Brookhaven League of Women Voters at the Longwood Public Library – November 20, 2017

November 20, 2017

Back to Long Island for the fall finale of the Suffragents road show. This one, on November 20th, for the League of Women Voters of Brookhaven,  took place in the nicest of venues, the auditorium-style Community Room of the Longwood Public Library in Middle Island, New York. It’s yet another great Suffolk County library facility as you can see from this photo of the entrance area.

Entrance area, Longwood Public Library

The organizers were Judith Bird and Nancy Marr, who scheduled this date months ago. Both are seen here before we got under way in the wonderful space.

Judith Bird

Nancy Marr

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There was a poster and notices in the LWV Brookhaven newsletters.

And notices in the November newsletter of the Brookhaven LWV.

and on the Library’s bulletin board.

The LIE cooperated and with just a few hiccups, so did the AV and I was ready to go.

I worried it would be difficult to attract an audience on the shopping Monday afternoon before Thanksgiving, but this is the LWS and we had a sharp, attentive crowd.

As it happened, this was my fourth appearance for the Suffragents at a Long Island venue since Antonia Petrash’s Long Island Women’s Suffrage Association planning meeting in November a year ago, at which I met so many new friends and from which so much of the suffrage activity on the island has emanated. I think of Antonia, author Natalie Naylor, and East Hampton’s Arlene Hinkmeyer, all of whom I’m so glad to have gotten to know and admire. Given the origins of the League of Women Voters as the direct outgrowth of the suffrage movement, I often find myself imagining the women I’ve encountered over the past year—these superb organizers—as suffragists. You just know they would have been deeply engaged.

I tailor my remarks to share a good deal about the local male figures, including Ward Melville (Stony Brook is in the Brookhaven LWV catchment area), who always gets a rise of appreciative acknowledgment.

I always show this receipt for a $1 membership fee to the League. It’s in the manuscript and archives collection of the New York Public Library. It is signed by Ward Melville as the League’s assistant treasurer, and, to me, a strong indicator of the sleeves-up engagement of the leadership of the League. In this case, Mr. Stony Brook University, Mr. Stony Brook Village, Mr. Thom McAnn Shoes, was personally signing the lowliest of payments.

Thanks to Judith and Nancy and all who attended. And for the gift certificate, too!

Happy Holidays! The Suffragents resume their march in March 2018.