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Winter-Spring 1984

Peter's Principles (Peter Herman)
Transformation? CETA to JTPA (Muriel Roberts)
Reapportionment Update (Peter Herman)
What is the Ed Fund? (Carol Whitesell)
Statehood Project Approved (Anne Lee)
Legislative Workship Success
Presidential Debates
What Does the Future Hold for League? (Carol Whitesell)
Publications Available

What Does the Future Hold for League?

The 1982 LWVUS Convention directed the formation of a Long Range Planning Committee to produce a comprehensive plan for the long-term development of the League. The committee, composed of national board members and other league leaders, presented an interim report at the National Council in May 1983. A full report with recommendations will be forwarded to Local Leagues prior to the 1984 Convention, where it will be presented for final adoption.

Problems facing the League were illustrated in studies, polls and surveys conducted by the committee since the 1982 Convention. These datum show that:

  • only a small percentage of all volunteer activity is devoted to citizenship and political work;

  • the typical League member is an upper income, highly educated, middle-age woman who is married with children, and increasingly likely to be employed;

  • the typical member is volunteering fewer hours of service than in the past;

  • the aforementioned profiles are typical of volunteers throughout the United States;

  • in contrast, women in their 30's (potentially the next generation of League members) are largely employed, single (so they don't have the support of another income), and not very interested in political affairs; and

  • while the League's overall membership is now roughly the same as in the early 1950's, there are about 50 percent more Leagues in existence. Over one-third of all Leagues have 50 or fewer members. The consequences of this shift are an increase in the number of leadership positions needed for local Leagues to function and an increase in the costs of providing services to local Leagues.

The Honolulu League of the Women Voters will conduct a "Long Range Planning Workshop" on January 28, 1983 at Halekoa to consider its future directions and strategies.

The Long Range Planning Workshop, to be chaired by national board member Pat Shutt, will be a lively and productive session devoted to charting future directions and strategies for the League in the 1980's.

The workshop comes in the wake of a growing sense of urgency and caution among league leaders in Hawaii and nationwide as to the future of the League. Concerns being voiced by leaders center on future league activities, leadership and whether there could actually someday be a demise of the LWV.

The Kauai County League's Board has also recently discussed long range planning issues in response to a survey conducted by the Long Range Plan Committee of the LWVUS.

Carol Whitesell

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