June 2024 Contents Co-Presidents' Message For Your Vote: Annual Meeting Minutes For Your Review: Changes to Bylaws Recent Activities: 2024 LWV-VA Council Recent Activities: Juneteenth with Community Partner JLL Updates: Recovery Court (formerly Drug Court) Reminder: Dues are due by June 30! Virtual Tools: LWV-VA Fact Checker |
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Hello Members: We have reached the end of the 2023-2024 program year, and what a busy year it has been! We would first like to thank our outstanding Board of Directors members for their tireless efforts this year and ensuring that the business of LWVLY always gets done! We would also like to thank our 2023-2024 Community Partner the Junior League of Lynchburg for their assistance this year and support of our mission of defending democracy and empowering voters. Finally, we would like to thank all of our LWVLY volunteers and supporters. Whether you volunteered or participated in just one event or several events, we appreciate your contributions! Some of the highlights from this year include: hosting Meg Heubeck from the UVA Center for Politics for a lecture at Randolph College; conducting voter registration events at Poplar Forest, CVCC, and VUL; serving as presenters at the Junior League of Lynchburg's DEIB Summit; volunteering on behalf of the PAD Center at the 2024 Juneteenth Festival; making our voices heard at League Day 2024 supporting the YWCA of Central Virginia at their Domestic Violence Forum; Co-President Bethanie Mickles, Esq. participating in the 2023 LWV-VA Banned Book Week public service announcement campaign.
As we discussed at the Annual Meeting, this election year is an important one, and there is a great deal of work to be done in the months ahead. The Board of Directors cannot do it all by themselves! It is imperative that all members take an active role in furthering the work of LWVLY, making sure that all elections are free and fair. We celebrate our work in 2023-2024 and look forward to bigger and brighter things in the upcoming year. Bethanie Mickles, Esq. (Co-President) |
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For Your Vote: Annual Meeting Minutes |
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At our recent Annual Meeting, we adjourned before voting to accept last year's Annual Meeting minutes. Accepting the previous year's Annual Meeting minutes is a necessary bit of housekeeping, so please review last year's minutes here and then vote on whether we should accept them here. Please vote by July 1, 2024. |
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For Your Review: Proposed Bylaw Changes |
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During the Annual Meeting, we discussed a potential change to the LWVLY Bylaws to increase the flexibilty of our administrative structure. After more careful thought and discussion, the Board submits for your comment a revision of Article IV: Officers. To read the revised Bylaws, please click here. The proposed changes will be open for member comment through July 1. To comment, you may use comment function in the Google Doc linked above, or you may email any current Board member. All comments will be shared with members on July 2 along with a link to vote on whether to accept the proposed changes. The ballot will remain open through the end of July. |
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Recent Events: 2024 LWV-VA Council |
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The 2024 LWV-VA Council was held virtually on Saturday, June 8, 2024, at 9 AM. Co-President Bethanie Mickles, Esq. and Vice-President Muriel Mickles, Ed.D. served as delegates on behalf of LWVLY. Every League in the Commonwealth of Virginia was represented in the delegate assembly. Highlights of the conference included: Review and approval of the LWV-VA 2025 FY Draft budget for the Education Fund, Review and approval of the 2025 FY LWV-VA Operating Fund budget draft, and Review and approval of the LWV-WA position concurrence (i.e., The LWV-WA supports: credible and ethical local journalism, access for all to information necessary to cast an informed ballot, media literacy expansion, credible local news, and support for journalism students.)
Other topics discussed included ways to grow and diversify League membership, the pros/cons of the LWV becoming solely a 501c3, and changes that may come about as a result of the strategic transformation. The 2025 LWV-VA Council will be held in person in Fredericksburg, VA. Respectfully submitted by Bethanie Mickles, Esq. |
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Recent Events: Juneteenth Celebration with Community Partner JLL |
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The LWVLY was proud to support the work of our 2023-2024 Community Partner the Junior League of Lynchburg at the annual Lynchburg Juneteenth Festival, held on Saturday, June 15, 2024, at Miller Park. LWVLY Co-President Bethanie Mickles, Esq., and Vice President Dr. Muriel Mickles distributed emergency response kits of feminine hygiene supplies on behalf of the Junior League of Lynchburg's PAD (Period Access Distribution) Center. They also provided information to women and teens on how to sign up for the PAD Center's monthly subscription program to obtain free feminine hygiene products. The PAD Center is located at the YWCA of Central Virginia in downtown Lynchburg. All of the feminine hygiene supplies that are provided for free to women and teens in the Lynchburg community are provided by generous donors. For more information about the PAD Center, please visit their website. |
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LWVLY and JLL members at the Juneteenth Celebration. |
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Recovery Court (formerly Drug Court) A date has been set for the Recovery Court Graduation Ceremony: August 7th at 5:30 in City Council Chambers. LWVLY has received a nice invitation. It is a huge achievement for the folks who have completed Drug Court (now Recovery Court), and it will be good to celebrate with them. For many it is a long hard road. Please attend the ceremony and the reception, if you can. At the June 12th court session Judge Watson announced, with great sadness, that one of the participants had died, someone we had all been proud of because he seemed to be doing so well. On May 29, he moved from Phase II to Phase III and had just gotten his driver's license. Judge Watson introduced his parents who had come to speak to us. His mother stood up and thanked every one for the help and support people had given to their son. She thanked the staff. She thanked other participants. She said how happy she and his father had been to have their wonderful son back again. "A moment of weakness took our precious son. Please, don't let that happen to you. Use the resources that you have available to you here," she urged. She offered to help each one if would just call her. It was a very moving---and sobering---moment. Then Recovery Court continued. Two fellows who have been in court a long time are doing well---finally, again. On May 29, one person had moved from Phase I to II and on June 12 moved to Phase III. Another newish person moved to Phase V, the last phase. A couple of people were in inpatient treatment and joined by Zoom or phone. One girl who was absent last time was sick and in the hospital this time. One fellow talked about how he was scared he would die. He was advised to speak to one of the staff at the close of court. Sometimes people are accepted into Recovery Court but first must settle other issues, which are legal, I think. That was true of a couple people. One person new to Recovery Court had just gotten out of jail at 5:30am and had already made a lot of the contacts he needed to make and was in court at 2:00pm. He was highly praised. Someone else did not show up and was ordered picked up. I think the term is capias warrant. Lastly one person was ordered to stay for a hearing. Judge Watson can order the person dismissed from Recovery Court or impose sanctions which usually involve some jail time. This fellow had gotten a lot of breaks and second chances but also had a lot of obstacles. He's been on a good track the last few days: got a phone, a job, stable housing. So he was ordered to serve two days in jail with four suspended as long as he continues to do well. Usually the jail time is scheduled so it will not interfere with work. Recovery Court usually meets the second and fourth Wednesdays and is open to the public. If you would like to join me please come. I'd love your company. You may contact me at m.mcclenon@comcast.net or 434-384-7430. Respectfully submitted by Molly McClenon |
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Reminder: Dues are due by June 30! |
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Treasurer Sue Stengel reminds all members that annual dues are due by June 30. Pay your dues online at our website or, if you prefer, mail a check to PO Box 3042, Lynchburg, VA 24503. |
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Virtual Tool: LWV-VA Fact Checker to Combat Mis- and Disinformation |
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Tool: VerbaAI The League of Women Voters of Virginia in partnership with VerbaAI, has established a fact-checking website which uses AI to find political statements and then check them against known and trusted sites. These include Snopes, PolitiFact, LeadStories, and Fact Check.org. League members are also active in locating and submitting questionable stories for review. According to Virginia League President, Joan Porte, “The ubiquitous spread of election lies is a clear danger to our democracy. This is just a piece of the work that we do to protect voters, but it is vital.” The website will be active through the November general election and beyond. According to Porte, “We have the dubious distinction of being one of two states with major elections every year. Unfortunately, false information shows no signs of stopping so we will remain vigilant." Read the full info sheet from LWV-VA here. |
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The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization encouraging the informed and active participation of citizens in government. It influences public policy through education and advocacy. We never support or oppose any political party or candidate. |
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