Annual Meeting Workbook 2016 LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF CALVERT COUNTY

Annual Meeting and Dinner Tuesday, May 17, 2016 Chesapeake Golf Club 11352 HG Trueman Road, Lusby, MD

Guest Speaker Karyn Molines Chief, Calvert County Division of Natural Resources

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LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS CALVERT COUNTY ANNUAL MEETING Draft AGENDA 2016 Call To Order, Welcome, Introduction - Co-President Annette Funn, Presiding Pledge of Allegiance – ALL Dinner & Networking - ALL Greetings from League of Women Voters Maryland Approval of Agenda – Annette Funn Appointment of Parliamentarian & Timekeepers Approval of Annual Meeting Minutes of 2015 – Secretary Sharon Bickel Treasurer’s Report – Treasurer Peggy O'Donnell Adoption of Budget for 2016-17 – Budget Chair Pat Hofmann PROGRAM AND PROJECT UPDATES: -Recommendations for 2016-2017 Local Programs – Co-President John Perryman -Direction to the Board from 2015 Annual Meeting – John Perryman -Cove Point Air Monitoring Project - Len Zuza -Legislative Evening November 12, 2015 – Moderator Cassandra Okwumabua -Transparency Study Update – Sharron Bickel and Robert “Bob” Poling -Observer Team Reports: Board of County Commissioners-Sharron Bickel; Board of Education- Pat Pease -Voter Services Report – Chair John Perryman -Family Feud Campaign – Chair Roberta Safer -Women of the World (WOW) Awards Program – Co-Chair Chris Banks -Publicity & Facebook – 2nd Vice President Krista Boughey -Nominating Committee Report – Chair Deborah Harris -Election: Of Officers; New Board of Directors; & Nominating Committee – John Perryman -Adoption of Non-Partisan Policy - Martha Grahame -Directions/New Action Items to the New Board from Membership – ALL -Special Acknowledgements – Co-Presidents -Announcements - Coordinated by Margaret Dunkle -Adjournment PROPOSED ANNUAL MEETING RULES 1. Voting is limited to Members in good standing (membership dues are current.) 2. Any Member has the privilege of the floor to speak. 3. Members who wish to speak should rise, address the Chair and when recognized, give their name. Time limit will be 2 minutes to speak. The Chair may shorten the time if the meeting is behind schedule. 4. No Member shall speak in debate or discussion twice until all who desire to speak have been heard. 5. Questions of procedure will be referred to the Parliamentarian.

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League of Women Voters of Calvert County Minutes of Annual Meeting Christ Church, Port Republic, MD May 19, 2015 Members Present: Janet Ashby, Chris Banks, Sharron Bickel, Christa Conant, Margaret Dunkle, Barbara Fetterhoff, Annette Funn, Malcolm Funn, David Hardy, Deborah Harris, Pat Hofmann, Vivian Horner, Norma Imershein, Tracy McGuire, Anne Mychalus, Peggy O’Donnell, Cassandra Okwumabua, John Perryman, Roberta Safer, Anne Sundermann, Lila West, Karen Zuza, Len Zuza and Klaus Zwilsky. Guests: Mark Volland The meeting was called to order at 6:30 p.m. after a potluck supper at 6:30 pm by Co-President, John Perryman. A presentation was made by Tracy McGuire, President of the Calvert County Board of Education, who spoke on the role of the Board and how the community can become engaged in the work of the Board. The agenda was approved. (Pat Hofmann moved, Barbara Fetterhoff seconded.) Malcolm Funn was appointed Parliamentarian. Roberta Safer was appointed timekeeper. The minutes of the LWVCC 2014 Annual Meeting were approved. (Deborah Harris moved, Anne Mychalus seconded.) The Treasurer, Sue Bilek, was not present, so no Treasurer’s report was given. The Treasurer’s report will be submitted for adoption at a later date. Adoption of 2015-2016 budget. Pat Hofmann presented an alternative budget to the one printed in the 2015 Annual Meeting Workbook (p. 7), and asked that the substitute budget be adopted. The substitute budget was adopted. (Pat Hofmann moved, Annette Funn seconded.) The Non-Partisan Policy, printed on p. 29 of the Annual Meeting Workbook, and on p. 5 of the LWVCC Member Handbook (2015), was adopted. (Barbara Fetterhoff moved, Roberta Safer seconded.) In summary, the nonpartisan policy states that the purpose of this policy is to assure the credibility of the League as a nonpartisan organization that does not support or oppose any candidate or any political party for public office. The League acts only on issues chosen by their membership after study and research for advocacy. Greetings from the League of Women Voters of Maryland. Anne Mychalus, Calvert County representative to the Maryland State Board, read a letter from Susan Cochran, President, League of Women Voters of Maryland. She complimented the Calvert League on the numerous accomplishments this year including the transparency study, the formation of the Board of Education Observer team, numerous voter registration activities, the Legislative Evening, and the 13th Annual Women of the World Awards program. The proposed Annual Meeting Rules were adopted. (Malcolm Funn moved, Anne Mychalus seconded.) Recommended Programs for 2015-16. The Board recommended no new programs be undertaken this coming year, since the LWVCC is engaged in numerous ongoing projects. (Annette Funn moved, Anne Mychalus seconded.) Project Updates. (Projects begun as “Directions to the Board” from the 2014 Annual Meeting.) 2016 Annual Meeting Handbook

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Member Handbook. A new member handbook for 2015 has been completed, thanks to the work of Vivian Horner, Roberta Safer, Krista Boughey and Fran Poling. The consensus of the meeting was that a letter of thanks be sent on behalf of the Board to Fran Poling for her vital role in publishing the new handbook, and directed the secretary to do so. Development of LWVCC Website, Facebook and Publicity. The Board supported the development of its own website, and accomplished this task in 2014-15. The webmaster, Anne Sundermann, will publish notices of events, bulletins, studies, etc. on the website, and Facebook management and press releases will be done by Krista Boughey, all subject to approval by the Board of Directors. “History of the Calvert County, MD League of Women Voters” pamphlet is being updated by Barbara Fetterhoff and Norma Imershein. Follow-up on the previous mental health study. The LWVCC will conduct a survey of case management and staffing, though no study will be done. Town Hall Meetings. Town Hall Meetings were held in July (“Water and Sewer: Public or Private?”), September (“Prince Frederick, County Seat, Town Center: What’s Next?”), October (“Transparency in Governance Study”), and May (“Rising Sea Levels: Risks? Solutions?”). Two Town Hall Meetings are currently scheduled for the coming year: June 11, “Calvert County’s Capital Improvement Plan: What Projects Should Be Funded?”, and September 29, Tuesday, 6:30 pm, “Common Core Public Forum.” The Board will decide if additional Town Hall Meetings will be held in the coming year. Legislative Evening. The traditional Legislative Evening with the Maryland State Delegation was held November 18, 2014 and was well attended by both the legislative delegation and local non-profit groups. (Twenty-four groups signed up to speak to the legislators.) The Board decided that the Legislative Evening should be held annually, and so will begin planning for the next event in November, 2015. LWVCC Public Meeting with Board of County Commissioners. The Board decided to hold this evening with the Calvert County Commissioners every two years in a non-election year. A suggested starting date is the fall of 2015. Transparency Study Update. The transparency study group continues to meet with County staff and officials to promote the recommendations of the study to improve transparency in County government. Accomplishments include improvements in making County legal notices of public hearings, etc. easier to identify in the Legal Notices Section of the newspapers by use of the County Seal; earlier publication of the County budget; publication on the website of summaries of executive sessions; negotiations with County staff to arrange for public input on the Capital Improvement Plan earlier in the budget building process. Observer Team Activity. The BOCC Observer Team (led by Sharron Bickel) continues to monitor the BOCC meetings. The newly formed Board of Education Observers (led by Annette Funn) have started to attend Board of Education Meetings. While the groups will continue to coordinate when appropriate, they will meet separately. Both Observer Teams will be recruiting and training volunteers, as well as inviting interesting speakers to help educate the observers about their subjects. Voter Services. The League had a successful general election season. We held two primary forums and three general election candidate forums. (Thirty-one League members volunteered to help at forum sites.) Primary and

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general election voters’ guides were distributed electronically and voting information was uploaded to the national Vote411.Org. The LWVCC has begun helping conduct voter registration at the court’s monthly naturalization ceremonies at the Federal District Court in Greenbelt, Maryland, in support of the LWVMD voter registration program. Volunteers are needed for this rewarding activity, which will continue throughout 2015-16. Sustainable Calvert Network. The LWVCC recently joined the Sustainable Calvert Network, a group of community organizations dedicated to preserving agricultural, natural and cultural resources as well as providing opportunities for education and recreation. Board member, Pat Hofmann, will continue to represent the League. Social Gatherings. This past year, the LWVCC held three social events: a summer social August 14, 2014, at 5 Waterside in Deale, MD (featuring story teller Elloise Schoettler); a winter social December 7, 2014 at the Bistro Belle Maison in Solomons Island (presentation on College of Southern Maryland, “Expanding Calvert’s Horizons), and Norma Imershein hosted a “wine and cheese gathering” for new members on November 9, 2014. A summer social for August, 2014 is being planned. Fundraising Activities: Norma Imershein hosted a small fundraiser in her home, teaching an enthusiastic group of five how to make two desserts. The event raised $125 for the League. The 2015-16 budget includes an expectation of raising $2,500 through fundraising activities. Roberta Safer, in charge of fundraising, has asked all League members to consider themselves part of the fundraising team in order to meet this large goal. A fundraiser is now being planned for October, 2015. Women of the World Celebration. The annual WOW awards luncheon was held on Saturday, March 14, 2015 at the College of Southern Maryland, Prince Frederick Campus. It was attended by a record number (175). Led by the LWVCC and the Calvert County Commission for Women, nine community organizations honored fourteen women and girls who are leaders helping to improve Calvert County. Margaret Dunkle presented an estimated financial summary of the income and expenses of the 2015 luncheon, because no financial summary was presented by the LWVCC Treasurer. (See attached.) The date of the next WOW luncheon is Saturday, March 16, 2016. Nominating Committee Report . The Nominating Committee report was presented by Lila West, representing Nominating Committee Chair, Jenny Plummer-Welker. (Other members of the Nominating Committee were Sandy Anderson, Annette Funn, and Krista Boughey.) They recommended the following slate of officers and Board members for 2015-16: 

Co-President: John Perryman (2015 - 2017, 1st yr. of 2 - yr. term)

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Co-President: Annette Funn (2015 - 2017, 1st yr. of 2 - yr.term)

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Secretary: Sharron Bickel (2015 - 2017, 1st year of 2 - yr. term)

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Treasurer: Peggy O’Donnell (2015 – 2017, 2nd yr. of 2 - yr. term}

Directors (elected for 2 - yr. term): 

Cassandra Okwumabua (2015 - 2017, 1st yr. of 2 - yr. term)



Anne Sundermann (2015 - 2017, 1st yr. of 2 - yr. term)

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Len Zuza (2015 – 2017, 1st yr. of 2 – yr. term)

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Nominating Committee (elected for 1- yr. term) 

Deborah Harris, Chair

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Sandy Anderson



Randi Vogt

Members Recommended for Appointment as Directors by In-coming Board, (1 – yr. term): 

Janet Ashby

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Norma Imershein

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Chris Banks

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Margaret Dunkle

There were no nominations from the floor. The slate was elected unanimously. (David Hardy moved. No second was needed because this was the report of a committee.) Directions to the Board for 2015. (Directions to the Board at the 2014 Annual Meeting were reviewed and updated by Annette Funn.) The LWVCC should support the efforts of NAACP to improve trust between the Sheriff’s Office and the Black Community. (Deborah Harris) The LWVCC should survey the need for affordable housing. (Chris Banks, a realtor, has offered assistance.) LWVCC should partner with the Calvert County Commission for Women to promote equality for Women through provisions of Title 9. (Margaret Dunkle) LWVCC should take a position on clean air monitoring around the expanding Dominion LNG plant at Cove Point. (Lila West) Special Acknowledgments (Plaques and/or certificates were awarded to the following members for special achievement): Klaus Zwilsky, Roberta Safer, Fran Poling and Anne Mychalus for work on the “Transparency in ance” study. Anne Mychalus, retiring Board member, for many years of service on the Board. Norma Imershein for preparation of 2015 Annual Workbook. Barbara Fetterhoff for her many years of service to the LWVCC. The meeting adjourned at 9:15. Respectfully submitted, Sharron Bickel, Secretary

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Govern-

FY 2017 Budget—submitted by Pat Hofmann Budget

Income Fundraiser Campaign Membership Dues MVEF Contributions Social Event WOW Luncheon Proceeds* Misc Income Carryover from previous year** TOTAL INCOME Expenses Advertising Bank Charges @ $3/month Convention/State Council Fundraiser Expense Liability Insurance Membership Recruitment Office Pay Pal Fees PMP Dues - National PMP Dues - State Programs/Printing Social Event Expense Supplies Telephone Voter Services/Candidate Forums Web Page Hosting (Wild Apricot) Workshops WOW Luncheon* Other TOTAL EXPENSES

July 1, 2016 June 30, 2017

July 1, 2015 June 30, 2016

FY2017

FY2016

$ $ $

100.00 4,000.00 2,500.00

$2,000.00 $4,200.00 $1,500.00 $1,000.00 $6,000.00

$ $

200.00 1,580.00

$

8,380.00

$14,700.00

$

100.00

$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $

400.00 100.00 240.00 250.00 150.00 50.00 2,400.00 1,200.00 1,000.00 200.00 250.00 640.00 500.00 500.00 400.00

$125.00 $36.00 $400.00 $600.00 $220.00 $250.00 $150.00

$

8,380.00

$2,400.00 $1,200.00 $1,000.00 $480.00 $2,700.00 $400.00 $4,600.00 $139.00 $

14,700.00

* WOW is not in the League Budget **Family Feud fundraiser provides carryover funds.

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-RECOMMENDED

PROGRAMS 2016-2017

Vote Needed-LWVCC recommends NO NEW LOCAL PROGRAMS for the 2016-2017 program year. RATIONALE: LWVCC should focus its efforts to implement current League programs that are already underway, which are: -Voter Services including Candidate Forums (ongoing preparation); -Transparency Study (ongoing activities); -Board of County Commissioners Observer Corps (meets weekly); -Board of Education Observer Corps (meets every other Thursday); -Planning Commission Observer Corps (newly established/meets monthly); -Annual Legislative Evening of Annapolis Delegation (held annually in November); -Board of County Commissioners Legislative Evening (to be determined); -Initiate more Membership Meetings (planning underway); -Cove Point Air Monitoring Project: A Public Health Concern (underway); -Woman of the World (WOW) Celebration (annual celebration in March); -Implementation of programs adopted by LWVMD & LWVUS (as adopted); This may not be a complete list of programs and projects. Task associated with each program includes publicity, education of voters, research and reports. The League Board believes that we have enough to do without implementing new programs. We do need more Leaguers to accomplish what is already on our plate. Help is always needed to undertake League programs. This recommendation was adopted at the January 2016 League Program Planning Meeting. Please sign up at this annual meeting to indicate where you will serve. John Perryman—Co-President

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League of Women Voters

Legislative Evening with Maryland State Delegation November 12, 2015 Calvert Pines Senior Center SUMMARY The purpose of the Annual Legislative Evening with the Annapolis Delegation who serve the citizens of Calvert is for information exchange. The Delegation presents highlights of the prior year issues, forecast upcoming hot button issues and receive information from Calvert County community groups. This is the only free community program of this type and is in its 15th year. It is usually held at the Calvert Pines Senior Center. The Calvert Annapolis Delegation was most impressed; the public showed up BIG time which was the largest crowd ever. Norma's plus refreshments looked delicious and all disappeared. Krista coordinated refreshments. Len helped "set up." Pat did her thing to keep the paper flow moving as each group provided written comments for the Delegation. Moderator Cassandra was excellent. Registrants Kathy and Dixie were superb as they greeted each guest. League Board of Directors helped with outreach after Fran prepared the publicity fliers. I can not thank League staff enough for all that you did to implement a smooth program. Everyone was on their J-O-B! I heard many positive comments that the "League really knows how to put on a first class show!" I know that we did get at least one new member and several others promised to join! All Leaguers were just great! Fifteen (15) organizations pre-registered in advance to speak; an additional Thirteen (13) signed up onsite to speak and at least three (3) expressed interest in speaking after the Event but did not know what to do! I emailed 2 testimonies to the Calvert Annapolis Delegation that were submitted to the League after the Legislative Evening. Three (3) of the five (5) Annapolis Delegation were present. Those present were: Senator Mike Miller and Senator Steve Waugh and Delegate Michael Jackson. The League appreciates their interest in the people's work. Delegate Anthony "Tony" O'Donnell sent his Legislative Aide; Delegate Mark Fisher sent an email that he had a conflict. Eighty-five citizens attended the Legislative Evening- a record attendance! Thanks to the Calvert County Press Corps for excellent coverage. Verbal feedback from the audience indicated that the League hit another grand slam in conducting this public program. The League Informs The Public & Advocates Good Government. Annette Funn, 2015 Legislative Event Chair

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Report on Holiday Party - Dec. 5, 2015 On Saturday, December 5, 2015 the LWVCC celebrated a successful season of activities by hosting a free musical afternoon social at the Ben Garner Community Center, hosted by Vivian Horner of that community. Our active events committee provided a bountiful array of finger food with the highlight being Norma Imershein’s displays of Viennese chocolate, cookies and ruggelach. Musical entertainment was provided by the talented Emily Mudd accompanied by Wyatt Garrett. The atmosphere was of holiday cheer and non perishable food was donated to SMILE and donations accepted for the Boys and Girls Club of Southern Maryland. Many thanks go to Cassandra Okumabua for serving as chair in my absence, Pat Hofmann for arranging the entertainment and all who contributed to make this event a success. We welcome suggestions for next year’s Winter activity. Roberta Safer : Event Committee Chair  Pat Hofmann  JC Hooker  Norma Imershein  Cassandra Okumabua Roberta Safer, Event Committee Chair

TOWN HALL MEETING The

League of Women Voters of Calvert County held a town hall meeting regarding the Calvert County budget for the next fiscal year, on Thursday, June 11 at the College of Southern Maryland - Prince Frederick campus. This meeting provided an opportunity for citizens to discuss priorities for large county projects. County staff described how they develop the capital improvement budget and will then answered questions about the process. The County representatives were Julie Paluda, Capital Projects Analyst; Joan Thorp, Deputy Director Dept. of Finance and Budget; and Terry Shannon, County Administrator. They gave a lively and thoughtful presentation and answered all of the audience questions.

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Summer Social 2015 was “Line Dancing with the League” On Sunday, August 8, 2015 from 2pm-5pm the LWV of CC held a unique activity, Line Dancing as their summer event. Held in the lovely social hall of Christ Church on Broomes Island, more than 25 adventurous leaguers followed the lead of Reginald Garcon, a line dance instructor who brought his following to help lead the interesting and different dance steps. Those who had lots of energy and talent were able to follow most of the dances and those of us less talented with two left feet were still able to do many steps and have lots of fun. The dancing gave the participants an appetite to enjoy the refreshments provided by the committee including sandwiches, side dishes, snacks and desserts all for the bargain price of $20. Everyone had a grand time and even the skeptics among us were converted to this fun way to exercise. The biggest hit were the Perryman family, John and Gale were accompanied by their grandchildren who had a ball. Many thanks to our committee:  Roberta Safer  Cassandra Okwumabua  Pat Hofmann  Vivian Horner  Norma Imershein Roberta Safer, Event Committee Chair

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Report on Calvert Family Feud Fundraiser Event October 17, 2015 On Oct.17, 2015 the League of Women Voters of Calvert County presented its 5th Celebrity event called Calvert Family Feud held at the College of Southern Maryland, PF Campus. The Event committee consisted of Event Chair, Roberta Safer and committee members: Pat Hofmann, Vivian Horner, JC Hooker, Norma Imershein, and Cassandra Okwumabua. With help from a ghost writer, the script for CFF was based on the long running Family Feud Game show. It brought a host of CC celebrities to the stage in a humorous and hard-hitting satire that brought cheers from the audience of over 115 people. The cast members are listed at the end of this report. The Committee members worked from June to write, assemble and work on creating the event. Special thanks go to Fran Poling for the Program and ads; Anne Harrison for floral arrangements; Tim Hayden for Musical entertainment with Commissioners Pat Nutter and Steve Weems. Thanks also go to the following businesses for their generosity; Linda’s Plant and Produce; Port of Call Liquors, Wemyss Liquors, KenMar Liquors, Cindy and Bill Chambers all for wine donations for pre-dinner social. Special thanks also go to the Ad committee: Roberta Safer, Dawn Balinski, JC Hooker, for their tireless efforts. The Catering committee, JC Hooker and Cassandra for their work with the College and special commendation to Pat Hofmann whose unstinting work with the cast for weeks on end made our event such a success. Special thanks go also to our Donors who rose to the occasion with their extra support. As of now our League will have raised between $8,500-$9,000 in profit after all expenses. While some payments have yet to come in we feel that this will allow our League to continue its work for the next several years without financial pressures.

The Cast in alphabetical order: Doug Alves Bob Carpenter Bill Chambers Inez Claggett Mike Evans Richard Fleming Annette Funn Malcolm Funn Mike Hart Tom Hejl Norma Imershein Mimi Little Maria Lubrano Karyn Molines Pat Nutter Wilson Parran John Perryman Bill Phalen Margaret Phipps 12

Calvert Marine Museum Arts Council of CC Chamber of Commerce Calvert County Commission for Women Calvert County Sheriff College of S. MD, PF Campus League of Women Voters League of Women Voters Board of County Commissioners Board of County Commissioners League of Women Voters CalvArt Gallery Calvert Memorial Hospital Board, Mamma Lucia Division of Natural Resources, CC Board of County Commissioners Former Board of County Commissioners League of Women Voters Board of Education Register of Wills League of Women Voters—Calvert County

Carrie Plymire Roberta Safer Evan Slaughenhoupt Guffrie Smith Robyn Truslow Steve Weems Klaus Zwilsky

Calvert Library League of Women Voters Board of County Commissioners Calvert Collaborative for Children/Youth Calvert Library Board of County Commissioners League of Women Voters

Our Advertisers: AAUW- Barbara Fetterhoff Anonymous Supporter Asbury Solomons Bowen’s Grocery Boyd King/ Radio Shack Calvert Cleaners and Tailoring Calvert Marine Museum Calvert Memorial Hospital Calvert Nature Society Concerned Black Women Chamber of Commerce College of S. MD Dickinson Jewelers Dominion Family Feud Committee Fashion Nails Galczynski Architects Glascock and Meenan Top Hat Party

John Hofmann, Civil Engineer Keep it Simple Linda’s Plants and Produce Lucinda Keller DDS Lusby Motor Company Mama Lucia Margaret Phipps Martha Grahame Mike Evans for Sheriff Nationwide Ins.- Carrie Polk Optimal Physical Therapy R.A. Barrett and Associates Rausch Funeral Home RE/MAX One S. J. Johnson Signs by Stacy Smart Ride Inc SMECO Wemyss Liquors

– Roberta Safer - Feud Chair and the Feud Committee Organizers of the Calvert Family Feud were honored at the 2016 WOW luncheon. Awardees include Cassandra Okwumabua, JC Hooker, Pat Hofmann, and Annette Funn. Not shown is Roberta Safer,

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ANNUAL WOW LUNCHEON After six months of meeting and planning for the Women of the World Celebration and Luncheon (WOW) was held on Saturday, March 12, 2016 at the College of Southern MD. Co-Chaired by the Calvert County Commission for Women Treasurer, Inez Claggett and Chris Banks, Board Member for the League of Women Voters Calvert (LWVCC), the event attracted 175 attendees with several on the waiting list unable to attend. This year marked the 14th annual luncheon which celebrates Calvert County women and girls. What better way to honor women during the month of March which is National Women’s History Month! LWVCC archives indicate that the first WOW Luncheon grew out of a 2002 project, when members of LWVCC participated in a LWVUS Women’s Empowerment Exchange with women in Zambia. In attendance was Dr. Anne Mychalus , LWVCC Board Member, who enthusiastically returned to Maryland with a vision to replicate the celebration of women that she had witnessed in Africa. The Calvert County Commission for Women, which was appointed by the Board of County Commissioners in 1976, also recognized remarkable Calvert women and girls. This was part of its core mission. A successful partnership was created when the Commission for Women and the LWVCC decided to work together to honor Calvert County women and girls. The WOW luncheon has grown from its early years at St. Paul’s Episcopal Reception Hall to its current venue at the College of Southern MD. This year, in addition to the previous non-profits which have sent representatives to serve on the Planning Committee, new groups were added. Participating for the first time were the NAACP, the Nature Society, the Calvert County Historical Society and the Calvert Minority Business Alliance. Over sixteen honorees were celebrated and the Honorable Susan Proctor, Delegate to Annapolis was the guest speaker. Mrs. Proctor very eloquently spoke to the theme of the luncheon-“Building Bridges to the Future”. Among those in the audience were 4 of our County Commissioners, three Delegates to Annapolis and the President of the MD Senate, Mike Miller. The luncheon did not lack for entertainment. Music was provided by a very talented professional musician, Ms. Renee Izzi , who charmed the audience with her excellent skills as a violinist. It was noted that she is member of the Led Zeppelin Tribute Band which travels nationally. Several organizations provided wonderful door prizes to members of the audience. Among the organizations providing gift baskets and the like were the Boys and Girls Club of Southern MD and the Nature Society. The elected officials were available to greet the honorees and award them each with citations from their various offices. Those anticipating attendance at the 2017 WOW should mark their calendars for Saturday, March 11, 2017—College of Southern MD. If this year was any indication, purchasing your tickets early may be necessary! We will begin the program at 12 noon sharp—after the traditional 30 minutes of networking! – Andrea " Chris" Banks, WOW Co-Chair

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COMMON CORE FORUM Sept. 29, 2015 League of Women Voters Calvert County sponsored a Common Core Standards Forum NOW NAMED Maryland College & Career Ready Standards. This program was held on Tuesday, September 29, 2015 at the College of Southern Maryland Prince Frederick Campus, 6:30 pm-9:00 pm. Purpose of the Forum was to raise the level of awareness about the Common Core issue and update the audience about recent changes regarding the standards. Program Moderator was long time educator and League member Dr. Cheryl Johnson. Panelists were: Dr. Daniel Curry, Superintendent Calvert County Public Schools; Pamela Cousins, Board of Education Member; Diane Workman, Director of Operations Calvert County Public Schools; Sherry Mervine, Calvert County Council of PTAs; Alexya Brown, Student Member Calvert County Board of Education and Amy Cox, Calvert Education Association. Panel discussion was followed by audience question and answer session. Updated print information was shared with the audience. The panel presentations were excellent. Panelists all supported the Maryland College & Career Ready Standards formerly (Common Core). The panelists applauded the League for sponsoring such an outstanding Forum and wished more citizens were in attendance. Audience attendance was about 50. Annette Funn and Deborah Harris were League Forum Co-Chairs. Annette Funn, Co-President

PUBLIC RELATIONS Krista Boughey has represented the League in the area of public relations. She has sent out 8 news releases during the 2015-16 year to all the local media. These prior to the event notifications have been instrumental in increased coverage and attendance at our programs. League press releases are sent to all local media outlets, including print publications, radio and TV."

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Transparency Study Group Report – 2015-16 In October, 2014, we released the LWVCC report “Transparency in Governance”, which studied the Calvert County Government processes and decisions. We made 7 main recommendations, which included recommendations for improving both transparency in decision making by the Board of County Commissioners and opportunities for public input into major county decisions. At this time, the transparency team is in the process of evaluating the effectiveness of this study – the progress made in identified areas and the challenges remaining. This year, we have actively promoted change in two specific areas of the study: the budget process and the “Armory Square” development. The Calvert County Budget Process: As a result of conversations with and help from Commissioner Nutter, County Administrator Terry Shannon and the Office of Budget and Finance staff two events occurred: The first was a LWVCC sponsored program (June 11, 2015) in which the Budget and Finance staff and County Administrator described how the Capital Improvement Budget is produced, including priorities, schedule deadlines, etc. The second event was a County sponsored meeting to provide an opportunity for citizens to weigh in on the Capital Improvement Budget for 2016-17 (August 27, 2015). Relevant staff from various county departments were present (arranged by the County Administrator) to hear public priorities and answer questions. This met one of our study recommendations by encouraging public participation early in the annual process of building the CIP budget. We hope that this opportunity for input will become an established part of the budget building process. A member of the transparency team also participated in the analysis of the County Operating Budget, led by Commissioner Slaughenhoupt. This process increased the transparency of the operating budget by examining in detail departmental expenditures. The Armory Square Development: The team has continued to encourage transparency in the development of the area now called “Armory Square”, which includes the old middle school site, the Goldstein Armory and several additional acres owned by the County, as well as additional acres owned by developers. In two letters to the Board of County Commissioners (also published in newspapers as “Letters to the Editor”) we encouraged the County to postpone zoning changes until the County or developer produces a comprehensive design for the project (Jan. 2016) and to postpone changes in zoning until the State Highway Administration has completed its updated traffic study for the Prince Frederick corridor (March, 2016). A third letter went

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League of Women Voters—Calvert County

to the Administrator of the State Highway Administration (also published as a “Letter to the Editor”). The State Highway Administration is currently updating its 2013 traffic study for the Prince Frederick corridor. As a rule it does not include the traffic impact of projects which are “proposed” but not officially approved in its traffic impact studies. The League asks that the SHA study include the projected traffic impact of the proposed Bargo development in an appendix to the study, and that it project the traffic impact on the Route 4 corridor for up to 10 years. On January 12, 2016, the transparency team along with the Board of County Commissioners Observer Team organized a League program, in which the principals of Bargo, Inc., the development company that has partnered with the County to develop the Armory Square Project, laid out their plans to date. It was attended by approximately 40 members of the League and public. The current proposed plans for the development had been put on the County Website in December, 2015. However, it was extremely hard to find, requiring at least 6 clicks to find it. Following the January 12 meeting, in response to a request by the transparency team, the information on the “Armory Square” project was moved to the home page of the County website which makes it much easier to access. The County IT personnel were very responsive in making this information more accessible to the public. Other efforts: In response to conversations with the League, the County agreed to mark County legal notices published in the newspaper with the County icon for easy identification and to help distinguish them from the numerous other legal notices published in the newspaper. The transparency team considers the publication of County legal notices in the paper an essential source of information. The County proposed, as a Legislative Agenda item for FY 2016-2017, to eliminate newspaper publication of solicitations of bids $15,000 or greater and advertise solely by electronic means. The League opposed this in a letter to the BOCC and during the League Legislative Evening in November, 2015. The League’s position is that newspaper publication provides a public record of the bids and provides non-computer users with access to public information. As a result of opposition to the amendment, it was dropped from the County Legislative Agenda. The transparency team, aided by the BOCC Observers, monitors the publication of Board of County Commissioners’ minutes, including the Executive Session minutes. We believe the consistent monitoring has helped ensure that the minutes are published in a timely manner. Additionally, in the case of the Executive Session minutes, County Attorney, John Norris, has been amenable to some of our suggested changes to make the minutes more useful to citizens following County business. Transparency Team members: Robert Poling, Roberta Safer, Klaus Zwilsky, John Perryman, Annette Funn, Randi Vogt, Pat Pease and Sharron Bickel. Sharron Bickel, Chair

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LWVCC Observer Team LWVCC Board of County Commissioners Observer Team The BOCC Observer Team has had another busy year. Volunteers continue to observe the regular, weekly Tuesday morning Board of County Commissioners’ meetings. The Observer Team continues to provide support to the Transparency Study group. The team report form was modified to contain a checklist of recommendations made by the study, “Transparency in Governance”, and the team regularly passes on to the transparency study group observations of Board actions relevant to the study. Of particular interest this year has been the proposed Armory Square development, as well as the purchase of the SMECO property and subsequent opening of the Elizabeth Brown Community Center. The BOCC Observer Team, along with the Transparency Study Group, arranged a program on Armory Square for League members. Randy Barrett and John Gott, principles of Bargo, Inc. and the County’s current partner in developing Armory Square, presented their plans for the development to approximately 40 League members. The team is exploring ways to store the vast quantity of materials from the Board meetings which might be of use for future League studies or projects. (The County website will maintain most materials for up to three years, then it drops off the website.) The possibility of on-line storage with a simple retrieval system is being explored. The Observer Team welcomes additional volunteers to provide consistent coverage for the BOCC meetings. We would like to have sufficient staff to provide coverage occasionally for Planning Commission meetings as well. Volunteers are trained, and monthly meetings provide support and ongoing guidance (as well as stimulating conversation). This year we had two volunteer training sessions. Current team members are Roberta Safer, Klaus Zwilsky, David Hardy, Lila West, Norma Imershein, Anne Mychalus, Chris Banks, John Perryman and Sharron Bickel. Sharron Bickel, Chair

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League of Women Voters—Calvert County

Voter Services Redistricting Reform On September 29, 2015, John Perryman provided testimony to the Maryland Redistricting Reform Commission at its southern Maryland meeting in Waldorf. The testimony received broad coverage in the southern Maryland news outlets Vote 411.org – Voters’ Guide There were 9 candidates for Board of Education; we invited each to participate in Vote411.org. Six submitted responses to our questions before the print deadline. We invited the 4 candidates for US Representative for District 5 to participate in Vote 411.org, and they completed submissions. We also sent 70 Vote 411 invitations to convention delegate candidates. Approximately 10 either didn’t provide emails or their email addresses bounced. We sent each a snail mail letter explaining the problem and asked them to contact us; none did. Additionally, most of the 70 did not respond to the Vote411 invitation to answer the convention delegate questions. The state league should probably review whether a hyper partisan activity like convention delegate elections fits with our resources. March 11, we published a .pdf of the Voters’ Guide for Calvert County, a full month before early voting began and 6 weeks before the election. We sent it to the Library system, senior centers, and posted it on our website. As a practical matter, the online system at Vote 411.org is more useful, so we also sent the library and senior centers flyers for the Vote411.org and the .pdf version on our website. Norma educated people living at Asbury on Vote 411.org, and we provided her detailed instructions with screen shots. The Calvert County Board of Elections printed extra copies of our flyer about Vote411.org, the Voters’ Guide print version on our website and the Board of Education candidates’ forum on April 1. The board displayed it in the office and made copies for visitors to take. Outreach to Absentee Voters To assist absentee voters registered in Calvert County, we obtained a digital copy of the mailing addresses of absentee voters from the Calvert Board of Elections. For the approximately 60 out of county and overseas primary voters, we mailed an instructional letter on accessing candidate information in Vote 411.org. The letter was subsequently used by the LWVMD as a model. Voter Registration We continued to support naturalization ceremonies with voter registration at the Federal Courthouse, Greenbelt, Maryland, supplementing the primary local leagues from Montgomery, Howard, Prince Georges and Anne Arundel Counties. In partnership with Concerned Black Women of Calvert County and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, we completed voter registration activities on 16 and 29 March, at the College of Southern Maryland, Prince Frederick campus. We enjoyed great support from the school, and the Calvert Board of Elections was on hand to demonstrate the new voting machines. We registered 64 students and provided assistance to several dozen. The Calvert Recorder covered the registration activities on March 29. Effective March 10, 2016, Maryland allowed convicted felons still under court supervision, such as parole or probation, to register and vote once they leave prison. We are coordinating with the Division of Parole and Probation Intake office in Prince Frederick to offer assistance. Board of Education Candidate Forum Our local league sponsored a Board of Education Candidate forum on Monday, April 11, from 6:30-9:00 PM, at St John Vianney, Family Life Center, Prince Frederick, MD 20678. Eight of Nine candidates attended. Through social media, press releases, community calendar notices, League internal communications and newspaper advertising, the public was encouraged to attend and about 67 did. Dixie Miller served as our moderator, and Boy Scout Troop 430 presented our nation’s flag and led the Pledge of Allegiance. – John Perryman, Chair, Voter Services 2016 Annual Meeting Handbook

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Nominating Committee Report, 2016 Proposed Slate of Officers Position:

Name:

Term:

Treasurer

Inez Claggett

2016-18, 1st year of a two-year term

Director

Chris Banks

2016-18, 1st year of a two- year term

Director

Margaret Dunkle

2016-18, 1st year of a two- year term

Director

Kathy Riley

2016-18, 1st. year of a two-year term

1st Vice President

Roberta Safer

2014-16, two-year term

2nd Vice President

Krista Boughey

2014-16, two-year term

Secretary

Anne Mychalus

2016-2017, one year term

Members Recommended to Be Appointed as Directors by the In-coming Board, 1 Year Term, Expires May 2017 Martha Grahame Judy “JC” Hooker Dixie Miller Positions that Continue for the Coming Year: Co-President

John Perryman

2015-17, 2nd. year of a two-year term

Co-President

Annette Funn

2015-17, 2nd. year of a two-year term

Director

Sharron Bickel

2015-17, 2nd year of a two-year term

Director

Cassandra Okwumabua

2015-17, 2nd year of a two-year term

Director

Len Zuza

2015-17, 2nd year of a two-year term

Open Position - LWVCC’s Bulletin Editor Nominating Committee, General Members, Proposed for Coming Year General members proposed for election: Position:

Name:

Chair

Debbie Harris

Member

Sandy Anderson

Member

Randi Vogt

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League of Women Voters—Calvert County

Notes: The LWV of Calvert County Bylaws, amended June, 2013, states in Article IX, Section 2 (italics added): The report of the Nominating Committee of its nominations for Officers, Directors, and the members of the succeeding Nominating Committee shall be sent to all members at least two weeks before the date of the Annual Meeting. The report of the Nominating Committee shall be presented to the Annual Meeting. Immediately following the presentation of this report, nominations may be made from the floor by any voting member provided the consent of the nominee shall have been secured. The Nominating Committee consists of five members. Three members from the general membership are to be elected. Two members shall be members of the Board of Directors and are to be appointed by the Board immediately following the Annual Meeting. -Debbie Harris, Nominating Committee Chair

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Candidate Biographies Treasurer – Inez Claggett is an experienced senior-level auditor with extensive public accounting, auditing and administrative experience within diverse industries. Ms. Claggett embraces strong qualifications in management, budgeting, internal controls and policy development. She effectively organizes work, engages in a variety of tasks simultaneously and meets deadlines. On a daily basis, she continually utilizes technology to innovate and to enhance her delivery of services. Inez currently works full-time as a Senior Legislative Auditor for the Prince George’s County Council where she consistently applies policies and procedures, while exercising good judgment, and maintaining confidentiality. Prior to her service with the County Council she was an Internal Auditor for the Prince George’s County Board of Education where she assisted in the recovery of over $1.0 million in public funds, throughout her tenure. Ms. Claggett is proud to be a resident of Calvert County, MD where she resides with her husband and son. Director – Judy Hooker is committed to serving her community and improving the welfare of all people. Judy has lived abroad and throughout the United States. Her mission is to improve education, housing, and equality for everyone. She believes that her mission is always enhanced through the power of voting. . Career accomplishment are: Bachelor Degree in Business Administration, Past Secretary of the State of Florida Women's Political Action Organization, Committee Member of the PGCAR Board of Realtor Political Legislative Committee, Board Member of the Calvert County Housing Authority, and Member of the Citizen Advisory School Board. Judy has worked with " Get Out the Vote", Registration of Voter, and campaign candidates. Judy is a team player. She brings her enthusiasm and experience to the League of Women Voters. Director – Dixie Miller is President of Dixie Miller PRESENTS LLC, an educational consulting firm which specializes in professional and personal development. She conducts workshops focusing on assertive communication, leadership, presentation skills, raising awareness concerns for the homeless, generational differences, customer satisfaction, team building, diversity, sexual harassment, business protocol, and conflict management. From April 2013 until July 2015, Dixie worked as the Director of the Calvert Memorial Hospital Foundation, Inc. Prior to that, she worked at the Transportation Security Administration, Department of Homeland Security in Arlington, Va as a program analyst and facilitator for the Office of Training and Workforce Engagement. She is also a training consultant for the Corporate Center at the College of Southern Maryland. Dixie began her speaking career with the Dale Carnegie® Leadership Institute of Washington DC. She has provided professional development training to client companies such as, Navair, United Airlines, as well as numerous government agencies and healthcare organizations. While at United Airlines, Dixie served as the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) chairperson. Director – Dr Ann Mychalus says her Mother was a League member! Anne served as LWVCC President in 2009-2010 and as Co-President with Norma Imershein in 2011-2013. Anne has been a leader in the local League for years and a former member of the LWVMD State Board for several years. Anne is an expert on many League issues, especially focusing on education. She is a former school teacher and school administrator. Anne will serve as the LWVCC recording secretary in 2016-2017.

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League of Women Voters—Calvert County

Director – Kathy Riley served as LWVCC President in 2007-2009 and 2010-2011; and Co-President with Annette Funn in 2005-2007. In 2009-2010 she was U.S. Census Bureau project leader for the League. Many accomplishments were made during Kathy's League leadership years including research and publication of "The Greening of Calvert County Study" in 2008. Kathy is a retired Registered Nurse with a specialty in psychiatric and mental health nursing. She was Executive Director of Calvert Hospice in 1988-1991; also served as Girl Scouts leader and active with PTA and Chair of the Children, Family and Health Commission in 2005-2010. Kathy and Leaguer husband Jim have four adult children and two grand children.

2016 Annual Meeting Handbook

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Statement of Non-Partisanship

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League of Women Voters—Calvert County

League of Women Voters Annual Retreat & Training Board Meeting June 14, Pr. Fred Library, RM 3; 9:15 am Presiding Co-Presidents Annette Funn & John Perryman 9:15 am Call to Order... Co-President John, Presiding Morning Breakfast provided by Annette from Panera Breads. Bring your own beverage. Networking & paper scuffle 9:30 am Action Items: LWVCC, LWVMD, & LWVUS... John & Annette 10:00 am Approval of April 12 Board Minutes & May 17 Annual Meeting Minutes Former Secretary Sharron Bickel & new Secretary Dr. Anne Mychalus 10:00 am Each Board Member briefly highlight their background & identify which project you will work on this year. Consult list of options in League Membership Handbook and Directions to the Board from May 17, 2016 Annual Meeting. Five (5) minutes per Board Member; please write notes beforehand. 11:15 am Treasurer’s Report & WOW Financial Report...Treasurer Inez Claggett 11:30 am Develop Annual LWVCC Calendar of Events including membership meetings...ALL Bring your personal calendar. 11:45-12:30 Lunch Break. Bring your own or buy from local restaurant 12:30-1:30 pm Continue Developing & Complete Calendar of Events for 2016-2017 1:30-3:00 Co-President Annette, Presiding UPDATES & ANNOUNCEMENTS: (Bring written updates.) -Voter Service... John & Margaret Dunkle & Len Zuza -Webmaster & Publicity... Krista Boughey - Cove Point Air Monitoring Project... Len Zuza -Transparency Team & BOCC... Sharron Bickel -Board of Education Observer Team... Cassandra Okwumabua -Planning Commission Observer Team... -Legislative Evening w/Annapolis Delegation Moderator in November -BOCC Legislative Evening Moderator in April -Board Assignments/sign up sheet if not completed earlier... ALL -WOW League Co-Chair for 2017; other Co-Chair to be elected from Comm for Women Other Items........ Next Board Meeting: Tuesday, July 11...Need Hostess to provide breakfast snack/time? 3;00. Adjournment 2016 Annual Meeting Handbook

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LWVCC Calendar June, 2015 –June, 2016 June, 2015 Tues., June 9: LWVCC Board Training and Retreat Thurs., June 11: Town Hall Meeting, “Capital Improvement Plan”, CSM, Building B, 7:00 pm Fri., June 19: Event Planning Committee, 2348 Acacia Rd., (Safer Residence),3:00 - 5:00 pm. Wed., June 24: Board of Education Observer Team, Prince Frederick Lib., 9:00 - 10:00 am Wed., June 24: Board of County Commissioners Observer Team, Prince Frederick Library, 10:00 am - 12 noon Thurs., June 25: Transparency Team Meeting with County Administrator, Commissioners’ Conference Room, 10:00 am July, 2015 Tues., July 14: LWVCC Board of Directors’ Meeting, Prince Frederick Library, 9:30 am Thurs. , July 16: LWVMD Birthday Party for Elbridge Gerry, Annapolis, 10:00 am Mon., July 20: Voter registration for newly naturalized citizens, Federal District Court, Greenbelt, 12:00 – 1:00 pm August, 2015 Sat., Aug. 8, Summer Social, Christ Church, Port Republic, 1:00 - 4:00 pm Tues., Aug. 11: No Board Meeting Mon., Aug. 17: Voter registration for newly naturalized citizens, Federal District Court, Greenbelt, 12:00 – 1:00 pm September, 2015 Wed., September 9: LWVCC Board of Directors’ Meeting, Prince Frederick Library, 9:30 am Set LWVMD Legislative priorities Mon., September 14: Voter registration for newly naturalized citizens, Federal District Court, Greenbelt, 12:00 – 1:00 pm Thurs., September 24: Local League recommendations due to State League Sat., September 26: LWVMD Fall Workshops, Columbia, MD, 10:00 am – 2:00 Tues., September 29: Town Hall Meeting and Public Forum: Common Core, CSM, 6:30 – 8:00 pm October, 2015 Tues., October 13: LWVCC Board of Director’s Meeting, Prince Frederick Library, 9:30 am Sat., October 17: LWVCC Celebrity Fundraiser, CSM, 6:30 – 9:00 pm Sun., October 18: LWVMD Fundraiser, “At Wit’s End”, Arena Stage, 2:00 pm Thurs., October 29: Legislative priorities due to LWVMD November, 2015 Sun., November 8: “Sunday Afternoon at Norma’s, II”, (League fundraiser: cooking lessons, time TBD, $25 donation suggested)

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League of Women Voters—Calvert County

Mon., November 9: Voter registration of newly naturalized citizens, Federal District Court, Greenbelt, 12:00 – 1:00 pm Tues., November 10: LWVCC Board of Directors’ Meeting, Prince Frederick Library, 9:30 am Thurs., November 12: Legislative Evening with Annapolis Delegation, (“Meet and Greet”, 6:30 – 7:00 pm; delegation panel, 7:00 – 9:00 pm) December, 2015 Sat., December 5: Winter Social (Solomons Island) Mon., December 7: Voter registration of newly naturalized citizens, Federal District Court, Greenbelt, 12:00 – 1:00 January, 2016 Tues., January 12: LWVCC Board of Directors’ Meeting (Planning Meeting), Prince Frederick Library, 9:30 am Tues., January 12: Prince Frederick Town Center Presentation , 2:00 pm Sat., January 23: LWVMD Winter Workshops (Location, time TBD) February, 2016 Tues., February 9: LWVCC Board of Directors’ Meeting, Prince Frederick Library, 9:30 am Sun., February 14: LWV’s Birthday March, 2016 Tues., March 8: LWVCC Board of Directors’ Meeting, Prince Frederick Library, 9:30 am Wed., March 16: Voter Registration, CSM Sat., March 12: Women of the World Luncheon, CSM, 11:30 – 2:00 pm Tues., March 29: Voter Registration, CSM April, 2016 Mon., April 7: Primary Election Candidate Forum, (tentative) Tues., April 12: LWVCC Board of Directors’ Meeting, Prince Frederick Library, 9:30 am May, 2016 Tues., May 17: LWVCC Annual Meeting (5:30 – 6:30 potluck; 6:30 speaker and business meeting) June, 2016 Tues., June 14: LWVCC Board Training and Retreat, 9:00 am – 2:30 pm (Prince Frederick Library)

Revised 1/9/16

2016 Annual Meeting Handbook

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WORKBOOK 2016 – INDEX 1.

Cover

2.

Agenda for Annual Meeting

3. - 6.

Minutes of the Annual Meeting, May 2015

7.

Proposed Budget for 2016-17

8.

Recommended Programs

9.

Summary of Legislative Evening

10.

Holiday Party; Town Hall, Budget

11.

Summer Social

12.-13.

Calvert Family Feud Fundraiser Event

14.

WOW Luncheon

15.

Forum, Common Core; Public Relations

16-17.

Transparency Study Team

18

Observer Team

19. - 20.

Voter Services

21. - 22.

Nominating Committee Report

23. - 24.

Candidate Biographies

25.

Statement of Non-Partisanship

26. - 27.

2015-2016 Calendar

28.

Index

Handout: Treasurer’s Report.

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League of Women Voters—Calvert County