Help The League Help Us All

Help The Leaque Help Us All

MONDAY FEB 3 1975

TIMES HAVE CHANGED -When the local League of Women Voters first sought outside donations in 1942, its president and treasurer were nearly “blown out of the office” of the local Republican Party chairman, who insisted they should be home washing diapers. Today, the League’s annual finance drive is carefully planned by members of its finance committee and community leaders. Meeting at Hathaway’s Hideaway from left are Barbara Dankert, Pat Pawelski, Susan Westerman, John Hathaway and Rosemarian Blake.

The annual finance drive of the League of Women Voters is officially underway. Donations to the drive help finance the League’s community service projects.

The scope and method of the League’s finance drive have changed considerably since its first modest fund-raising efforts in 1942, according to League Finance Chairman Barbara Dankert.

When the League first went to nonmembers for financial contributions in 1942, according to League records, President Una Chenerada and Treasurer Vera Spooner decided that some of the “downtown businessmen must be aware of the League and should be willing to donate some money to a worthy cause.”

Dressing in their “best bib and tucker,” they went downtown to the First National Building and scanned the building directory for a familiar name. Finding one, they blithely sailed into the man’s office and proudly exited with a check for $5.

More businesslike on the next go round, they made appointments with officeholders and political party leaders whom they considered most likely to be aware of the blessings of the League of Women Voters. (This type of solicitation is now contrary to the League’s nonpartisan principles, Mrs. Dankert notes.)

Their first prospect was the chairman of the Republican Party. Wrote Mrs. Spooner: “He practically blew us out of the office when he found out who we were and what our purpose was. He was voracious and disgusted with us. A woman’s place was in the home, washing diapers. We were wasting our time in the League as we women could not possibly fight all the crookedness as was currently present in politics. This was due to the times we live in. Political activity was a place for men only, and not for women. In addition, he was opposed to the League, because we were all a group of Democrats.”

When the women began to chat about home, babies and diapers on their way out, however, he became a different person and wrote a check for $5.

Within the next few days a call was also made on the chairman of the Democratic Party, who objected that the League was too predominantly Republican! But not to be outdone, he wrote a check for $15.

This year, direct solicitation is being made by letter to some 2,000 Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti residents. League members themselves are expected to contribute approximately 50 per cent of the total collected, in addition to their annual dues.

Donations to the League help support such projects as the preparation of the local publications “Know Your Schools,” “Know Your Town” and “Know Your County”; the distribution of pamphlets from the League’s state and national organizations; and the collection and publicizing by the non-partisan gnlup of voter information about candidates and issues before elections.

The League is currently co-sponsoring with the Ann Arbor Public Library a series of luncheon meetings designed to allow citizens a chance to meet with experts and discuss “Energy in the Public Interest.”

At its regular meetings, the League provides members with an opportunity to express opinions and discuss issues.

“The League of Women Voters has given the Ann Arbor community more than 40 years of continuous service,” says Mrs. Dankert. “We exist for the sole purpose of maintaining good government through citizen participation.

“If 300 League members are willing to donate their time and money toward this end, we must assume that there are many interested individuals outside of the League who are willing to help us achieve our goal.”

Interested contributors may mail donations to the League office at 333 S. Fourth Ave., Ann Arbor, or call 761-0978. Free literature will be mailed to them.

Assisting Mrs. Dankert on the finance committee are Susan Westerman, Georgia Conard, Nancy Davis, Judy Morris, Sunny Morse, Sue Peltzie and Martha Fisher.

Serving on the community advisory board for the drive are William Dobson, John Hathaway, Rosemarian Blake, Godfrey Parsons, Milton Kendrick, Patricia Pawelski and Michael Radock.