RESULTS--DWC ENDORSED AND SUPPORTED CANDIDATES!!!
At our monthly breakfast meeting on Friday, March 4th, DWC members were treated to brief stump speeches from each of the candidates recommended for DWC endorsement. Each candidate was also asked a question designed to inform the group about an important perspective related to the office she is seeking. The membership then voted on which candidates to officially endorse. Endorsed candidates are eligible for funding from the DWC, supported candidates are not, but both categories can list their endorsement or support on their campaign materials, and can list their campaign events in the Monday Morning News.  The MMN was started, in fact, to keep every one informed about women's campaigns and list their campaign events.

Sixty-six votes were cast by breakfast attendees and email. Forty-four votes, or 2/3 of the votes cast, were needed to gain an endorsement. Candidates who did not receive a 2/3 vote but were recommended by the endorsement committee are considered to be "supported" by the caucus. All the recommended candidates are wonderful, strong, capable women and we are so proud to have them running and to be able to recommend, endorse and support them. The results are as follows:

Endorsed:
Amanda Barge for County Commissioner 3
Julie Thomas for County Commissioner 2
Lee Jones for County Council at Large
Cheryl Munson County Council at Large
Jessica McClellan for County Treasurer
Joani Shields for County Coroner
Terri Porter for County Auditor
Penny Githens for House District 60

Supported:
Darcie Fawcett for Judge Division 1
Holly Harvey for Judge Division 1

NOTE: Someone or someones left a glass serving dish, a zippered, “grayish" bike or lunch bag, and a water bottle at the Village Deli after the breakfast meeting. Please email Lorraine Merriman Farrell at [email protected] and you can make arrangements for their return.
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THE ENDORSEMENT PROCESS IS UNDERWAY!
As part of our mission to fund, inspire, recruit, support and train (FIRST) progressive, pro-choice Democratic women to increase the numbers of women in the electoral process and in elected and appointed positions, we are in the midst of our endorsement process.  The policies and procedures for this process are posted on our website here.  At our March breakfast, and through email beforehand, our membership will be voting on who the DWC will endorse this year, based on recommendations from the Endorsement Committee.

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SERVE ON THE ENDORSEMENT COMMITTEE - We need 4 more!
The Democratic Women's Caucus is seeking volunteers to serve on the 2016 Endorsement Committee. The endorsement committee is composed of Steering Committee members and general members of the DWC.  The endorsement process includes reviewing applications for endorsement and conducting interviews. It is especially labor-intensive during the few weeks of February (after the filing deadline for candidates on February 5 and before the DWC's March meeting).  This is a great opportunity to participate in a meaningful way in the endorsement process.
Interested in volunteering or in learning more? Contact Julie Thomas ([email protected]).

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DWC BREAKFAST MEETING FRIDAY!
Friday, February 5th, 7:30 AM, Village Deli, FREE PARKING UNTIL 9:00 am!!
Be sure to plan to attend the DWC Breakfast this Friday.  Meet candidates, learn about the DWC endorsement process chronology, volunteer for the committee (below) and discover what fellow members think the DWC should focus on in the next 2-5 years. This will be a fast paced meeting with LOTS of information shared!

Also!!

Make sure your dues are paid (see below) so that you can help make the decision about DWC endorsements for the primary! The endorsement process starts right after this meeting.  Women candidates who have filed for this primary cycle will be contacted after the filing closes (at noon on Friday) as to how to apply for DWC endorsement.

SERVE ON THE ENDORSEMENT COMMITTEE - We need 4 more!
The Democratic Women's Caucus is seeking volunteers to serve on the 2016 Endorsement Committee. The endorsement committee is composed of Steering Committee members and general members of the DWC.  The endorsement process includes reviewing applications for endorsement and conducting interviews. It is especially labor-intensive during the few weeks of February (after the filing deadline for candidates on February 5 and before the DWC's March meeting).  This is a great opportunity to participate in a meaningful way in the endorsement process. Interested in volunteering or in learning more? Contact Julie Thomas ([email protected]).

A call for volunteers from among members of the DWC will take place at the February breakfast meeting next Friday. Please be sure to attend. If you cannot attend, but are interested in being considered,  please send an e-mail to Julie right away.

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SERVE ON THE ENDORSEMENT COMMITTEE - We need 4 more!

The Democratic Women's Caucus is seeking volunteers to serve on the 2016 Endorsement Committee. The endorsement committee is composed of Steering Committee members and general members of the DWC. The Committee has the all-important task of making recommendations for endorsement to the membership. The process will include reviewing applications for endorsement and conducting interviews. It is especially labor-intensive during the few weeks of February (after the filing deadline for candidates on February 5 and before the DWC's March meeting).  This is a great opportunity to participate in a meaningful way in the endorsement process.

Interested in volunteering or in learning more? Contact Julie Thomas ([email protected]).

A call for volunteers from among members of the DWC will take place at the February breakfast meeting next Friday. Please be sure to attend. If you cannot attend, but are interested in being considered,  please send an e-mail to Julie right away.
 
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BREAKFAST MEETING THIS FRIDAY!

Women in Islam

        Our interest was piqued with Facebook pictures of Jillian Kinzie in hajib and abaya while at her conference in Saudi Arabia. Jillian was there at the time of the first election where Saudi women were allowed to run for office and to vote.  Her visit dovetailed in our community with the recent incident at Sofra Café, and the vitriol one sees regarding Muslims in the US that has peaked in recent weeks.  We’ll talk about Islam, women’s roles, dress, attitudes, and how we, as women in Bloomington, can use our voices and caring to improve understanding, tolerance and diversity. And what measures can we employ to help women around the world achieve their full potentials?
       Don’t miss this wonderful discussion with Jillian and friends. Pam Davidson will moderate.

YOUR HOMEWORK: Bring your ideas, readings, articles, quotes on this issue to share!
If you have not paid your 2016 dues ($20) please plan to renew your membership at the Breakfast meeting on Friday or join online here.

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Enjoy the New Year's Day activities tomorrow, and we'll see you for breakfast on Friday, January 8.

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NEW YEAR'S DAY
JOIN/2016 DUES

Lots of doings in the next week with holiday season for some, New Year's eve for all, and then we are off to ELECTION YEAR 2016!!!  Read on, my friends, to see how you can get more involved in supporting our mission to fund, inspire, recruit, support, and train progressive, pro-choice Democratic women for greater participation in local government!

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TIME TO RENEW YOUR DWC MEMBERSHIP!

There's so much to do in 2016, there are so many ways that you can make a difference in our community and our state. It's time to renew your membership in the DWC. Think of this as an investment in women in political life, an addition of women's voices to enrich the dialog on governmental issues, for the betterment and diversity of the conversation.

Only $20 for one year’s membership.  Join online here.
Won't you consider paying a membership for a college or high school student?  Just add that to your membership, and let us know if it's for a specific person or if you want us to find an interested student.

STEERING COMMITTEE NEWS

We offer a huge thank you to Lu Cregar, Dorothy Granger and Isabel Piedmont-Smith for their untiring work on the DWC Steering Committee in the past years.  Lu has served since the beginning of the DWC and has helped so much in communications, website, and treasury of the caucus. She's moving to Jackson County, but will be with us in spirit as much as possible. Dorothy has been the rock on which our silent auctions have been built, the event maven!  She's focusing on community and council work in the next year. Isabel has kept us on task with her attention to detail and organizational abilities. Elected (AGAIN!) to the City Council, she's got a lot to focus on as she begins the new year.

Please take a moment to thank them for their work and wish them well on the new work. They're not going away, just stepping down from the duties of steering.

Linda Grove-Paul, Lisa Borerro, and Teri Porter have been newly elected to the steering committee. These women bring experience in a broad range of issues to the caucus and will share that with all of us. Linda is VP at Centerstone and has experience in several governmental and campaign activities. Lisa teaches at IUPUI and her focus is on the well being of aging women and social justice. Teri is retiring from her work at HUD and was a candidate for Auditor in 1996.

Also from the Steering Committee Election, Jillian Kinzie has been elected to serve as Vice Chair, Vicky Sorenson has been elected to fill out Lu's term as treasurer, Amy Swain has been elected to serve as secretary.  Kitty Liell, Charlotte Zietlow and Carolyn VandeWiele have been elected to serve at large.

YOU HAVE HOMEWORK
While ballots were being counted on Friday morning, we were led through an exercise to help focus the DWC efforts in the next two to five years.  Taking into consideration the mission of the DWC (FIRST- fund, inspire, recruit, support and train) we jotted down our thoughts about how the group could accomplish this work, and how we, ourselves, could participate in that work.
Other questions to help guide that exercise --
1.  Why did you come to the DWC?
2.  What was your favorite program?

PLEASE take a few minutes and jot down your ideas about the above - send your thoughts to [email protected]

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