As a virtual delegate to the 2024 LWVUS Convention, this was my second experience at the national convention and the first in virtual mode. Initially I wondered about the challenge of making the convention accessible virtually, expecting that there would be several sessions and events that would be unavailable to virtual participants; however, I was surprised to find that the only scheduled events that were not available to virtual attendees were the meals and a dinner that featured a speaker from the Cherokee Nation. However, her speech was recorded so we were able to view her very compelling talk about representation to the US House of Representatives promised to the Cherokee signers of the treaty that led to the removal of the Cherokees from their southeastern homelands to the present state of Oklahoma.
To be sure there were some technical difficulties. The first session I wanted to attend was not accessible by Zoom and was not recorded. No explanation of whether the session on immigration was cancelled or if there were just technical difficulties was offered. The voting system for virtual delegates required switching back and forth between the Zoom platform and a different conference platform, which was challenging at first and then just clunky, so ironically some virtual delegates lost their opportunity to vote on specific motions in the process. Confusingly, there were two separate chats, one on Zoom that was supposed to be reserved for being recognized by the chair and one on the conference platform that was supposed to be used for the usual interchange amongst online participants. This was not adequately explained in advance, so there were two running chats for virtual participants during the whole conference.
Despite these technical glitches, I felt that virtual attend was well worthwhile and am pleased that Alaska fielded a delegation of around 10 in-person and virtual attendees, a strong representation for a small League. The fee for virtual delegates was less than half the fee for in-person conference attendees, and there was neither travel time nor travel expenses, so it was very economical for our Leagues overall. Our Fairbanks chapter was able to support attendance by our three allotted delegates: Jessica King in person and Helenmarie Matesi and me virtually, something that would be hard to swing if the convention had been in-person only again. In addition, delegates are able for a limited time to view recordings of concurrent sessions that they were not able to attend in real time.
The downside of virtual attendance, of course, is that you miss the opportunity to meet the variety of people that attend in person and lose the networking opportunities that in-person attendance provides.
With very abbreviated time (6 minutes per motion) to discuss the issues before the Convention, the members ratified the continuation of the Making Democracy Work platform. The concurrence on support of local news outlets from LWV Washington that Alaska Leagues had endorsed passed. A proposal for a new national study on the federal judiciary (including the Supreme Court) to be completed in one year (rather than the usual two years) passed. Two concurrences with support in Alaska, the Vermont League’s privatization of health care position and the Greater Pittsburgh League’s gun safety as a public issue position did not pass. Unfortunately, no time in the general or concurrent sessions was devoted to the Transformation Plan, so our questions about the new membership structure, the questions about how donations to locals would be handled, and other transitions issues were not addressed nor was the question of a detailed explanation of how the dues and donations revenues for proposed budget were derived, given the anticipated change over from the old membership system to the new this year. The newly elected LWVUS president is Dianna Wynn of North Carolina, and Leah Edwards, Alaska’s liaison, was re-elected as national treasurer. If you are interested in a general description of the Convention in an abbreviated day-by-day format, visit:
https://www.lwv.org/league-management/league-fundamentals/2024-convention-daily-briefing
Highlights for me were the moving tribute to the late LWVUS President Dr. Deborah Turner delivered by her niece, who reminded us once again what an exceptional leader we lost in January 2024. The introduction of the new CEO of LWVUS, Celina Stewart, was great news. Stewart’s term will begin on August 5. Stewart, who has served LWVUS’ Chief Counsel and Senior Director of Advocacy and Litigation since 2018, gave a rousing inaugural address that lifted attendees above the sometimes tedious parliamentary discussions. Finally ,during the Advice to the Board session at the very end of the last session, Alaska’s Edi Wallace-Moyer of Anchorage Youth Votes spoke up for establishing a League Youth Council, lowering the age for membership, and removal of dues for those under 25 years old among other things, along with the practical suggestion of having a table for assistance with Robert’s Rules of order for youth delegates (which some of us elders could have used too!).
The keynote address, Turn Up for One Person, One Vote! on the long-term goal of abolishing the Electoral College is available for viewing by any League member on YouTube at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JS_5nuf2JRs
Submitted by Sue Sherif
LWVTV
Read more about the 2024 LWVUS Convention:
Highlights from the LWV Convention