The League of Women Voters of Westport
P.O. Box 285  Westport Connecticut 06881-0285
Email: info@lwvwestportct.org

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2010-2011 Board


Board 2010-2011
Co-Presidents
     Yvonne Senturia 226-6683
     Doris Skutch
 227-6114
Past President
      Alison Rivard
Vice-Presidents
Community Services  
  Lois Green
Jill Greenberg
Member Services  
  Vacant
Program/Advocacy
  Bernadette Farrell
Liz-Ann Koos
Voter Services 
  Becky Ruthven
Treasurer
      Joyce Netherton
Secretary
      Carol Burgess
Directors at Large
Peg Bishop
Nancy Bloom

Jackie Gordon
Phyllis Groner

Claudia Saunders
Marilyn Smith

Carol Stein
   Voter editor
Press contact
Doris Skutch
Phone: 227-6114
Email: dskutch@yahoo.com

Off-Board
Marilyn Bakker
   Webmistress
Kitty Graves
  
Member Handbook  
Nominating Committee
Jo Ann Davidson
Katy Goldschmidt
Ellie Lowenstein

Photos and captions at Flickr
Board 2010-2011
Board 2009-2010
Board 2008-2009
Board 2007-2008
 

 

 

 

 

Committees

Community Services Committee
Informing the community about the League’s activities strengthens the League’s ability to be effective and increases membership. Thus, Community Services covers projects and programs that involve outreach to the larger community. Public Relations, Know Your Town, A Directory of Officials, Agencies and Services, an annual Staples Tuition Grant, the Memorial Day Parade, our website (www.lwvwestportct.org) and our three school programs — Second Grade Water Quality Program, 7th Grade Voter Education and High School Civics — all fall under the jurisdiction of Community Services.
Scholarships
The League is proud to have participated in the Staples High School Tuition Grant Program since 1990. Our annual scholarship is awarded to a female Staples graduate (chosen by the Tuition Grant committee) who has shown civic responsibility or plans to major in political science, social studies, or history in college.
Member Services Committee
The major responsibilities of the Member Services Committee are membership recruitment, retention and involvement. The Committee organizes a variety of events throughout the year including the Fall Brunch, Post-Election Coffee, Holiday Lunch, Winter Warm-Up Supper, Tag Sale and Annual Meeting. To keep members informed, the Committee publishes the monthly Westport Voter and the annual Member Handbook and maintains the email list and telephone tree. In addition, Member Services administers the membership database required by the state and national Leagues.
Program/Advocacy Committee
Program
Program can be at the local, state or national level. At the local level, members choose issues for study at the annual local program planning meeting. The studies involve research and discussion and culminate in consensus meetings. From the consensus a League position is developed. This position must be approved by the Board and the general membership. League action is based on our positions as well as on the six founding principles.
Observer Corps
Members of the Observer Corps are the eyes and ears of the League at public meetings. Observers meet monthly to share observations and, in the process, learn a great deal about governmental bodies – how they function and what issues merit League attention. Observers do not speak, testify, or act in any way on issues under discussion at the meetings they observe. Their role as observers is limited to listening and taking notes.
Action Committee
This committee meets monthly to act on issues of interest to the League. It follows these issues as they develop and, based on League positions as well as information from the Observer Corps and its own research, takes action in a variety of forms, including meetings with elected or appointed officials, statements at public meetings, letters, or articles for the local papers. 
Voters Services Committee
The Voter Services Committee strives to increase citizen participation in the electoral process and to increase political awareness in a nonpartisan manner. Each year, the Committee creates a Voters’ Guide that contains information on candidates and issues for the upcoming elections. The goal is to distribute the Guide to every household in Westport.
     During the fall, the Committee holds debates to help citizens learn candidates’ positions on the issues. The Committee recruits other community organizations to be co-sponsors. Questions from the audience highlight voter concerns and issues. Debates are usually broadcast on the local government access cable channel.
     Voter Services assists the Westport registrars with registering eligible high school students and educating the public on voting changes such as the new optical scanning voting machines. Voter Services is continually developing “Get out the Vote” campaigns and exploring new ways to increase voter turnout.

Calls to the Annual Meeting - Committee reports
  2011 * 2010 * 2009 * 2008 * 2007 and Summary of Bylaws changes
Committee reports from the calls to meeting
  2002-2003 - 2003-2004 - 2004-2005 - 2005-2006 - 2006-2007