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 President's MessageIt hardly seems possible that it's almost a year since I accepted the "gavel" and stumbled and fumbled through my first Directors meeting. I remember so vividly my uncertainty, my pleas for information and guidance. What a nuisance I must have been, calling, collaring whomever I could, always asking--more often than not the same refrain "what does this mean? What is the procedure?" Was it only 10 months ago that I faced an angry vocal group on my Very first public testimony and was booed down by 1500 voices--and displayed on TV? Six public testimonies later, it's no longer a big thing to always be on the side opposing the issue, as League is so often positioned. Most of this however could not be possible without Astrid Monson -- my bulwark, my rock of Gibraltar, my ever-gushing well of information. Patient Astrid who will spend hours explaining the why and wherefores of the League position on a planning issue so I can intelligently testify on the issue. Concerned Astrid who will spend time after the testimony to discuss the response and/or possible ramifications of the testimony. Astrid who was recovering from a broken wrist at the time of my first testimony to, Astrid now recovering from major surgery -- still calling, still advising, still concerned. I have slowly, painfully, come to understand a bit of "what it means" and a little of what to do with it. It would have been difficult to implement it without the help of someone like the "quiet and effective" treasure Jean Aoki. Jean who has never said "no" to a request whether direct or indirect. Jean who without fanfare will quietly roll up her sleeves and attack a problem whether it be election laws, the Voter, voter registration, the national program of meeting basic human needs or odd hours, long distanced, frequent vote counts. When I tell Jean I have a problem she doesn't "tut, tut" and tell me how busy she is, she gets out her date book, asks for the date and time--and I have a volunteer. That is a treasure. As I began to understand the ramifications of what I undertook when I accepted the gavel, as I eased myself into the responsibilities of office, I could see a light at the end of the tunnel. I could never have attempted to reach that light without the support of folk like Yvonne Kearns, Marian Wilkins, Dorothy Murdock, Marion Saunders, Mary-Ann Marks, Ah Juk Ku, Helen Whorton and newcomer to League Jo Judy who took on the Voter when no one else would, and whose support has been invaluable. Finally, I think I may have an inkling of what the whole thing is about. This coming year is the test. It would have been difficult for me to reach this stage with any confidence without the help of a very special person--Mary Francis Sutphen. Mary Francis was a stranger to me when I , became president. I knew her as a vote count volunteer when I was the elections coordinator, but we didn't really "click" until she became a member of my board. There are not enough superlatives to describe Mary Francis' devotion to the League. There is no task too menial or too tough for Mary Francis to handle. I'm ready for next year - with the support and encouragement of the Leaguers I have described and those I don't have the space to mention. I know the message is "GO FOR IT" -- and I will.
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