CALENDAR
Tuesday, May 21 Women's Issues Lobby Day, 9 a.m., Great Hall, Massachusetts State House
Saturday, June 1 Amplify Latinx Conference, 1:30 - 6:30 p.m., Edward M. Kennedy Institute
Monday, June 3 Gun Legislation Lobby Day, 2 p.m., Room 428, Massachusetts State House
Wednesday, June 5 Election Day Registration Lobby Day, 10 a.m., Room 428, Massachusetts State House
Friday, June 7 - Saturday, June 8
 LWVMA 2019 Convention, Westford Regency Inn and Conference Center
HAPPENING NOW
See You at Convention June 7-8!
 
LWVMA Convention 2019: "100 Years: Looking Back, Moving Forward" will be Friday and Saturday, June 7 and 8 at the Westford Regency Inn. High early registration numbers have us on track for an exceptionally strong turnout. All League members are welcome and encouraged to participate in Convention. Registration closes May 30 so please remind local League members to register today!

Delegates:
Only official delegates from local Leagues and MAL units vote in the plenary sessions. Please check the delegate count for your League here and use this form to register your delegates. The League office will facilitate transferring delegate credentials from Leagues with delegate slots they aren't using to Leagues interested in sending more members than they have delegate slots. Please contact Brynne Gorman if you are interested in releasing delegates or need additional slots.

Local League Showcase:
During the Local League Showcase, each League will give a one-minute presentation of an event or initiative from the past two years.

Local League Gifts:
Traditionally, local Leagues make donations to LWVMA at Convention. Please consider a donation, perhaps in honor or in memory of a special person in your League. At Convention, the names of contributing Leagues will be listed on a poster, so please return this form to the LWVMA office by May 20 if your League will be making a gift.

Local League Historical Pictures:
We are assembling a slideshow, past and present, from local Leagues. If your League would like to contribute, please email one historical photo and, if you wish, one current photo, to  Brynne Gorman.
 
Local League Sharing Table:
There will be a local League sharing table at Convention. If you have anything that you would like to share, please bring it along. We enjoy seeing what other Leagues are doing!

For more information and to register for Convention, please click here. If you have questions, feel free to call Taylor at 857-452-1715.
Regional Field Service Meetings Under Way
 
The LWVMA Field Service program provides opportunities for local League leaders to meet, share, and plan within defined geographical areas. The goal is to support local League leaders, strengthen local Leagues and encourage regional collaboration.

Spring Field Service meetings:
  • Metro Northwest/Central: Saturday, May 18, 10-11:30 a.m. Panera Bread, 21 Andrew Ave., Wayland. Contact Lora Goldenberg
  • Merrimack Valley/North Shore: Tuesday, May 21, 8:30-10:30 a.m. Friendly's in Peabody. Contact Karen Price
  • Metro West: Saturday, June 15, 10:15 a.m.-1:30 p.m. New TV Conference Room, 23 Needham St., Newton Highlands. Contact Sharyn Roberts
  • The West, Metro/South, and South Shore/Cape and Martha's Vineyard regions have already met.
For questions, contact Field Service Director Lora Goldenberg .   For further information on the Field Service program, click here .   
Keep Us Posted on High School Voter Registration
 
As you register students to vote in your area high schools this spring, please let the LWVMA office know how many new voters you signed up!  Send your tally and the name of the high school to the office .  And we love to get photos as well!

Remember you can now pre-register 16- and 17-year-olds to vote.  Use the same voter registration form, but make sure you have the newest version which indicates people filling it out must be at least 16, not 18.  You can see that version here to check.  Students can also check their registration status and register or pre-register online at www.registertovoteMA.com if they have a driver's license.  LWVUS offers a guide to high school voter registration.
LWVMA Participating in Amplify Latinx Conference
 
League members are invited to attend the Amplify Latinx Conference Saturday, June 1, from 1:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Edward M. Kennedy Institute. The event offers an opportunity to come together with Latinx leaders, Latinx-led community organizations, and power-building groups from across Massachusetts.  This is an opportunity to build new relationships and strengthen existing partnerships. You can make a reservation here. For more information, visit AmplifyLatinx.co .

LWVMA, with partners at Massachusetts Voter Table and MassVOTE, is offering a workshop, "Push to the Polls: Strategies to Empower our Electorate." This workshop will present a spectrum of actions and strategies to promote voter engagement within the  Latinx community.  Judy Zaunbrecher, LWVMA Voter Service co-chair, will be one of the speakers.
Forum Moderator Training

LWVMA is recognized locally and statewide for our work moderating informative, respectful, and inclusive candidate and issue forums. The competence and fairness of League-trained moderators has contributed to the high level of public trust LWVMA has earned. This work is essential to our mission and identity as a nonpartisan political organization working for good government.

Members who moderate consistently describe the work as rewarding and the skills they gain as useful within and beyond the forum setting. League moderators represent our organization to the candidates, speakers, media, and the public.

LWVMA and the League of Women Voters of Salem are co-hosting a moderator training on June 12. Expert League member and moderator Jo-Ann Berry will lead this training.
 
Details:
  • Who should attend:  Whether you have never moderated before or are an experienced moderator looking to refresh your skills, this training is for you!  (This training is only for current League members)
  • Date and Time:  7-8:30pm, June 12, 2019
  • Location:  Sohier Room at the Beverly Library (32 Essex Street, Beverly, MA 01915
  • Registration:  Register online here.  Space is limited so please register today!
  • Questions: Call (857-452-1715) or email lwvma@lwvma.org
ADVOCACY
Lobby Days for Election Day Registration, Women, Guns

LWVMA and our partners in the Election Modernization Coalition are holding a lobby day for Election Day Registration Wednesday, June 5, at 10 a.m. in room 428 at the State House. The EDR lobby day will start with a presentation about the bills and some how-to-lobby tips, then you will have a chance to visit your own Senator and Representative in support of Election Day Registration, a League priority this session.

Please let your members know about these upcoming lobby days as well:
  • Tuesday, May 21, Women's Issues Lobby Day, 9 a.m., Great Hall, State House.  Register here. Look for Michelle Kweder, LWVMA executive director, near the Great Hall entrance.
  • Monday, June 3, Gun Legislation Lobby Day, 2 p.m., Room 428, State House. Register here.  Look for Jen Muroff, LWVMA gun control specialist.
Planning for the 2020 Census

Massachusetts' planning for the 2020 U.S. Census is slowly beginning. Census data determines the number of seats each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives. In the Commonwealth, this data drives the distribution of over $16 billion in federal funding; Massachusetts risks losing up to $2,400 for each person not counted.

We encourage local Leagues and League members to join their local Complete Count Committees. You can find your local Committee here . If your city or town is not listed, it has not yet shared information with the state. You can find more information on the 2020 Census here .   One tangible way League members can be involved is by applying for jobs at the Census here .

Please contact Michelle Kweder to share your interest or experience with the 2020 Census. She will coordinate information sharing so that we can learn from each other and better advocate for a complete count state-wide. We anticipate hosting a video conference call early in the summer; if there is interest we may set up other communication channels (regular calls, a Slack channel, and/or Google group).   
THE TO-DO LIST
Learn How Facebook Can Help Your League

LWVMA staff members Brynne Gorman and Taylor Grenga are offering a webinar on how local Leagues can start a Facebook page or tweak the one they have.  The webinar, "Engage Your Community and Grow Your Membership Through Facebook: Join the Conversation!" will be Monday, June 17, at 4 p.m. You can register for the webinar here and will then receive instructions for signing in.

After the event, this webinar will be available along with all the other LWVMA webinars in our webinar library.
June Scharfman Grant Deadline

The next deadline for Daniel Scharfman Citizen Education grant applications is June 11.  Local Leagues can apply for grants up to $250 for a project; three or more Leagues collaborating on a project can apply for up to $500. The application and requirements are here.
Check Out the Membership Toolkit

LWVMA has developed new membership tools that can be helpful in attracting and retaining members in local Leagues. You can find the membership toolkit on the website under Member Services.

A new Powerpoint and video,  Who is the League of Women Voters?  provides an overview of the three levels of the LWV, our mission, and the work we do. There is a script to accompany the presentation, and local Leagues can insert slides specific to their League's events. Many Leagues are presenting this resource at their Annual Meetings.

The toolkit also provides helpful information on:  New Member Welcoming, Engagement and Retention; Member Renewal Guidance; A Sample Membership Renewal Letter; Becoming a More Welcoming League, Being Visible All Year Round  and the  Event Check List  that you can edit.
Send LWVMA Your New Board Information

As your local League elects new Board leadership, please share the names, positions, and contact information of your Board members with the LWVMA office so that your local League leaders receive League management information, reminders, and have access to leader tools.   
Please Update Website Information

Does your League's website, Facebook page, and other information have the correct information?  Please check and make sure you have the new address and phone number if you list the LWVMA office.  It should be LWVMA, 90 Canal St., Suite 414, Boston, MA 02114, 857-452-1715. And note there is no membership fee for students if you list membership fees.
The  League Leader Update is  distributed to local  League  board members and LWVMA  leaders . Anyone can request the  Update  by  clicking here . Please review this  Update  for articles of interest to your  League  and include them in your local Bulletin.
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