President's Message
Liz Milner, liz.milner@verizon.net

Fortunately, we were able to have a productive Friday night work session, because the weather on Saturday made it impossible to have a quorum for the official proceedings.

We worked on plans for our Convention in Scranton on June 3-5, 2005. We have been able to keep the costs very low in the hopes that this time, all local Leagues will be represented. The University of Scranton facilities are top-notch and state-of-the-art (enough clichés here?) They are also completely accessible. The sleeping arrangements are in a very new dormitory composed of suites with two or three individual (locking) bedrooms with a common living area making it just perfect for caucuses in the evenings.

We are planning some terrific workshops, using the comments made by attendees at the last convention as a guide to insure that the workshops will provide real help to new and old League leaders. Don’t forget to nominate someone in your League who has gone above and beyond to the Anna Estes Strawbridge Honor Roll. Also, if someone in your League has passed on, you might want to remember her (or him) with a gift to the Honor Roll in their name. All awardees to the Honor Roll will be celebrated at the Banquet at Convention.

Watch for your first call to Convention. This has been a very busy year for us. It’s a great time for the LWV. Our strength is at the Local level. Don’t be left out. Come to Convention.

Speaking of busy, you won’t believe the amount of work our off-Board specialists have put in on their respective issues. You can read their exploits in this PBS. Kudos to Betty Conner, Kay McKenna, Lora Lavin, Judy Rice and Susan Fields for their contributions to the PBS. There is important information contained in these reports, so be sure to read them.

Perhaps the most exciting thing on the front burner right now is the 85th Birthday party for the LWV being held at noon, February 14th 2005 in the Capitol Rotunda. This party is sponsored by our Lt. Governor, the Honorable Catherine Baker Knoll, a long-time member of the LWV of Greater Pittsburgh. If you are able to come to this party, please call the office and let us know. Some members of my local League, the LWV Hershey Area, will be dressed in the suffragist costumes we wore when we marched in our township’s Halloween Parade last fall. Please join us for a wonderful visibility event. After the speakers, there will be a catered reception in the Lt. Governor’s office suite.

One more thing, if you think you might be interested in serving on the LWVPA Board of Directors, or wish to nominate someone else, please contact nominating committee chair, Heidi Gold at hjgold@rossassociates.biz.

Liz