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MEMBER HANDBOOK AND DIRECTORY
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| SEPTEMBER 2001 5 (Wed) Board Meeting 11 (Tues) Oct. VOTER deadline 20 (Thurs) Fall Luncheon 21 (Fri) Oct. VOTER mailing OCTOBER 2001 NOVEMBER 2001 DECEMBER 2001 |
JANUARY 2002 9 (Wed) Board Meeting 14 (Mon) Unit Council 15 (Tues) Feb. VOTER deadline 22-24 Unit Meetings National Program Planning 25 (Fri) Feb. VOTER mailing FEBRUARY 2002 MARCH 2002 APRIL 2002 |
MAY 2002 1 (Wed) New Board's lst Meeting 6 (Mon) Unit Council 7 (Tues) Jun VOTER deadline 14-16 Unit Meetings: Health Care 18 (Sat) NCA Annual Meeting 24 (Fri) Jun VOTER mailing 27 (Mon) Brown Bag Dialogue JUNE 2002 JULY 2002 AUGUST 2002 SEPTEMBER 2002 |
Affordable Housing: As announced in DC Voter
Children At Risk: As announced in DC Voter
Education: 10 am 2nd Wed., 733 15th St., NW, #432
Health Care: 4th Tue. alternating morning & eve.
International Relations: As announced in DC Voter
Transportation: As announced in DC Voter
Voter Services: As announced in DC Voter
TBA To Be Announced. LWVDC Board Meetings are held at 10 am at 1730 M Street, NW, 10th Floor Board Room. Unit Council will meet at 12:30 pm at LWVDC Office, 733 15th St., NW, #432. Note: In some months, General Meetings may be held in lieu of Unit Meetings.
League Units are groups of members who meet generally on the third week of the month. Check your DC Voter for the date of each month's meeting. Units discuss and, when appropriate, reach consensus on governmental issues that make up the League Program. The determining Unit feature may be geography (neighborhood broadly defined), or time of the meeting. Some Unit names and meeting times have changed; call Unit Chairs or Unit Director for information. All Units welcome members and guests from any neighborhood, either as occasional visitors or as regular members of that Unit.
CHEVY CHASE/INGLESIDE UNIT
Will meet Thursdays at 9:45 AM
The Unit will usually meet in the Lounge of the Ingleside Community, 3050 Military Road, NW (Metrobus: E-2. E-3, E-4, M-4; call Chairs for parking directions). The Unit may also meet in members' homes.
NORTHWEST DAY UNIT
Will meet Tuesdays at 12:45 PM
The Unit will usually meet at Iona Senior Services, 4125 Albemarle St., NW (Metro Red Line: Tenleytown station)
SOUTHWEST UNIT
Will meet Tuesdays at 9:45 AM
The Unit will meet in members' homes.
UPPER SIXTEENTH UNIT
Will meet Wednesdays at 9:45 AM
The Unit will meet in members' homes.
THE EVENING UNIT
Will meet Thursday evenings at 7:30 PM
The Unit will meet on Thursday evenings in members' homes until a decision is reached about a Saturday Unit.
RESOURCE COMMITTEES: Resource committees are made up of interested League members who study selected areas of League program and report their findings to the members for discussion and consensus. Once consensus is reached and a position taken, LWVDC informs voters and takes action to influence legislation and its administrative implementation.
The work of a resource committee does not end with consensus. Some meet regularly as a group to study new developments and recommend action as appropriate; in other instances, a single member monitors an element of League program. Committees welcome new members, whether making a continuing commitment or to help occasionally. If you have interests or skills to contribute in any of the program areas listed, call the Committee Chair, a Board member or the office. Your involvement enhances the League.
The committee, which includes the chairs and inter members of local program committees, will continue to study and inform our members about fiscal matters and other critical issues in the District, advocate responsible fiscal policies, and encourage citizens to exercise their right to have representation in these matters.
This committee will review League positions and update members on those positions with a view toward action. It will monitor DC government policies and programs with a view to testifying, developing letter-writing campaigns and advocating for economic, cultural and racial diversity in neighborhoods along with the creation of more financially affordable housing.
This committee will research and review programs serving District children to report best practices and gaps. Readiness for school, access to mental health treatment, detention alternatives, adequacy of nutrition will be among topics for study for unit discussions and League budget testimony on children and poverty in Washington.
This committee works within the League and with DC VOTE for full voting representation in Congress for the citizens of the District of Columbia.
The committee will make a comprehensive study of public schools in D.C., grades K-12. Possible topics for study include school libraries, home schooling, special education, physical structures, and adult education.
The committee will consider health care issues, both local and national in nature.
The committee will contribute to the League-wide effort to secure member concurrence on an update of the League position on international trade through a general meeting in early 2002. At the same time, it plans to begin a review of the League position on the United Nations in anticipation of acting on a proposed concurrence statement regarding a new UN position to be received in March from LWVUS. Monthly IR Committee meetings will be announced in the DC voter leading up to Unit Meetings on the UN in the spring; all are welcome.
The committee will consider transportation and planning issues at the local and regional level with other Leagues in the National Capital Area.
Arranges meeting places, refreshments and other behind-the scenes support for League activities. Committee is responsible for the Fall Opening Luncheon, Annual Meeting and special events.
Arranges accommodations in the homes of LWVDC members for other League members visiting Washington. Affords an opportunity to make cross-country friends; hostess shares income with LWVDC.
Held over the noon hour the fourth Monday of the month, these dialogues with officials and representatives of DC organizations and government explore a variety of issues such as the status of criminal justice system, health care, transportation, planning, and voter participation with experts in the fields.
Develops annual LWVDC budget for General Fund and Education Fund.
Monthly newsletter of LWVDC reports on work of the LWVDC, its board, resource committees and units and provides calendar of coming events and meetings. Welcomes contributions from members on League topics and Letters to the Editor. See calendar for deadline dates.
DNet is the League's electronic Voters Guide. The District of Columbia site (www.dnet.org/dc) provides information on presidential candidates, local ballot measures and local elections. DNet supplements the paper Votes Guide produced and distributed by the League.
Oversees fundraising efforts to meet ongoing budget requirements.
Plans to update publication describing the District of Columbia's history and its government.
Building on the League's very successful co-sponsorship of the National Student/Parent Mock Election in November 2000, the League working with the District's Board of Elections and Ethics and the District of Columbia Public Schools, trained student council leaders to register graduating seniors to vote. Plans for the coming year include registering the Class of 2002 to vote and, if resources allow, voter education efforts targeted at young voters.
Develops membership recruitment and retention programs. Membership forms can be obtained in the League office or downloaded from web site www.dcwatch.com/lwvdc.
Manages the League office. Coordinates League calendar & schedules; maintains membership lists; prepares correspondence; sends dues notices; and answers office inquiries.
Conducts private elections, provides accurate counting of ballots, and professional supervision of election procedures for. tenant and condominium associations, corporate boards, etc. Provides income for LWVDC.
Keeps the public informed about League positions, actions, programs and publications through newsprint, radio and television.
The League's commitment to promote voter registration and provide nonpartisan election information to citizens is a timehonored tradition dating back to the founding purposes of the League. Not a resource committee in the usual sense of the word, Voters Service enjoys a special status in the League as the responsibility of every member. Since the national "Motor Voter" legislation has made it so easy for people to register when they obtain or renew their drivers licenses, our local League has focused on registration assistance and voter education for groups that traditionally have low participation in the election process. Once a month we register new citizens at the naturalization ceremonies at the U.S. District Courthouse.
ACTION: The League acts to develop public support for League goals and to influence governmental decisions by supporting policies, budgets, comprehensive plans, etc. that implement League positions. Action is based on decisions made by informed members. This is what sets the League apart from other organizations. The fact that we are members of the LWVUS and LWVNCA as well as of the LWVDC makes us a powerful constituency.
ANNUAL MEETING: Annual meetings of the membership are held in the spring for the purpose of electing officers and directors, adopting the LWVDC budget and program, and updating by-laws.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS: The elected officers and the elected and appointed directors make up the "Board" of the local League. The authority for the League operation rests with the Board. Members usually assume specific duties; they also share in the overall responsibility of the Board for the operations and financial integrity of the LWVDC.
CONCURRENCE: When appropriate, a League may concur with a position reached by other League entities without duplicating the complete study and consensus process.
CONSENSUS: This is the technique most often used for reaching member agreement. Neither unanimity nor a simple majority, it is the overall "sense of the group" as expressed through the exchange of ideas and opinions. Consensus is always based upon study and leads to action.
CONVENTION: Delegates from local and state Leagues meet in even-numbered years in National Convention to decide on program, budget, officers and by-laws. Convention 2002 will be held in Miami, FL.
COUNCIL: LWVUS Council meetings are held in odd-numbered years in Washington, DC to adopt a budget, review progress, give direction to the Board and take care of emergency business.
DUES: LWVDC dues, $45 for individuals, $60 for households and $20 for students, are set by members at the Annual Meeting.
EDUCATION FUND: The LWVDC Education Fund finances projects that provide the public with information about governmental issues and concerns without promoting a particular point of view. It often supports service to voters and sponsors candidates' debates. Among the publications it finances are: Know the District of Columbia, the informational series Facts & Issues, Voters Guide produced at election time, the ABCs of the DCFRMAA, and ABC's .....XYZ's A Tour Through D.C.'s "Revitalization" Legislation of 1997. The LWVDC Education Fund has been granted 501(c)3 status by the Internal Revenue Service; contributions to the Fund are tax-deductible.
LWV OF THE NATIONAL CAPITAL AREA PROGRAM 2000-2002: The Convention 2000 adopted a two-year study on Transportation/Land Use and decided to continue its focus on Water Resources and D.C. Revitalization. The National Capital Area (NCA) is an organization of Leagues in the metropolitan area who work jointly on regional issues.
LWVUS PROGRAM 2000-2002: The LWVUS Convention 2000 continues its programs under the theme, "Making Democracy Work." The League pursues both education and advocacy. In this biennium League positions in the International Relations area will be reviewed, including updating of the positions on trade and the United Nations. Additionally, there would be a two-year study of national drug policy and, subject to outside funding, a study of systems to elect legislative bodies and executive officers (Due to lack of funds, the Drug Study was dropped at Council 2001.) The Convention directed that the League's position on the District of Columbia be amended to support "the restoration of an annual, predictable federal payment to the District to compensate for revenues denied and expenses incurred because of the federal presence." Further, support for DC voting representation in Congress remains in the basic program. LWVUS lobbying of Congress on selective legislative issues will continue to be pursued.
MEMBER: Any U.S. citizen of voting age who accepts the purpose of the League may become a member of a local League by paying the dues set by that League. Membership in LWVDC automatically confers membership in the LWVUS and the LWVNCA.
POSITION: Statement of governmental policy supported by the League on the basis of member consensus following careful study. Positions form the basis for League action. Local and regional positions are printed in Where We Stand; national positions are published in Impact on Issues; regional positions are also published in LWVNCA Annual Meeting Workbook. '
PRINCIPLES: League principles provide the authorization for adoption of national, state and local program.
PROGRAM: Those governmental issues that League members choose for concerted study and action comprise League program. It includes both adopted positions upon which action is taken and issues for study that will lead to a position and action.
UNIT COUNCIL: The monthly meeting of Unit Chairs or their representatives with the Unit Director to learn of Board action, exchange information and prepare for Unit meetings. Unit Council provides a conduit between the Board and Units.
DC VOTER: Monthly newsletter of the League of Women Voters of the District of Columbia. Published 11 times per year.
KNOW THE DISTRICT of COLUMBIA (Rev. ed. 1986, 130 pp. Illustrated) Out of Print. Is available through the CAPACCESS program, an on-line computer retrieval service at the public library. Consult the Washingtonian Division, Martin Luther King library. Being updated.
LWVDC HANDBOOK & DIRECTORY, 2001-2002. September 2001, 8 pp. LWVDC's program calendar.
WHERE WE STAND. DC League positions on Governmental Issues. Rev. ed. 1996, 19 pp. $1 to members; others $2 plus mailing costs.
ABC's....XYZ's XYZ'S A TOUR THROUGH D.C.'s "REVITALIZATION" LEGISLATION OF 1997. March 1998, 27 pp.
FACE SHEET: FULL VOTING REPRESENTATION IN CONGRESS FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. April 1999, 4 pp.
TWENTY QUESTIONS & ANSWERS: VOTING REPRESENTATION FOR AMERICAN CITIZENS LIVING IN THE NATION'S CAPITAL. April 1999, 6 pp.
CHRONOLOGY, GOVERNANCE OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. April 1999, 4 pp.
**THE DISTRICT of COLUMBIA'S FINANCIAL CRISIS: BACKGROUND PAPER. LWVNCA, Feb., 1998, 4 pp.
**D.C. REVITALIZATION. LWVNCA, April 1 9, 6 pp.THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION: ANTECEDENTS AND PROSPECTS, Summarized by Janet Burmester. March, 2000, 6 pp.
BEYOND PEACEKEEPING: THE U. N. AND THE USE OF FORCE. Published by the DC/LWV Education Fund. Excerpts from presentations made at the second in a series of panel discussion on the United Nations, November 22, 1993, 4 pp.
UNITED NATIONS TREATIES IN TROUBLE: UNITED NATIONS UPDATE. Spring 1999, 4 pp.
SHORT HISTORY OF THE CHARTER SCHOOL MOVEMENT, March 2000, 2 pp.
STATUS OF THE TREATMENT OF MENTAL ILLNESS IN THE DISTRICT of COLUMBIA, September 1999, 4 pp.
*"DRINKING WATER SUPPLY IN THE WASHINGTON, D.C. METROPOLITAN AREA: PROSPECTS AND OPTIONS FOR THE 21sT CENTURY. Water Supply Task Force, LWVNCA, February 1999, 33 pp. $2.00 plus mailing costs.
"*Publications of the League of Women Voters/National Capital Area (LWV/NCA)
Design and Production: Sheila Willet (Sept 2001) Printed by Beaver Press, Inc.
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