You are invited to attend the LWVNY Convention at the Albany Hilton! The New York State League has revamped the State Convention so that more members are able to attend on June 1st and 2nd.
Our registration form must be sent in by April 8th and needs to include all of our members who are planning to attend. Please contact Pat MacKinnon at macol17@nycap.rr.com or 518-399-8271 as soon as possible to be included.
Reservations. Hilton Albany at 40 Lodge Street in downtown Albany. Rooms and the price ($124 for singles and $134 for doubles) are only being held until May 10 so make your reservation early. We also only have a few rooms reserved on Friday, but if there is still availability, they will make more rooms available at the same price. So call 866-691-1183 or visit www.hiltonalbany.com to make your reservation; be sure to use our group code of 1EZP to get our special rates.
Here is a preview of convention events:
Workshops. Workshops are free on Saturday from 8:30—9:30 AM and 9:45 -10:45 AM. Topics include Membership Growth and Leadership, Vote 411: Electronic Voter Guides, Advocacy and Issues, Youth Programs of Local Leagues, Public Relations and Social Networking, Voter Service Issues, Development for All.
Caucuses and Informational Sessions. There will be caucuses and information sessions presented by local Leagues on Saturday 5:15—6:00 PM and 9:00—11:00 PM. The specific timing for these has not been set yet, but potential topics are Hydraulic Fracturing, Health Care, Youth Programs, Transportation Issues, Membership Successes, Women’s Issues, and Election Reform Issues (e.g. early voting). Perhaps some of our committees may want to send a representative.
These sessions are available to delegates and also to members who have volunteered at the Convention. We also may be able to arrange for members who are interested in attending these sessions. We will send out more specific information as soon as it is available. If you are interested in any of these topics, please contact Pat MacKinnon at macol17@nycap.rr.com or 399- 8271.
Silent Auction. On June 1st you will be able to view the Silent Auction online. Proceeds will benefit the LWVNY Education Foundation.
Volunteers. We need volunteers from Friday, May 31st through Sunday, June 2nd to staff registration tables, sales, plenary sessions and the hospitality suite. Volunteers are then able to attend a plenary session as an observer. Some local members are also needed to join others on the Dine Around on Friday night – it’s a fun way to just chat and network with League members from around the state. Anne Burton, Volunteer Coordinator, can be reached at anneburton10@gmail.com or (518) 283-3499.
Plenary Sessions. On Saturday, June 1st from 1:00—5:00 PM and on Sunday, June 2nd from 9:15 AM— noon. On Saturday, June 1st, a reception and dinner will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 PM and the Guest Speaker, Mickey Edwards, will be speaking from 8:00 to 9:00 PM. The cost of dinner and the speaker is $60. Mr. Edwards is the Vice President of the Aspen Institute and spoke at the LWVUS Convention in June 2012 on the issue of civil discourse and the need for nonpartisan cooperation in politics. He will continue this discussion with League members at the State Convention. His most recent book is entitled, The Parties Versus the People: How to Turn Republicans and Democrats into Americans, and was published in 2012.
Big League Raffle. The state League will again sponsor the Big League Raffle this spring with the winner announced at State Convention in June. Tickets will be mailed to all members in early April. Remember to encourage sales as the local Leagues receive a portion of the net proceeds based on the number of tickets sold by that local League. You could win over $2,000 and your local League benefits, too!
