League of Women Voters
of Arlington, Virginia
BULLETIN
Volume LVIII – No.1
President: Mary Finger
Editor: Maggie Duncan
Summer 2012
IN THIS ISSUE
Volunteers Needed: Registration!
From the President
Updates from Around the League
Sustainable Housing Forum: 9/4
Volunteers Needed at the Fair
Convention Reports
Annual Meeting Report
LWV-Arlington Now on Facebook!
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
August
10, 12 Voter Registration at County Fair
16
Board meeting (Kerwin home)
26
Women’s Equality Day
September
3
Labor Day
4
Sustainable Housing Forum
15
LWV VA workshops: Richmond
17
Constitution Day
20
Board meeting
TBA Affordable Housing Forum TBA
25
National Voter Registration Day
October
8
LWV VA/AARP Senate debate
15
Voter registration deadline
18
Board meeting
TBA Candidate forum with AAUW
League of Women Voters of Arlington
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August Voter Service Registration Bltiz
Date
Event
August 6, 7
Westwood University
August 10, 11,12
Arlington County Fair
August 14, 16
Naturalization Ceremony
During day
Kenmore Middle School
August 13, 14, 15, 16 Strayer University
5—6:15 pm
August 23, 28
Naturalization Ceremony
During day
GMU Founders Hall
We need everyone’s help and encourage you to
recruit your friends. Please contact Marion Moore
(mmoore@calibrecpa.com or
drsnapper@earthlink.net) to volunteer at the Fair.
Kristin Goss (kagoss@aol.com) or Kathy Matusiak
(kmatusiak@comcast.net) for the other events.
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Summer 2012
Letter from the President
Mary Finger
OFFICERS 2010-2011
Arlington League: 703-3443246
Dear All,
Mary Finger, President
mhfinger@comcast.net
Bonnie Franklin, Vice President
Program
Bfrank317@aol.com
Sharon Simkin, Secretary
srsimkin@gmail.com
Idaclaire Kerwin, Treasurer
thomashugh@verizon.net
LWV of Arlington Bulletin is
published approximately ten times
a year by the League of Women
Voters of Arlington, VA
Mail to P.O. Box 100577
Arlington, VA 22210
To contact the editor,
Maggie Duncan,
Email: mduncan1@gmail.com
The League of Women Voters is a
nonpartisan, political membership
organization that encourages
informed and active participation
in government,
works to increase the
understanding of major public
policy issues through education
and influences public policy
through advocacy.
We welcome both female and
male members.
For more information please visit
our national organization website
at www.lwv.org
or the LWV of Arlington website at
www.LWV-ArlingtonVa.org
or contact
Membership Chair Marion Moore
703-243-2434
mmoore@calibrecpa.com
As we go to press we have just learned that after two years of effort,
there will again be naturalization ceremonies in Arlington. FOUR in
August. We will provide voter registration opportunities to our new
citizens and hope to also help them celebrate with lemonade and
cookies. We will also have registration booths at Strayer and Westwood
Universities and our traditional booth at the County Fair. All this in
August. Needless to say we need everyone to pitch in and help and
please bring your spouses, friends, children (of a certain age).
Kathy Matusiak and I are still coming down from four heady days at the
National Convention of the League of Women Voters. It was a long,
interesting, informative, and inspiring experience. We had Attorney
General Eric Holder, Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, John Zogby,
Eleanor Clift, Trevor Potter, Kathleen Hall Jamieson, and Mickey
Edwards as speakers. We sat through lengthy, tedious, fascinating, and
productive sessions. But, for me, the highlight of the four days was when
they announced the winners of the League voter service activity for the
year and Mobile, Alabama, my hometown, won.
Nancy Tate and Maggie Duncan of the LWVUS staff did us proud, as did
our dedicated Arlington volunteers, Bonnie Franklin, Pat McGrady, Barb
Sherrill, Sharon Simkin, Joyce Wiley, and Eileen Williams.
Kathy, the best roommate yet, and I spent a lot of time with the Virginia
delegation and it was good to get to know our downstate colleagues. It
was also good to see the National Board in action. They are a very
impressive group. Elisabeth MacNamara, our president elected for her
second term, was warm and relaxed at the podium. The convention
focused heavily on social media and convinced us that we do need to at
least get a Facebook page for the Arlington League. National was asked
to increase contact with individual members. Although Kathy and I were
frequently on the losing side of votes, the program and budget that we
adopted should serve us well for the next biennium. More follows.
I ask all of you with local daughters or daughters-in-law (or nieces, goddaughters, etc.) to please forward their contact information to me at
lwvarlington@aol.com. We would like to personally invite these young
women to check us out and perhaps to join.
I am happy to announce that Claudia Sturges Scott has agreed to be our
representative to NCA for the upcoming year and Betsy Mayr, of
Loudoun, has been appointed our liaison with the Virginia State LWV
board. We look forward to working with both of you.
League of Women Voters of Arlington
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Summer 2012
Welcome Erin King!
Sign up for Updates from LWVUS!
For important League news from across the country, please
visit http://www.lwv.org/get-involved and sign up to receive
national email updates.
Members still receiving printed versions of the Bulletin
are encouraged to switch to an electronic-only version.
Reading the Bulletin online cuts down on paper while also
cutting the League’s costs. Ready to make the switch? Email
Sue Swisher at scswisher@gmail.com.
A very warm welcome
to our newest member,
LWVUS Advocacy Roundup: Voter Protection, Title IX,
Healthcare Decision
The League has been hard at work in recent weeks on a
number of advocacy fronts. After many months of work to
protect the landmark Affordable Care Act, the League
celebrated alongside many partners when the Supreme Court
upheld the law. Elsewhere, Leagues marked the 40th
anniversary of Title IX, made new strides on clean air, and
celebrated a major voting rights victory in Florida even as
battles continue in other states.
Ms. Erin King. Erin is
the daughter of our
very own voter service
pro, Kathy Matusiak.
We look forward to
meeting you in person
soon, Erin!
Housing for a Diverse and Sustainable
Community
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
7:00 p.m.
Central Library – Second Floor Meeting Room
1015 North Quincy Street, Arlington
Please join Mary Rouleau, Executive Director of the Alliance for Housing Solutions, to learn about the
Alliance’s public education campaign called “Arlington for Everyone: Housing for a Diverse and
Sustainable Community”. The campaign highlights how an adequate mix of housing choices is
necessary to Arlington’s economic vitality and sustainability. Our program is on the eve of the heart
of the campaign: Affordable Housing Week, September 15-21, 2012.
The League has long been a supporter of housing policies at every level of government to provide a
decent home and suitable living environment for everyone. We thank our member Pat McGrady for
helping arrange this presentation.
Speaker Mary Rouleau, a former Arlington LWV board member and a part-time high school teacher in
the APS system, has over 20 years of experience in law, business development, public policy and
lobbying.
League of Women Voters of Arlington
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The County Fair is Calling!
It’s Arlington County Fair time again and we need volunteers to help set up on
Friday August 10th and help staff the booth (4:00PM – 10:00 PM), help staff the
booth on Saturday August 11th (10:00 AM – 9:00 PM) and Sunday August 12th and
to help take down the booth on Sunday evening (11:00 AM – 7:00 PM).
Volunteering an hour or two of your time would be a great way to spend some time
at the Fair, meet some friends and help the League.
This year we are trying something new – bring a friend along with you. Please
contact Marion at mmoore@calibrecpa.com or drsnapper@earthlink.net to
volunteer. If you volunteered at the Annual Meeting, please let her know again if
you are able to help out.
Thank you for your help and we will see you at the Fair!
League of Women Voters Convention Wrap-up
Kathy Matusiak, delegate
June 9-12, 2012 held the 50th Biennial Convention of the League of Women Voters in Washington,
D.C. The theme of this year’s convention was “POWER THE VOTE IN 2012”. More than 600
delegates attended; a wonderful showing of League strength. The weekend was packed with a lot of
work and inspiring speakers; see Mary’s letter above for details.
League President Elisabeth MacNamara challenged delegates: “The League is not an end in itself.
We are a training ground for democracy. That is what we have always been and that is what we will
always be, working together to learn new ways to spread the word and encourage new generations to
learn and engage.”
During the weekend, delegates worked on powering the
vote initiatives for their election work this year. The
LWVUS program agenda was also set for the next two
years:
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Protection of Voting Rights
Campaign Finance Reform
Clean Air
Approval of a study to update the League’s
position on farming and agriculture
 Adoption of a new position on sentencing reform
as follows: as follows: Sentencing Policy: The
Mary Finger, Maggie Duncan and
LWVUS believes alternatives to imprisonment
Kathy Matusiak
should be explored and utilized, taking into
consideration the circumstances and nature of
the crime. The LWVUS opposes mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses.
League of Women Voters of Arlington
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Voter Registration took the forefront in discussions and workshops. New ideas and innovations in
methods to make registration easier were discussed among many delegates from the 45 states, the
District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands represented at the convention. The LWVUS has spent a
lot of time and energy over the past year making its “VOTE411” web site more interactive and easier
to access and use and it promises to be a valuable tool come next fall. And, at the core of many
discussions and new ideas was the use of social networking. Social networking sites are an excellent
tool to increase visibility. They provide an easy method by which Leagues can:
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Highlight the work the League does
Share information on priority issues
Reach more members and
Attract younger members
Workshops on using Facebook and Twitter were held and attended by virtually every delegate in
attendance. Local Leagues who have already been working with these social networking sites
offered many great tips to other Leagues who are just dipping their toes in this new area.
The LWVUS also had housekeeping tasks to accomplish. The proposal to raise the PMP to $31
caused some contention, with many pro and con discussions on the need to raise dues and the effect
it would have on Local Leagues.
The whole weekend was busy, fast and fun. For me, it was an incredible chance to interact with
many intelligent, engaged women and I felt privileged to be a part of it.
Behind the Scenes at the National Convention
By Bonnie Franklin, Local Arrangements Committee Member
LWVUS arranges the content of its biennial conventions, but a Local Arrangements Committee at
each site handles the logistics that are so important to how well a convention runs. There are two
Co-Chairs and several chairs of different portfolios. Examples are Hospitality, Convention
Registration, Credentials, Dine Around activity, Information Desk, Tellers, Microphone Monitors, and
Ushers.
I was privileged to serve on the Local Arrangements Committee for LWVUS Convention 2012 held at
the Washington Hilton. My portfolio was budget administration. LWVUS provided $10,000 to cover
the committee’s expenses, ranging from hotel lodging to postage stamps. Everyone was very
judicious and frugal in purchasing decisions, and we came in under budget.
About 125 metropolitan area League Members volunteered for the Committee’s convention tasks.
From Arlington, we had Pat McGrady, Barbara Sherrill, Sharon Simkin, Joyce Wiley, and Eileen
Williams. Arlington also had two members on LWVUS staff who were instrumental in making it a
successful convention: Nancy Tate, LWVUS Executive Director, and Maggie Duncan. Representing
Arlington in the Convention proceedings were President Mary Finger and Voter Service Co-Chair
Kathy Matusiak. All of us involved will testify that it was enjoyable and inspiring to be part of the
convention experience!
League of Women Voters of Arlington
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Annual Meeting Report
The 2012-2013 Arlington League Board and off-board Leaders:
(L-R, from top: Sherry Gainer, Natalie Goldring, Bonnie Franklin, Maggie Duncan, Sharon Simkin,
Shelley Price, Kathy Matusiak, Kristin Goss, Marion Moore
Bottom: Ann Garrison, Mary Finger, Idaclaire Kerwin)
Thanks to all who attended our national meeting May 19th at the Sheraton. All in all we welcomed 36
attendees including 28 LWV-Arlington members. President Mary Finger shared highlights from our
work over the last year, including well-attended programs for our members and the public as well as
our voter service work, such as hosting County’s legislative hearing, holding a candidates’ forum,
participating in the online voter’s guide on www.VOTE411.org, and registering new voters at the local
high schools. We look forward to many visible election activities in the Fall.
We celebrated the end of the Torill Floyd Scholarships after 20 successful years and recognized
Sherry Gainer for her outstanding service in this area. We also announced the launch of several new
projects that the Holly Williams bequest will enable us to undertake. Our new budget and program
priorities were readily adopted, as was the re-election of Marion Moore, Membership Chair; and
Shelley Price, Environment Chair. The positions of Vice President for Administration and Public
Relations chair remain open. Read the detailed budget and nominating committee report in our April
Bulletin.
Finally, we were thrilled to hear from our keynote speaker Sheriff Beth Arthur. In her talk entitled, “A
Look Inside the Sheriff’s Office,” Sheriff Arthur discussed her role as the first female county sheriff
in Virginia as well as the First Vice President of the Virginia Sheriffs’ Association (28,000 deputy
sheriffs in VA). Arthur provided a fascinating overview of her roles and responsibilities as the
League of Women Voters of Arlington
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manager of the county jail and court security. The County Detention Facility has a number of
programs for inmates including: an Inmate Program providing courses that range from General
Education Diploma (GED) classes, English as a Second Language (ESL) programs, life skills (anger
management, parenting, money management, health awareness, and employ-ability readiness),
religiously affiliated programs, and other vocational training programs; an alcohol & drug treatment
program for DUI offenders and first time drug offenders; a food services program; a initiative to clean
up the parks; and a recycling and composting program at the jail.
She also gave her opinion on pertinent League issues:
 Sentencing Reform - She is very much in favor of sentencing reform as outlined in the DC
League’s position that subsequently was adopted nationally by concurrence at the June
LWVUS convention.
 Restoration of Felons’ Rights - She also solidly supports the Virginia League’s position on
restoration of felons’ rights when their sentences are completed.
 Death Penalty - Unlike the League, she is in favor of the death penalty.
Following her talk she answered questions from the attendees dealing with composting, gun control,
“stand your ground” laws, and the rationale for electing sheriffs.
As luck would have it, one of the two scholarship recipients recognized at the Annual Meeting is
interested in a criminal justice career. The Sheriff leaped at the opportunity to provide her business
card and invite the student to be in touch about summer opportunities. What a fitting finish for the
League’s scholarship program to be the link for a potentially mutually beneficial relationship!
Thank you, Sheriff Arthur!
League of Women Voters of Arlington
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League of Women Voters of Arlington, VA
PO Box 100577
Arlington VA 22210
703-344-3246
www.LWV-ArlingtonVa.org
Summer 2012
League of Women Voters of Arlington
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Summer 2012