Hickory Community Theatre
promoted the use of VOTE411 in their playbills during the full house run of POTUS October 20-November 4 in the Firemen’s Kitchen.
NC General Assembly Holds Redistricting Hearing in Hickory; Leaguers Are Present and Speak Up.
The NC General Assembly Committee on Redistricting and Electionsheld one of three state hearings in Hickory on September 26, 2023 at 4 PM at the ASU-Hickory campus.
There were some 130 in attendance. There were over 2 hours of public comment, with approximately 50 citizens speaking for the allowed 2 minutes.
Tiffany Canaday, League President spoke on behalf of LWVCV. Her comments are here. There were three other LWVCV members who also spoke as citizens. At least 5 other LWVCV members were in attendance.
Points made at the hearing include:
There was insufficient notice ahead of these meetings
Three meetings across the entire state is insufficient (There were lots of speakers who drove up to and over 90 minutes to attend.)
Meeting times make it difficult for many NC citizens to participate
Not having proposed maps makes constructive input difficult; hearings/input need to occur as well after proposed maps are available
Regardless of what may be legally possible, NC citizens do not support partisan gerrymandering. There were many comments supporting the 7/7 results from the court master drawn congressional maps for 2022.
Members of the General Assembly who attended and who are shown below are: l-r, Rep. Jeff McNeely, Sen. Julie Mayfield, Sen. Warren Daniel—a Burke County Republican and co-chair of the Senate Committee on Redistricting and Elections, Co-chair Sen. Ralph Hise, Rep. Becky Carney, and Rep. Jay Adams.
More information and video from the event is available in the Hickory Daily Record.
League Members: The Busy Season Begins
Hickory Public Libraries
League members set up voter registration & information tables at both branches of the Hickory Public Library: Patrick Beaver Library on the SALT Block on September 12, 2023 and Ridgeview Branch on September 16, 2023.
National Voter Registration Day at L-R
For National Voter Registration Day on September 19th, the League once again teamed up with the local NAACP to run a voter registration table in the center of Lenoir-Rhyne University's student center. This year, there was exceptional support in the form of student volunteers from L-R sorority and fraternity members, who encouraged their fellow students to visit the table to check their voter registration status and, if they weren't already registered, to complete a registration form.
Thanks to this concerted effort, 24 new voters registered on that day, and many more confirmed their registration and agreed to vote in the general election!
Todos Somos America
LWVCV hosted a table at the annual Centro Latino "Todos Somos America" Hispanic heritage festival on Union Square in downtown Hickory on September 24. League members distributed voter registration applications, VOTE411 flyers, and information on the new voter ID requirements.
A Second in a Series of Voting Programs Was Held for the Formerly Incarcerated
On August 5th, 2023 the League co-presented a second informational session on voting and re-entry services for those who had been recently incarcerated. The event was co-sponsored by Exodus Homes in Hickory where it was held. Founding executive director, the Rev. Reggie Longcrier welcomed everyone.
This event featured speakers (pictured in the first slide below) from a local church, The Community Success Initiative, Vote Riders and a speaker who shared their personal story that resonated with the attendees.
After the formal program, everyone could reach out for more personal assistance on various topics from an expansive number of groups who were at various tables around the room. Topics included: Exodus Homes, Food, Clothing, Finances, Registering to Vote, Health Services, ID, Birth Certificates and SS Cards, Employment, Expunging a Record/Getting Certificates of Relief and Education.
The event concluded with a meal and prize drawings!
The event was funded in part by a grant from national LWV. Photos from the that day are below.
Everything is Free Day at Exodus in Hickory in July.
League is there Again with free voting information for everyone!
LWVNC Convention: LWVCV had a presence—in multiple ways!
The state League convention was held in Charlotte over the weekend of May 19, 2023. Tiffany Canaday and Linda Greenwell represented LWVCV.
In the two photos below left, there are two stars. One is Jo Nicholas, the retiring state president. She is shown presiding over the session and then with the featured art work created by our own Joanie Gardner and donated by her to the state organization.
The League had a booth in the area where Leagues could share ideas and inspiration. Included were a laptop that played the eight animated clips, the graphics we developed for social media during election season and examples of our handouts—all a result of our having been award the SOLVE grant. All designs were shared and available to those attending using QR links.
In the far photon on the right, do you see our President, Tiffany Canaday? She was installed to the LWVNC Board for 2023-25!
Special Voting Program Held for Formerly Incarcerated
On May 6, 2023, the League partnered with Exodus Homes to offer a program that shared accurate and up-to-date information in North Carolina about the voting rights of formerly incarcerated citizens.
Held at Ridgeview Recreation Center in Hickory, presenters included:
The Rev. Reggie Longcrier the Founding Executive Director of Exodus homes offered a welcome and overview.
Mr. Dennis Gaddy, Founding Executive Director of Community Success Initiative spoke on voting rights, record expungement & certificate of relief.
Ms. Sabrina Mommers, North Carolina Organizer for VoteRiders informed the group on “How to get IDs, Birth Certificates, Social Security Cards.”
Mr. Eddie Malik Smith shared his personal story.
There were tables with information, including one from LWVCV, VoteRiders, Community Initiative and Exodus.
The event also included lunch and prize drawings.
The event was funded in part by a grant from national LWV and was presented in Partnership with Exodus homes. A second, similar event will be held on August 5, 2023, again at Ridgeview Recreation Center in Hickory.
Photos below capture some of the aspects of the morning.
Much Reveling at the BIG Reveal!
The grand reveal of the League’s new Strategic Plan 2023-2026 was celebrated at a members only event on May 4, 2023 at BOCA Restaurant in Hickory.
There was opportunity for everyone to mingle and enjoy the time together since this was also one of the largest gatherings of members since pre-COVID.
There was music, appetizers, a choice of beverages and a looping slideshow showing members involved in past League projects.
Various speakers during the evening welcomed, gave a history of the League, emphasized what VisionQuest had accomplished, described the new plan and offered an opportunity for members to talk to leads and learn more about each of the four areas—Communications, Voter Education, Collaborative Partnerships and the League Image.
There was an actual reveal that involved lots of netting, sparkle and a pulley system using BOCA’s piping system!
Perhaps, what was most important is conveyed in the interactions and smiles shown in the photos below
ParTee Time!
The Program
There were many different people who had a part in the evening, as noted on the program above. Toward the end of the evening, members were up and moving to the various areas: Communications, Voter Education, Collaborative Partnerships and League Image.
This was an evening where the members—
Stood poised between paper and progress.
Between the ideas held in the words on the plan and the decisions that will activate them.
—and they responded!
The Reveal
Just an unassuming poof in the room. Until it was time for it to be raised to new heights by Kathy and Doug Bradham! A copy of the strategic plan was given to each member as they left that evening. It may also be seen here.
The toast
When you are JoAnn Spees, the former League secretary and the League’s expert on all things Robert’s Rules of Order, offering a toast is a grand gesture. In the process, all of these were mentioned—the Strategic Plan, the future of the League and the names of many past League leaders. (Note: T-shirt was a gift from the League when her term was completed.)
Visionquest
The Strategic Plan 2023-2026 was developed over a three session (and beyond) period during January and February (and beyond) of 2023. There were 16 League members involved.
Pictured are 10 of the 16 members of VisionQuest who were available for a photo at the BIG Reveal.
Members shown include Betty Lohr, Lynn B. Spees, Laura Kellogg, Kathy Bradham, Julie Pepper, Marguerite Cook, Tiffany Canaday, Cindy Lundy, Emily Sengupta and JoAnn Spees.
Everything is Free Day at Exodus in Hickory in March.
League is there with free voting information for everyone!
LWVCV Goes to School!
The League offered the students at Hickory High School the chance to register to vote between classes on March 9, 2023. League members are pictured in The Commons, the central part of the school and were available to help students with their registration needs during all the lunch periods that day.
VisionQuesters Begin the Year on a Quest. . . and Also with Lots of Questions!
2023 began with the League’s very intention effort to come up with its first effort to create a strategic plan that would span three years. VisionQuest was both a name and a process to make that happen.
It began in January. 16 members volunteered to participate in three sessions with occasional homework after the sessions and lots of emails to keep everyone connected.
Jeanne Lebens, a professional facilitator and coach as well as being a friend of the League, organized and lead the sessions. Jeanne is a big believe in the power of asking questions. They lead to more active thinking as does the generation of ideas when people really listen to others.
The first two sessions of VisionQuest were held at the main branch of the Catawba County Library System in Newton. The last session was held at the Southwest Branch in Mt. View.
Photos from that session are shown below. The resulting Strategic Plan 2023-2026 may be seen here.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world: indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has”