatesandmembers,$55fornon-members,and$25forstudents.DelegatesarewelcomeeithertostayFridaynightinnewdormsoncampus($25forasingleand$21foradouble)orseekhotelroomsinthecommunity.ParkingisavailableinparkinglotsnearLazierHall.ThereisalsostreetparkingonParkStreet.
IhopeyouwillconsidertakingthisopportunitytolearnmoreabouttheStateLeague’scurrentactivitiesandtonetworkwithotherLeaguersfromalloverthestate.
Ifyouareinterested,justcontactme([email protected])byMay18andletmeknow1)whetheryouwillcomeforoneday
(Saturday)ortwo(FridayandSaturday),2)whetheryouwishtostayina
dormorinamotelofyourownchoice,and3)whetheryouwouldliketo
beconsideredfordelegatestatus.
AndhereisaveryviablePlanB!Ifyouwouldliketoattendasimilarmeetingclosertohome,pleaseconsidercomingtotheLWVofJohnsonCounty’sAnnualMeetingonMay18.Youwill4indallkindsof
con�nued on page 2
Website: www.lwvjc.org Facebook: League of Women Voters of Johnson County Twi er: LWVJCIA 2
Allentreesinclude:
Spinach Salad – dried cranberries with toasted
almonds and a sweet vinaigrette
Fresh Vegetable Medley
Wild Rice
Warm Rolls and Butter
Fresh brewed coffee and iced tea
ReservationsbyMay12areappreciated.
GaylenWobeter
New Member
Cara Lewis
CCC Book Club to meet May 23
The CCC Book Club will meet on
Tuesday, May 23, in the Coralville Public
Library in Meeting Room B, at 7 p.m. Katy
Hansen will lead the “PromisedLand:Thirteen
BooksthatChangedAmerica”discussionaboutthechapter,BettyFriedan,“TheFeminineMystique.” All members are welcome.
LeagueMembersvisitCityHighSchool
toregistervoters
On May 16, 2017, members of the
League's Voter Registration Committee will
have the opportunity to meet with City High
School seniors to
talk about the
importance of
voting and
registering to vote.
The high school
voter registration
program will
engage students in
a discussion about government and the impact
it has on their lives. It will also provide students
with the information they need to take a stand
on issues that matter to them. We want to
encourage students to take part in their
government and understand the power in
information about that meeting in this Voter,
including an invitation.
Hope to see you soon!
Syndy M. Conger,
President, LWVJC
What’sAheadAllLeaguemembersinvitedtoour
AnnualMeeting—May18
We are planning a very special annual
meeting on May 18 at the Clarion Highlander and
hope that you will be there. The information
concerning the meeting is as follows:
5 – 6 p.m. Social Hour: Wine, beer, and
cocktails available for reduced price
6 – 6:30 p.m. Annual Meeting
6:30 – 7:15 p.m. Dinner
7:15 – 7:45 p.m. Keynote Speaker:
Professor Meenakshi"Gigi"Durham
Entréeoptions–cost$30:
ChickenOscar-sauteedbreastofchickentoppedwithasparagusandcrabbearnaisesauce
HerbCrustedSalmon-AtlanticSalmon–seasonedwithfreshherbpotatocrust,servedwithaDijonmustardcreamsauce
SearedSalmon-AtlanticSalmon(gluten-freeoption)servedwithaDijonmustardcreamsauce
VegetarianOption-Chef’sChoice(TBD)
con�nued on page 3
University of Iowa
Professor Meenakshi “Gigi”
Durham will address
“Global Women's Rights
and Transna�onal Feminist
Alliances" at the annual
mee�ng on May 18. She
holds a joint appointment in
the School of Journalism
and Gender, Women’s, and
Sexuality Studies.
Website: www.lwvjc.org Facebook: League of Women Voters of Johnson County Twi er: LWVJCIA 3
• membersfor50yearsormoreshallbelifemembers
ARTICLE IV. Board of Directors. Section 1.SELECTION:
MANNEROFSELECTION:mayappointupto4ivedirectorsforaone-yearterm.(Halfoftheelecteddirectorsshallbechosenbythegeneralmembershipateachannualmeetingandshallserveforatermoftwoyearsoruntiltheirsuccessorshavebeennamed.)TermsbegineffectiveJuly1andendJune30.
ARTICLE IV. Board of Directors. Section 4.QUORUM.
(New)VACANCIES:Anyvacancyotherthantheof4iceofthepresidentorco-presidentsmaybe4illedfortheremainderofthetermofof4icebyamajorityvoteoftheremainingmembersoftheboard.
(New)ELECTRONICPARTICIPATION(Section8.Art.5LWVUS)Boardbusinessmaybeconductedbyemail,telephoneconferencecall,videoconferencingorotherelectronicmeansacceptabletotheboard.
ARTICLEV.OFFICERS.
Section2a.ThePresident.Tweakwords
Section2b.Co-Presidents.Tweakwords.
Section3.VicePresident:Thevicepresidentisresponsibleforthemaintenanceandupkeepoftheorganization’sbylaws.
Section4.Secretary.Intheabsenceofthesecretary,aboardmembershallbenamedtotakeminutes.
ARTICLEVI.FINANCIALADMINSTRATION.
Section2.DUES.d.Duesarepayableinadvanceonanannualbasis.Membershipextendsfromthedatetheduesarepaid.
ARTICLEVII.MEETINGS
votingandhavingavoiceatthepolls.Ifyouwouldliketohelpregistervotersatthisevent,pleasecontactJulie Wittig,VoterRegistrationCoordinator([email protected])formoredetails. JulieWittig
Next Coffee Hour is May 1, 2017
Save-the-Date and plan to attend
What:AfungatheringfornewandcurrentLWVJCmemberstomeet,talk,andhearthelatestLeaguenewsandenjoycoffeetogetherinacasualsetting.Where:WinansChocolatesandCoffees,470FirstAve,Coralville.When:Monday,May1.CelebrateMayDayandspringtimewithLeaguefriends.Time:10a.m.tonoon.
RSVPtoJulieWittig,[email protected]
JulieWittig
LWVJCAnnualMeetingTopics:
The League of Women Voters of Johnson
County reviewed a number of topics to be
current and in sync with the national League.
The following is a summary of the planning and
discussion that has occurred the past few
months. League members will be asked to vote
on each of the following topics at the annual
meeting.
LWVJCBylawchanges The LWVJC Board of Directors appointed
a committee (PatJensen,PattyMcCarthyand
LindaSchreiber) to review the bylaws to
bring the organization into line with the
national League and/or make recommended
changes. A summary of the committee’s
recommendation and what League members
will vote on at the annual meeting follows:
ARTICLE III. Membership. Section 2. TYPES OF
MEMBERSHIP:
• change age from 18 to 16 years con�nued on page 4
con�nued from page 2
Website: www.lwvjc.org Facebook: League of Women Voters of Johnson County Twi er: LWVJCIA 4
ef4icient,effectivegovernmentforall.
Duringthediscussionofthe2018annualbudget(thatwillbepresentedtoLeaguemembersatourannualmeetingonMay18),boardmemberslearnedLWVJCannualduesdonotcoverpermemberpaymentstostateandnationalLeagues.Boardmembersvotedtoincreaseannualdues:$65forindividuals,$97.50forfamilymembershipand$32.50forstudentmemberships.Followingthemembersvotetoapprove,thenewdueswillgointoeffect.Boardmembersalsodiscussedensuringfutureeventsareself-supporting–feeschargedwillequalthecostofhostingtheevent.
Withthebylawchange(ARTICLEVI.FINANCIALADMINSTRATION)duesarepayableinadvanceonanannualbasis,andmembershipwillextendfromthedatetheduesarepaidforaone-yearperiod.
LindaSchreiber
Member Spotlight Teaching in Nancy Porter’s DNA
After a teaching career spanning 40
years, Nancy Porter retired, but she hasn’t
stopped teaching. Last month, she was a
substitute teacher at University of Iowa
Hospital Schools. As League Advocacy chair she
works to keep League members up-to-date
about rapidly-changing issues in the Iowa
Legislature.
On May 6, Nancy will be recognized by
Johnson County Democrats and inducted into
the Hall of Fame for
her continued and
ongoing work to
support democracy.
The Council
Bluffs, Iowa, native
moved across the
state to Iowa City to
support her
husband Gene, who
Section 2. ANNUAL MEETING. The annual
meeting shall be held between April 1 and
June 30, the exact date to be determined by
the board of directors.
The mission statement / tagline will be
removed from the bylaws.
League of:icers, board members In March, the nominating committee (Diana
Henry, Della McGrath and Audrey Moeller,
chair) made recommendations naming of4icers
and board members whose names will appear
for League member approval at the annual
meeting that will be held May 18. Elected board
members serve two-year terms.
In addition, the nominating committee
recommended individuals to appoint to a one-
year term, and recommended maintaining two
open board seats. League members will vote on
the following of4icers and elected board
members. Board members appointed to one-
year terms were approved by the Board at its
April meeting.
**Board of Directors Election**
Of:icers
Syndy Conger, President, 2016-2018
Polly Horton, Vice President, 2017-2019
Sandy Keller, Secretary, 2017-2019
Linda Kroon, Treasurer, 2016-2018
Board Members
Diana Henry, 2017-2019
Linda Meloy, 2017-2019
Paula Vaughan, 2017-2019
Lee Wood, 2017-2019
**Vote by League membership in
attendance**
LWVJC annual dues increase Membership in the League of Women
Voters is increasingly important as individuals
and families seek to exercise their citizenship
rights. The LWV of Johnson County is fortunate
to have a committed membership interested in
working with elected of4icials to create an con�nued on page 5
con�nued from page 3
Website: www.lwvjc.org Facebook: League of Women Voters of Johnson County Twi er: LWVJCIA 5
Ever the teacher, she chaired an
education study group to fully understand
issues and learn from the experience. Nancy
says the study group democratic process is
worthy of praise.
When Gene suffered a debilitating
stroke at age 52, her teacher role expanded to
caregiver. She cared for him at home until
another attack required fulltime nursing home
care. For several years, he was suf4iciently
mobile to attend family activities; later SEATS
service allowed home visits with family. Prior
to Gene’s illness, Nancy visited her parents
nearly every weekend to ensure they received
proper nutrition and healthcare as they aged in
place.
Nancy is thrilled Hancher has reopened
as she is an active Showcase volunteer and
audience member.
Both daughters and their families in live
in New York. Everyone it seems is connected to
education. Dr. Tracy Gregg and family live in
Buffalo, New York, where she is a State
University of New York professor of geology.
Tess Mcfarland-Porter and family live in
Rochester, New York, and teaches at the YMCA.
Previously she taught high school before
earning a master’s in economics and
constitutional history. Both son-in-laws are
professors – one in chemistry and one in
physics. Her 4ive active grandchildren, two girls
and three boys, keep her busy too. David, Ross
McFarland-Porter and Rob Gregg are in college;
Elizabeth McFarland-Porter is a high school
senior who plans to become a music teacher;
and Edie Gregg is a junior in high school.
In her spare time, Nancy loves travel.
She just returned from a visit to the Panama
Canal in December. Prior to her sister’s death in
2015, they traveled to the Scandinavian
countries of their father’s homeland of Sweden
con�nued on page 6
was a University of Iowa student and US West
employee. When Gene’s work became a
priority, the couple reversed roles. Nancy
became a student, majoring in education; she
received a bachelors and master’s degree from
the UI College of Education. She served her
entire career with the Iowa City Community
School District, the last 14 years as a Reading
Recovery and Title I teacher.
Nancy continues to serve education as a
student teacher mentor and instructor at
Viterbo University, an appointment via the
Iowa State Education Association. She also
maintains contact with her former student
teachers as they graduate.
In 2016, she was named to Thomas
Jefferson High School Hall of Fame. She has
received numerous honors and awards for
teaching, including ICCSD Teacher of the Year
and the ISEA C. F. Martin Award for activism
and professional involvement. For more than
30 years, Nancy was elected by peers to the
National Education Association Representative
Assembly.
Her service continues with the ISEA PAC
Central Committee, the Iowa United Nations
Association Executive Board, Altrusa
International Board and NEA Peace and Justice
Caucus Board of Directors.
Nancy became active with League of
Women Voters activities at Gene’s urging in
order to meet people and learn about the
democratic process. The League captivated her
attention and her volunteer service began.
(JeanLloyd-Jonespresidedoverthat4irstmeeting.)NancyisalongtimeLeagueBoardmemberandAdvocacyCommitteechair,andisservingher4irsttermontheLWVofIowaBoard.
Nancysays,“AsanonpartisanpoliticalentitytheLeagueworkstirelesslytopromotevotingrights,education,women’shealth,gunsafetyandenvironmentalissues.TheseissuesaresoimportantforAmerica’sfutureandourglobaleconomy.”
con�nued from page 4 CongratulationstoLeaguememberSally
Stutsmanwhoalsowillberecognizedby
theJohnsonCountyDemocratsinMay.
Website: www.lwvjc.org Facebook: League of Women Voters of Johnson County Twi er: LWVJCIA 6
andvisitedtheirmother’sDenmarkhome;theGifeonFountaininCopenhagen,Denmark;andviewedartworkbytheirGreatUncleAndersBungaard,whoisaDanishsculptor.Nancy’strekshavetakenherto4ivecontinentsandthissummersheplanstoaddanotherwithasafaritoAfrica.
LindaSchreiber
Preparing for 2020: Foundations
of the League of Women Voters TheLeagueofWomenVoterswill
celebrateits100thbirthdayin2020.Thisisthe
fourthinaseriesofarticlesabouttheAmerican
suffragemovement,theamazingsuffragistswho
madethevoteforwomenhappen,andthe
organizationwhichfollowed,theLeagueof
WomenVoters.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
In 1848, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, with
Lucretia Mott and Mott’s sister, Martha Cof4in
Wright, organized the 4irst women’s rights
convention in Seneca Falls, New York. A
Declaration of Sentiments was written by Cady
Stanton and signed by 100 of the 300 attendees.
Using the familiar words from the Declaration
of Independence such as “When in the course of
human events …” and “We hold these truths to
be self-evident: that all men and women are
created equal …”, she wrote, “The history of
mankind is a history of repeated injuries and
usurpation on the part of man toward woman,
having in direct object the establishment of an
absolute tyranny over her. To prove this, let
facts be submitted to a candid world.” Among
the “sentiments” were:
• Hehascompelledhertosubmittolaws,inthe
formationofwhichshehadnovoice…
• Hehasnoteverpermittedher…the
inalienablerighttotheelectivefranchise.
• Hehasmadeher,ifmarried,intheeyeofthe
law,civillydead…
• Hehastakenfromherallrightinproperty,
eventhewagessheearns.
• Hehasdeniedherthefacilitiesforobtaining
athorougheducation—allcollegesbeing
closedagainsther.
Federick Douglass, social reformer,
abolitionist, and orator, who attended the
convention, called it a “grand movement for
attaining the civil, social, political, and religious
rights of women.” However, the Declaration
overall caused controversy. One newspaper
called it “the most shocking unnatural event
ever recorded in the history of womanity.” It
was said that the Declaration was written at the
expense of women’s more proper duties, while
some women’s rights activists were working on
issues (temperance, for example) and they felt
the Declaration would hamper their efforts.
Differences in goals and tactics to
achieve woman’s suffrage between women’s
rights groups continued for many years before
the right to vote became reality.
Nevertheless, the suffrage movement
moved forward. Elizabeth Cady Stanton had
shown herself to be a leader and continued as
such for decades. She was a writer, orator, and
organizer.
Interestingly, Cady Stanton and almost
all of the suffrage leaders over the many
decades had good educations. Most came from
families able to provide them with educations
when most women in America did not have that
opportunity. Elizabeth attended Johnstown
con�nued on page 7
con�nued from page 5 In an�cipa�on of the
100th anniversary of
the League of Women
Voters, the League of
Women Voters of Iowa
and Johnson County,
LWVJC commissioned
Benson & Hepker
Design to create a logo.
Website: www.lwvjc.org Facebook: League of Women Voters of Johnson County Twi er: LWVJCIA 7
Academyfor16years,studyingLatin,Greek,mathematics,religion,science,Frenchandwritingwhereshewonacademichonorsandawards.ShealsowasmadeawareofsexualdiscriminationwhenshewasnotallowedtogoontoUnionCollegewhereherolderbrother,Eleazar,hadgoneandwhereboysshehadsurpassedacademicallyatJohnstownhadenrolled.Instead,ElizabethwenttotheTroy(NewYork)FemaleSeminarywhichwasfoundedandrunbyEmmaWillard.
(Leaguememberswhohavebegun
planningforcelebrating“ACenturyofImpact:TheLeagueStory”areSyndyConger,JeanLloydJones,PollyHorton,LindaKroon,LindaMeloy,
GaylenWobeter,andPatJensen.)
PatJensen
New Members’ Corner WhatdoLeaguemembersdointhe
summer?
The short answer is that their pace slows
down. The rest of the answer is that many take
the opportunity to study issues important to
them and to meet informally with other League
members to plan fall events or advocacy efforts.
If it is issue study that motivates you, this year
offers you a long list of potential subjects!
Just consider the recently completed
legislative session. One of the gifts given to
citizens this year has been thorough news
coverage of the session (and in some case,
executive orders) that saw major shifts in the
rights of gun owners, state employees, voters,
women, and workers, and signi4icant defunding
ofgovernment-fundedagencieslongsupported
bytheLWVIA— thedomesticviolenceshelters,
justicesystem,state-fundedhealthcareforIowa’s
mostvulnerablecitizens,schoolsatalllevels,
mentalhealthservices,waterquality and in
particular the Leopold Center for Sustainable
Agriculture in Ames.
Now that the session is ended, the
Monday, April 24, 2017, Gazette offered a
forecast of what the next
session would consider,
including tax reform, school
choice, and once again,
legislation changing the laws on
abortion, traf4ic enforcement
cameras, guns, and the perennial unresolved
funding for water quality may also come up
again next year. TheLeaguewillalwaysfocus
energiesonexpandingandimprovingvoting
rightsandhealthcareforwomenandvulnerable
citizens,butnextyear’sbillsjustlikethisyear’s
billswillintersectwithlong-heldlegislative
positionsoftheLeagueofWomenVoterofIowa
(gotoLWVIA.orgtoreview),inthiscaseon
progressivestateincometax,taxpayersupport
forpubliceducation,women’shealthcare,home
ruleforcitiesandcounties,gunsafety,and
naturalresourcemanagement.
League resources on these subjects are
as close as your computer (LWVIA.org and
LWV.org) and local LWVJC resource people
include the list of committee chairs appended
below.Community resources abound in Iowa
City and Johnson County at various service
agencies and schools. Follow your issue by
doing it locally with site visits or interviews.
Finally, stay tuned for more information
about our best local get together of the year,
the LWVJC Fall Reception for members and
guests!
LWVJCCommitteeChairs:
Advocacy,NancyPorter([email protected])Membershipservices,KatyHansen([email protected])SundaySpeaker’sSeries,LindaSchreiber([email protected])Voterservices,VOTE411,CathyEisenhofer([email protected])Voterservices,LegislativeForums,PaulaVaughan([email protected])VoterRegistration,JulieWittig([email protected])
SyndyConger
con�nued from page 6
Website: www.lwvjc.org Facebook: League of Women Voters of Johnson County Twi er: LWVJCIA 8
CalendarofEvents
Date Time Location Program
Monday,May1
10a.m.–2p.m. WinansChocolatesandCof-
fees,4701stAve,Coralville
MeetNewMembersCoffee
Tuesday,May2
PlanningSession
2:30–4p.m. Winans HighSchoolVoterRegistration
Project
Thursday,May4 Noon Jensenhome
13LakeviewDr.NE,Iowa
City
LunchwithDorisKelley,LWVIA
Coordinator:2020
Saturday,May6 8a.m.–4:15p.m. Gotohttp://
www.lwvumrr.org
UMRR-ILOAnnualMeeting
Saturday,May13 10a,n,-2p.m. WikiupCenter,Toddville,IA LWVIA
BoardMeeting
Monday,May15 12–1:30p.m. IowaCityPublicLibrary LWVJC
BoardMeeting
Tuesday,May16 1:45–2:12p.m. CityHighSchool HighSchoolVoter
Registration
Project
Thursday,May18 6–8p.m. ClarionHighlander
2525N.Dodge,IowaCity
LWVJCAnnualMeeting
Tuesday,May23
CCCBookClub
7–8:30p.m. CoralvillePublicLibrary BettyFriedan,TheFeminineMystique
Monday–Friday
May22–May26
5businessdays IowaNewLeadershipConference
Friday&Saturday,
June9-10
Fri.4–9p.m.
Sat.8a.m.–3p.m.
GrinnellCollegeCampus LWVIAConvention
(every2years)
Monday,June19
10a.m.–2p.m. IowaCityPublicLibrary
MeetingRoomB
LWVJCStrategic
PlanningSession
Monday,July17 12–1:30p.m. IowaCityPublicLibrary
MeetingRoomB
LWVJC
BoardMeeting
Saturday,Aug.12 10a.m.–2p.m. IowaCityPublicLibrary LWVIA
BoardMeeting
Monday,Aug.21 12–1:30p.m. IowaCityPublicLibrary
MeetingRoomB
LWVJC
BoardMeeting
Saturday,Aug.26 EveningTBA TBA LWVJC
FallReception
Saturday,Sept.9 TimeTBA LWVIA
LeadershipTraining
MarshalltownCommunityCollege
Monday,Sept.18 12–1:30p.m. IowaCityPublicLibrary
MeetingRoomB
LWVJC
BoardMeeting
Saturday,Oct.14 10am–2pm IssuesBrie4ing Marshalltown Community College,
Marshalltown,IA
Saturday,Nov.4 10a.m.–2p.m. WikiupCenter,Toddville,IA LWVIA
BoardMeeting