CALENDAR
Friday, April 28 - Saturday, April 29
LWVMA Convention, Sheraton Hotel, Framingham
Sunday, April 30
Deadline to vote for LWVMA to win Boston Globe GRANT
Tuesday, May 2
"On the Path to 100% Renewable Energy", The First Baptist Church, Worcester, 5:30 p.m.
HAPPENING NOW
Last Minute Reminders for LWVMA Convention

Brian McGrory, Editor, The Boston Globe 
If the number of members who registered to attend LWMMA Convention 2017 is any indication, it's going to be a vibrant and engaged group that convenes Friday and Saturday, April 28-29, at the Framingham Sheraton to hear noteworthy speakers and participate in serious discussion regarding the future of the League. Everyone registered for convention will receive copies of the focus group questions prior to convention to get a head-start thinking about the issues.

Please make sure that your League has arranged for the following:
  • Delegate registration. Please complete this form to submit to LWVMA with the names of your League's delegates. If you have more members registered for convention than you have delegate slots available, contact Brynne Gorman in the office to see if there are delegate slots from other Leagues available. 
  • Local League Donations to LWVMA at Convention. During the plenary session on Friday, local Leagues will have the opportunity to announce their donations to LWVMA. A form to submit with your gift is available here.
  • Local League Showcase. Each local League will make a one-minute presentation on something that they are proud to have done during the past year. The one-minute limit will be strictly enforced to allow all Leagues an opportunity to speak.
  • Local League Sharing Table. The sharing table is a perfect way to show other Leagues what your League has accomplished and to get new ideas of things that your League might do. Please bring examples to share.
The LWVMA board looks forward to seeing you at convention and hearing your thoughts and ideas for our future. See you in Framingham!
Climate and Energy Forum Series Starts May 2 in Worcester

The LWVMA Steering Committee for Environmental Action and Advocacy is presenting a series of five regional forums in 2017, as part of its Climate and Energy Solutions Series.

The first forum, "On the Path to 100% Renewable Energy," held in collaboration with the League of Women Voters of the Worcester Area, will be Tuesday, May 2, at 5:30 p.m., at the First Baptist Church, 111 Park Avenue, Worcester.

Three experts in the field will present the case for 100% renewable energy, what is required to reach 100% renewal energy, and the role of grassroots activism. Speakers are: David Ismay, Conservation Law Foundation; Eugenia Gibbons, Clean Energy Programs Director, Mass Energy Consumers Alliance; and Marla Marcum, Climate Defense Project, grassroots organizer. Please see the posting on the LWVMA website for more information and a flyer to download.

Please let your members know about this forum and help us have a good turnout on this critical topic.
Great League Meet Up in Boston-A Model for Local Leagues?
  
About 18 League enthusiasts gathered at the historic Bell in Hand Tavern in Boston March 29 for the first League Meet Up. LWV members from Boston, Waltham, and Needham mingled with interested newcomers from Somerville, Arlington, Boston, Needham, Waltham and Nahant in an informal social setting.

There was a mix of generations, members and non-members, newer members and veteran members. As a result of the event, one newer member joined the Legislative Action Committee, and another joined the League as a state member-at-large. Others were given information to contact local Leagues near them.

The Meet Up was conceived and executed by LWV-Waltham member Amanda Owens with help from the state League.

A Meet Up is a great way to use a social setting to gather together new and/or potential members, talk with them individually or in small groups, assess interests, and encourage them to become active in the League.

Organizing a Meet Up requires selecting a date and location, ensuring a few veteran members will attend, inviting all members, personally inviting newer members, having League materials on hand, and using social media (and other outlets) to reach non-members. Current members should be encouraged to invite friends. Be sure to have a sign-up sheet to capture emails and to follow up.

Consider putting a Meet Up on your spring or fall calendar!
THE TO-DO LIST
Update on Per-Member Payments
 
As you develop your budget for the next fiscal year, please note that there will be no change in per-member payments (PMPs) at either the national or state level for the fiscal year starting July 1.

The national PMP remains $32. State PMPs will remain individual, $23; second in household, $5.75; and student, $2.30. The national PMP rate for student League members is one half of the rate of other members. No PMP is required at the state or national levels for 50-year-plus members.
LWVMA Will Include Your Events on Calendar
   
As a reminder, LWVMA posts a Calendar of Events on our website so you can see what's happening and when at the state and local levels. You can check the calendar out here. Click on any individual entry for details about the event.

To include your League's events, just send a brief description of the event, date, start and end times, location and whether it's open to the public to Brynne Gorman. Help us help you publicize your events.
Help LWVMA Win Boston Globe GRANT 
  
Boston Globe Grant
For the fourth year, the Boston Globe will be awarding grants of free advertising space to non-profit organizations. Please help us win ad space. Thanks to your support we were able to run a Get Out the Vote ad last fall.

The deadline to vote is April 30! If you are a Boston Globe subscriber, you will have received notification about the GRANT program either by mail or by email. You may receive a paper voucher in the mail to cast your vote for the nonprofit of your choice; if you don't receive a voucher, you can vote online here. Please select the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts Lotte E. Scharfman Memorial Fund. Information about the Globe's GRANT program is here.
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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