PRESIDENT'S LETTER

HOLIDAY PARTY 

The holiday party was a warm and festive affair, with over 65 attendees.  As always, the joint efforts of many league members made it happen.  There are a multitude of jobs that have to be done and each one of them contributes to the success of the event.  Every single board member plus other league members were part of the "party team."  We even had a non-league member help us put together the raffle baskets. 

So, to the balloon squad, the bartenders, the set-up and clean-up crew,  the greens gatherer, the tablecloth sleuth and logistics person, the food ladies and the paper goods deliverer, the folks at the registration and check out tables, the graphics maker for the auction items, the poinsettia pick up person, the invitation mailers, the donations coordinator, the gift certificate coordinator, and everyone who bought raffle tickets and bid on auction items, a very big THANK YOU!

Also, a special thank you to the board members who donated delicious appetizers and sweets; to Tom Clinton for his generous donation of the bar, to Linda Garvelink who turned over her basement to us for prep work on the auction and raffle items,  and to Marty Behr who personally contacted ten merchants for holiday donations.

As you visit our donor businesses in the future, please thank them for being supporters of the league. 

Anthony's Restaurant

Argia's Restaurant

Art & Frame of Falls Church

Bedazzled

Bikenetic

Blue Nectar Yoga

Body Dnyamics

Brits on Broad

Brown's Hardware

Clare & Don's Beach Shack

Tom Clinton

Creative Cauldron

Dogwood Tavern

Dominion Jewelers

Doodlehopper for Kids

ECA Nails

Foxes Music

Gold's Gym

Ireland's Four Provinces

La Cote D'Or

Lil City Creamery

Moby Dick House of Kabob

One More Page Books

Perfect Endings

Plaka Grill

Point of View Eyewear

Sfizi Café

Spectrum Cleaners

Stylish Patina

Yayla Bistro

PROGRAM PLANNING MEETING

JANUARY 9TH

The Broadway Club Room, 502 W. Broad St.

9:15 AM

It's the most important general meeting of the year, so mark your calendar and plan to join us as we discuss what the focus will be on the issues that confront the league at local, state, and national levels.  

Think about issues that are timely, have widespread interest, and would be suitable topics for further investigation by our league.  If we decide to do a study, it must be approved by the membership at the annual meeting, to be held on May 21.

We'll have coffee and snacks available at 9:15 AM and hope to start promptly at 9:30AM.  Parking is available on Lee Street , Park Avenue, and in the parking lot on the back side of the building.  You'll need to enter through the front entrance, which is opposite the construction site on Lee Street.

Contact either Ellen Salsbury at  [email protected]  or Bob Crowe [email protected]  if you have specific issues you'd like to see discussed.

MONEY IN POLITICS REVIEW AND CONSENSUS STUDY

As adopted by delegates to the 2014 LWVUS Convention, Leagues from across the nation are engaging in a review and update of the national LWV position on campaign finance to consider free speech issues under the First Amendment.

The LWV of Falls Church is taking part in this national League study to assess the relationship between Campaign Finance Reform and Free Speech under the First Amendment.

Our participation in this study and in arriving at a consensus is our opportunity to impact the resulting national League's position, and indeed shape the national conversation on this question vital to our democracy.

Dates to Remember:

Sunday, January 3

LWVFC Consensus meeting on Money in Politics Review

Falls Church Community Center - 3 p.m.

The purpose is to address the lack of member understanding and agreement as to whether financing a political campaign is protected speech under the First Amendment. The campaign finance position will be updated through a study and consensus process to consider: (1) the rights of individuals and organizations, under the First Amendment, to express their political views through independent expenditures and the finance of election campaign activities; and (2) how those rights, if any, should be protected and reconciled with the interests set out in the current position.

Consensus reports (electronic) from Leagues are due to LWVUS on February 1, 2016.

LWVUS background materials can be found here.