Thank you to all of you who participated in your local elections and town meetings! We were pleased with the turnout at the Lenox forum for contested selectboard and school committee seats.
Summer 2026 – Strengthening Democracy
We can use this summer to sharpen our appreciation of democracy before the midterms. Here are some opportunities for you to strengthen democracy this summer.
Speakers Hold June 23 for an event at the Waldorf School in Stockbridge. At 5 PM we’ll have a brief reception and an opportunity to meet the new executive director of the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, Laura Brenner. Then at 5:30, we’ll be hearing from Chris Bentson on how the League of Conservation Voters fights for voting rights in our state.
On September 14 at 5:30 at the Waldorf School, we’ll hear from WAMC’s Josh Landes on Freedom of the Press.
Watch this website for information on potential additional talks in August and October.
LWV Mass Series “What Democracy Means in Daily Life.” LWV Central Berkshires is one of a number of leagues supporting a series coordinated by the MA state League. The latest will be on “Freedom of the Press.” and prior presentations can be viewed here.
Celebrating Congratulations to current board member Amy Cooper for her work to get immigrant protection (the PROTECT Act) passed in Boston! And we’re delighted to welcome outstanding member Lynne Posner to the LWV Central Berkshires board!
Join Us! If you’re not yet a member, join us. Just go to the LWVMA website and look for LWV of Central Berkshire County. Our chapter website; https://lwvcentralberkshires.org/
State laws around voter registration drives are changing, but you don’t need to navigate them alone. When starting out with any voter registration event, these voter registration drive guides (in collaboration with Nonprofit VOTE and Fair Elections Center) are the first resource we recommend going to.
A good case for continued respect and consideration of others from Carole Owens.
Our hard-working chapter of the League focuses on the critical areas of:
-civics education for middle and high schoolers
-registration and voting
-providing information on local, state, and national elections.
Every time we support the citizenship induction ceremony hosted by the Berkshire Immigrant Center or engage with our local educators, we renew our enthusiasm to promote voting as a right and responsibility of citizenship.
Where do you vote? How do you vote? What do you need to know about candidates and ballot
initiatives? Our chapter hosts meetings on the ballot initiatives, collaborates on voter registration and information events with the NAACP, and communicates with the wider public via local newspapers, social media and local cable TV.
At the national and state level the League lobbies for legislation that protects voter
rights….an issue that becomes more important every day. The League’s voter website (Vote411), provides information on statewide and national candidates for election.
Your membership dues support local, state, and national efforts and your volunteer efforts
Here's an invitation for any of you interested in how women have contributed to freedom and democracy!
The program chair of the Monterey Meeting House, a new nonprofit venue for the arts and civic events, announced a regional theater production on the fight for women’s suffrage in a time when all voting rights are under threat.
“REPRESENTATION AND HOW TO GET IT” will have two performances: at 7 pm on Friday, April 3rd, and 2 pm on Saturday, April 4th, at the Meeting House in the center of Monterey.
This a professionally-produced one woman play that centers on suffragist and abolitionist Julia Ward Howe, as she prepares for a speech on an early morning in the late 1800's. She sees an America that is built for some but not all and demands to know, "What are we going to do about it?"
The play, and a panel discussion with women politicians plus a PBS Newshour journalist, will take about an hour.
“REPRESENTATION” was last presented at the Mount in Lenox in 2023, with State Rep. Leigh Davis on the panel. It is the work of three collaborators; the director, Judy Braha, Associate Artistic Director for Great Barrington Public, along with the playwright, Joyce Van Dyke, and the actress, Elaine Vaan Hogue.
Read more about “REPRESENTATION AND HOW TO GET IT” at:https://www.representationtheplay.com/ And here’s the Monterey Meeting House website: https://montereymeetinghouse.org/ . The Meeting House is a nonprofit venue for the arts and civic events in an historic church building in the center of Monterey.
Help preserve the Monterey Meeting House, a historic landmark in Monterey Village, as a vibrant space for cultural, educational, and community gatherings.
