LWVC Convention 2023Thanks to our sponsors!
Civic Stalwarts
LWV San Diego
Engaging Partners
LWV Berkeley/Albany/Emeryville
LWV Fremont/Newark/Union City
LWV Marin County
LWV Pasadena Area
Friends of the League
LWV Bay Area ILO
LWV Beach Cities
LWV Cupertino/Sunnyvale
LWV East San Gabriel Valley
LWV Fresno County
LWV Humboldt County
LWV Los Altos/Mt. View Area
LWV Monterey County
LWV Mount Baldy Area
LWV Napa County
LWV North & Central San Mateo County
LWV North County San Diego
LWV Orange Coast
LWV Palos Verdes Peninsula
LWV Piedmont
LWV Redding Area
LWV Sacramento County
LWV San Bernardino Area
LWV San Francisco
LWV San Jose/Santa Clara
LWV San Luis Obispo County
LWV Santa Barbara
LWV Santa Maria Valley
LWV Santa Monica
LWV Sonoma County
LWV Tulare County
LWV Ventura County
Caucus request forms available
Is your League interested in hosting a caucus during convention? Deadline to submit a request is March 31.
Caucuses will be held on May 20 (Saturday) at 8:00am and 5:00pm. If your caucus request is approved, a meeting room will be assigned for your caucus and the description will be included in the Convention Workbook. The meeting room will be equipped with a LCD projector and screen, and a microphone. You must provide your own laptop, and A/V support will not be provided.
What’s the difference between a caucus and a workshop?
Workshops are planned and hosted by LWVC. A workshop attendee will come away with learning something (issue or task based) that will help their work in League. A caucus is an informal meeting, typically hosted by a local League, at which discussions are held to hear opinions, garner support or opposition, or to gain understanding of an issue or position.
Local Eateries
Lunch
- Super Duper Burgers, 721 Market St. or 783 Mission St.
- California Pizza Kitchen, across 3rd Street from Hyatt Regency SF SOMA
- Yerba Buena Lane is a pedestrian street (between 3rd & 4th, Mission & Market) with multiple dining options including Delarosa and Tropisueno
Lunch – quick bite or grab-and-go
- Metreon shopping center, Mission street off 4th St.
- Trader Joe’s, 4th Street at Market.
Dinner
- Fogo de Chão Brazilian Steakhouse, corner of 3rd & Howard St.
- John’s Grill, 63 Ellis St., classic San Francisco dining
- Tadich Grill, 240 California St., San Francisco’s oldest restaurant
Coffee
- Peet’s Coffee, 773 Market at Yerba Buena Lane
- Bluestone Lane, 685 Market at 3rd St.
Wine Bars or Pubs
- Press Club, 20 Yerba Buena Lane
- Bartlett Hall, gastropub, 242 O’Farrell St.
- Beacon Lounge, 450 Powell St., 2nd floor Beacon Grand Hotel, open daily at 4 p.m.
- Cityscape, Hilton Hotel on the 46th floor, walk-ins okay.
Shopping
- Westfield San Francisco Centre, 865 Market St.
- Macy’s, enter on Geary, Stockton, or O’Farrell streets
- Target, Mission at 4th streets
- Metreon, Mission St. and 4th St.
Other places to visit
- Union Square for shopping and dining. Read SFTravel.com article.
- Ride San Francisco’s iconic cable cars. Read SFTravel.com article.
- Visit The Ferry Building, food hall, Market St. and The Embarcadero. Read SFTravel.com article.
Whenever possible, make a reservation.
Commonly Asked Questions
What happens during the General Sessions?
The General Sessions (previously called Plenary) are the working, parliamentary sessions of convention. We discuss/debate items for consideration, and vote on them. Delegates vote and approve the LWVC slate of nominees, the two-year budget, the bylaws amendments (if any), and program/issues. Voting occurs on Sunday, so it’s important to plan to be there when the votes are cast.
Where do I find the information that delegates will be voting on?
Keep watching the convention website for new information. The workbook will be posted on April 18, and you will have access to the various proposed items that will be discussed and voted on at convention, such as the slate of nominees to the Board, the budget, and the proposed program. It will be helpful to review the Proposed Order of Business (also in the workbook) to see when things will be presented, debated, and voted on.
How are votes cast?
The initial vote will be cast orally. If the Chair cannot determine a clear decision, then we move to a standing vote. If the Chair still cannot determine a clear decision, then we move to a card vote. Voting cards will be distributed to delegates when they check in at the Registration Desk. It is very important to have your voting cards with you during all General Sessions. If it comes to a card vote, you do not have time to go to your room and retrieve the cards. Once the convention is over, you are required to return your set of voting cards to the Registration Desk.
What’s the difference between a workshop and a caucus?
Workshops are planned and hosted by LWVC. A workshop attendee will come away with learning something (issue or task based) that will help their work in League. A caucus is an informal meeting, typically hosted by a local League, at which discussions are held to hear opinions, garner support or opposition, or to gain understanding of an issue or position.
Will the General Sessions or workshops/caucuses be streaming or recorded?
None of the sessions, workshop, or caucuses will be recorded or streaming. Presentation slides will be available on the convention website once the event has concluded.
What do I need to bring with me?
- Dress comfortably! While we do incorporate lots of breaks, our sessions require you to sit for long periods of time.
- Bring a sweater! The hotel tends to keep the rooms nice and chilly, especially in larger conference rooms. Be prepared with some extra layers.
- What kind of a note taker are you? Whether you like the old-fashioned notepad & pencil, or if you prefer to bring a laptop, plan on bringing something so you can take notes during the sessions or workshops. We will have free WiFi, so an electronic device is encouraged!
- Make sure you have access to the convention workbook. We won’t be distributing the convention workbook to every attendee, but will have a small quantity of printed workbooks in binders available for purchase at the Registration Desk. You can also download it or access it on the convention website at any time.
If you’re a LWVC Convention Pro, here are some changes this time around:
- There is WiFi accessible in all meeting rooms, so you will be able to access the convention workbook and other materials online.
- Local League Buckets will not be available at this year’s convention. If you don’t know what that is, don’t worry – you won’t miss it.
- We will not have a silent auction or a marketplace. We hope that you will spend your flex time networking with other attendees!
Convention Scholarship Available
One of the League’s priorities is to foster a more inclusive culture and increase the diversity of our organization and our leadership. One of our first initiatives is to diversify delegate participation and have a more representative decision-making body at LWVC Conventions.
As part of this effort, the LWVC Convention Committee would like to offer scholarships to help reduce barriers for those who would otherwise be unable to attend Convention. Scholarships are only available if we have funding, which is dependent on individual donations. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible, as we are accepting applications on a rolling basis, if funding is available.
CLICK TO APPLY FOR A
CONVENTION SCHOLARSHIP
Application Timeline
February 15: Release applications
April 1: Application Deadline
April 10: Deadline to Notify recipients
April 17: Deadline for Hotel Room Reservations
May 19-21: Convention
Questions? Contact convention@lwvc.org
First Call to Convention
What: The 69th State Convention of the League of Women Voters of California
When: Friday, May 19 – Sunday, May 21, 2023.
Where: Hyatt Regency San Francisco Downtown SOMA
50 Third Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
Who: Attendance at Convention is open to everyone; we encourage all members to attend and are eager for the public to come learn about the League. We ask that you extend invitations to your friends and contacts.
Why: LWVC meets every other year to conduct business as outlined by the bylaws. See below for specifics. But just as important, the purpose of Convention is to inspire and empower Californians to increase their active and informed participation in civic life. Come meet passionate people from across the state who are making democracy work!
Read about the schedule, workshops, special activities, and more on our site: https://lwvc.wordpress.com. This site is updated as plans take shape, so please check this site frequently.
Registration will open on March 1— watch for that upcoming email!
The Hyatt Regency Hotel is offering a special room rate of $229-239 per night— but you must book by April 17 to secure this rate. Visit the Convention website to book online, or you can call the hotel and mention the LWVC Convention. Don’t get caught without a room by waiting until the last minute; rooms may sell out before that date!
Prepare your League for Convention
Here are some things you and your League can do now to prepare for Convention:
- Your board will need to select who will attend as delegates. Please read further down this email about how many delegates your League is entitled to, based upon your January 31, 2023 membership count.
- LWVC would like to offer scholarships to reduce barriers for those who would otherwise be unable to attend. Please consider making a scholarship donation to make this possible.
- Consider if your League is interested in hosting a caucus. A caucus is an informal meeting, typically hosted by a local League, at which discussions are held to hear opinions, garner support or opposition, or to gain understanding of an issue or position. The deadline to submit a request is March 31.
- Submit an award application on behalf of your League’s great work. Convention awards are a chance to highlight some of the extraordinary work your League has done during the past two years. The award categories and application form will be announced in a separate notice to your League.
Business of Convention
This is the first call to Convention 2023 as required by the LWVC bylaws, Article IX, Section 8. The LWVC Bylaws govern the composition and business of the convention. Our bylaws direct us (See Article IX, Sec. 5) to:
- Elect officers, directors, and members of the nominating committee for the 2023-2025 biennium (Article IX, Sec. 5)
- Adopt a budget for the 2023-2025 fiscal years (Article VIII, Sec. 2)
- Adopt program for 2023-2025 (Article XI)
- Adopt amendments to the bylaws as needed (Article XII)
Voting Delegates
Attending as a voting delegate is an exciting honor and a responsibility. If you are interested in attending as a voting delegate, speak with your local League or Inter-League Organization (ILO) board immediately.
Voting delegates to the convention are detailed in Article IX, Sections 2 and 4:
- Each local League and ILO is entitled to send its president, or an alternate in the event the president is unable to attend. The president of a member-at-large unit may attend as a nonvoting member.
- In addition, each local League is entitled to delegates in proportion to its membership numbers as reported in the LWVUS database on January 31, 2023.
- Members-Around-the-State (MAS) Unit members may attend as nonvoting members.
NOTE: only local Leagues that have paid their per member payment (PMP), or received an exemption because of proven hardship, are entitled to voting representation at the convention.
How Many Delegates?
Article IX, Section 4. Representation. The local Leagues shall be entitled to delegates in proportion to their membership as of the record date of the year of the biennial convention in accordance with Article IX, Section 9. Each local League shall be entitled to at least one delegate in addition to the local League president as provided in Article IX, Section 2(b). When local League membership reaches 51 voting members, the local League shall be entitled to one additional delegate. Thereafter, one additional delegate shall be authorized for each additional 50 members.
- 50 or fewer Local League or Associate Local League Members (inclusive): 1 delegate member
- 51-100 Local League or Associate Local League Members (inclusive): 2 delegate members
- 101-150 Local League or Associate Local League Members (inclusive): 3 delegate members
- 151-200 Local League or Associate Local League Members (inclusive): 4 delegate members
- 201-250 Local League or Associate Local League Members (inclusive): 5 delegate members
- 251-300 Local League or Associate Local League Members (inclusive): 6 delegate members
- 301-350 Local League or Associate Local League Members (inclusive): 7 delegate members
- 351-400 Local League or Associate Local League Members (inclusive): 8 delegate members
- 401-450 Local League or Associate Local League Members (inclusive): 9 delegate members
To aid your League in determining the number of delegates please consult on our Convention 2023 site.
See you at convention!
Going Green for Convention 2023
In past years, we’ve used over 23,000 pieces of paper — 46 reams of copy paper — to print the convention workbook, workshop material, and other handouts. We can reduce the number of paper used with better planning and advanced preparation.
This year, LWVC has again decided to go green and NOT provide a printed workbook for all attendees. When the workbook becomes available on April 18, you will have access to it on the convention website, where you can download or print the file. We will provide workshop materials and flyers ahead of time as well, so you’ll have early access to everything you need — whether you want to print it yourself, or download it on to your laptop.
There will be complementary WiFi access in all of the meeting rooms at the hotel. Please bring your iPad or laptop so you can access the convention website and all of its resources at your fingertips!
A limited number of printed workbooks in binders will be available for sale at the Registration Desk.
Ways to Give
Contribute to the scholarship fund
One of the League’s priorities is to foster a more inclusive culture and increase the diversity of our organization and our leadership. Our Equity Task Force have decided to prioritize increasing the racial and age diversity of our Leagues, with plans to expand our work in the near future. One of our initiatives is to diversify delegate participation and have a more representative decision-making body at the LWVC Conventions.
LWVC has set aside a scholarship fund to help reduce barriers for those who would otherwise be unable to attend Convention. We hope that these attendees will come as delegates, so that they may take a more active role in the proceedings.
We hope that you will support our work by contributing to the scholarship fund. This fund will help attendees for this year’s Convention, as well as future in-person Conventions.
Convention sponsorship
The past year has shown us that our democracy is fragile, yet resilient. And we have a lot of work to do collectively to ensure it endures and that all people have a voice in shaping our future. The League works year round, and has for the past 100 years, to empower voters and defend democracy. Your sponsorship demonstrates your commitment to the work of sustaining our democracy, increasing public civic engagement, empowering voters, and building a more equitable future in California.
Whether you are a company or an individual, your sponsorship provides visibility to your commitment to not only these ideals, but also to ensuring we can keep doing the work needed to advance equity and justice all across California– now and into the future.
General donation to the League
Your support gives voice. Together we can ensure elections are free, fair, and accessible, and reduce the influence of money in our elections. Contributions to the League of Women Voters of California General Fund are not tax deductible.
LWVC Convention 2023 