Convention, Council & Member Events

Meetings and events are important aspects of the LWV. They provide an opportunity to meet other members, learn about new programs and initiatives, discuss activities, debate issues and have some fun.

Convention and Council: The two-day LWVMA Convention is held in the spring during odd-numbered years; LWVUS Convention is held in even-numbered years.  In even-numbered years, LWVMA also holds a one-day event (formerly Council).  The next LWVMA Convention will be held on June 7 and 8, 2019.  More information is available here.

League Leader Lunches: These fall events provide an opportunity for League leaders from around the state to come together informally to share ideas and learn about activities and resources sponsored by LWVMA.

Schedule for 2019-20: Just click on the calendar to check for upcoming events.

 

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LWVMA 2019 Convention Overview

The New Officers and Board:
Delegates to convention approved a change in our bylaws to create staggered terms for board members. Going forward, half the board will be elected at Convention and half at Council, in alternate years. To get this system going, several board members were elected to one-year terms instead of two-year terms; those positions will be up for election as two-year terms at our Council meeting in 2020.

  • Co-president, 1-year: Mary Ann Ashton, Acton Area
  • Co-president, 2-year: Judy Zaunbrecher, Concord-Carlisle
  • Secretary, 2-year: Cindy Ku, Sudbury
  • Treasurer, 1-year: Andrea Kozinetz, Newton
  • 1st VP, 2-year: Kathy Leonardson, Marblehead
  • 2nd VP, 1-year: Lee Bona, Worcester Area
  • Director, 1-year: Kate Boland, Hingham
  • Director, 1-year: Nancy Brumback, Sudbury
  • Director, 2-year: Elizabeth Foster-Nolan, member-at-large
  • Director, 2-year: Hartell Johnson, Greater Haverhill
  • Director, 2-year: Jennifer Muroff, Needham
  • Director, 2-year: Tanya Roy, Wellesley
  • Director, 2-year: Amy Smith, Topsfield/Boxford/Middleton

New Positions:
The delegates approved the position on the initiative and referendum process in Massachusetts that resulted from the ballot question study. LWVMA can now take action in this area and the study committee has suggested some possible next steps.

Delegates also approved a position on immigration in the state, adopting by concurrence a position of the League of Women Voters of Illinois.

Climate Emergency Resolution:
A Climate Emergency Resolution citing many specific indicators of climate change won strong support at convention. The resolution states: “We as delegates of Massachusetts local Leagues assembled at the 2019 LWVMA Convention call upon the LWVMA Board and local Leagues to advocate for declarations of ‘Climate Emergency’ and urgent relevant action by state and local governments.” In keeping with this resolution, please see our letter to The Boston Globe, drafted by Launa Zimmaro, which ran Sunday, June 16.

Speakers:
Noted environmental activist Bill McKibben issued a call to take action now to slow the damage and prevent more impact from fossil fuel pollution, including joining young people around the world in climate strikes September 20. McKibben described the League as having a special role to play because of its stature as a trusted voice.

Virginia Kase, CEO of LWVUS, emphasized the power of women to make significant social change and the efforts the League at the national level is taking.

Dr. Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham, a Harvard historian, discussed the role of black women in the suffrage movement.

A panel on Election Technology: Promise and Perils reviewed the status of election security in Massachusetts, the ways we might vote in the future, and the impact ballot design can have on election results. More information here.

A panel of new state legislators-Sen. Becca Rausch, Rep. Mindy Domb, Rep. Nika Elugardo, and Rep. Tram Nguyen-reviewed why they ran for office, their legislative priorities, and the outlook for League priority legislation on Beacon Hill.

2018 League Leaders Lunch Explores Partnerships, Governance

The October 20, 2018 League Leaders Lunch in Harvard brought together 66 leaders from around the state for a day of learning and sharing.  The day’s agenda included an update on what’s been happening at LWVMA and LWVUS, presentations on League advocacy and voter service, a preview of the Ballot Question study, and an interactive […]

2018 LWVUS Convention Report

  Massachusetts sent 33 delegates to the 53rd LWVUS Convention in Chicago during the last steamy days of June.  Over half of our delegates were attending their first convention, a good mix of new and veteran attendees. Total convention attendance was one of the highest ever, with an overflow crowd of more than 900 delegates.  In […]

“Beyond the March” Speakers Share Insights, Inspiration, and Ideas for Action

Women have long played a key role as agents of change here in Massachusetts, and today women especially are feeling energized to “do something” to fix political institutions that are widely perceived as broken. Our full-day conference on April 28, 2018, Beyond the March:  Women Leading the Way in Massachusetts, brought together elected officials, an historian, political scientist, and […]

Great Time at the 2017 League Leaders’ Lunch

This fall’s League Leaders’ Lunch in Worcester offered more than fifty leaders from around the state an opportunity to learn, network, and share.  The day’s agenda included an update on what’s been happening at LWVMA and LWVUS, a presentation on League advocacy (how it works and what you can do), and a panel discussion with […]