President Frank Perez welcomed everyone in person and on Zoom to the meeting of the Centerville Rotary Club. Frank led the club in the Pledge of Allegiance and Brian Hayes gave a prayer.
Pat Beckel introduced his guest and potential member, Martin Huffstutler who is the owner of Dressed for a Day Bridal shop in uptown Centerville. Pat noted Martin is very involved in the community and would be a good addition to our club. Currently his shop has a photo studio set up with Christmas scenes that are perfect for holiday family photos.
Boyd Preston served as Sergeant-at-Arms this week and started by celebrating October Rotarian birthdays including Jeff Senney and Elda Gotos-Gay.
Boyd then gave more happy dollars as the Browns won again last weekend - now 4 in a row. Boyd noted he expects sun to rise in the west any day now…
Arnie Biondo is happy to see Saloni.
Elda Gotos-Gay is happy.
Harvey Smith is happy Saloni is at the meeting today.
Carol Kennard is also happy to see Saloni.
Kisha Taylor said it is a joy to be here.
Dale Berry is happy.
Jeff Senney is happy to celebrate his 66th birthday. Was going to Hamptons, but NY has declared OH as a COVID hotspot, which would require quarantine, so he is visiting his son instead.
Pat Beckel is happy for Martin coming to visit and for Wayne Davis, the Mayor and Council dedicating a tree on his property in recognition of receiving the Centerville Small Business of the Year award.
Wayne Davis recognized Martin and chauffeur Pat Beckel.
Chuck King is happy to be here.
Ron Hollenbeck said it is great to see Saloni. Also the campaign for the Malawi water project will kick off soon.
Frank Perez is celebrating the Cleveland Browns victory.
Ann Blackburn apologized for being late; she just sold a car!
Our speaker today was Dianne Herman, League of Women’s Voters of the Greater Dayton Area.
Arnie Biondo introduced our speaker today - Dianne Herman with the League of Women’s Voters of the Greater Dayton Area. With this being election season, it is a perfect time to hear from Dianne who is a retired social worker and coordinator of the speakers bureau for the LWVGDA.
Dianne started by asking if anyone knows when the 19th amendment was ratified. It was in 1920, one hundred years ago. She said the struggle for women’s voting rights was one of the longest, most successful and in some respects most radical challenges posed to the American system of electoral politics.
Dianne shared the history of the 19th amendment, guaranteeing woman the right to vote.
The movement started with world anti-slavery convention in London in 1840. Women were allowed to attend but not participate. In 1848, a women’s rights convention gathered in Seneca falls, NY to discuss social issues. All issues passed except for the one allowing women to vote.
The Civil War outbreak suspended this movement, and efforts instead were put toward abolishing slavery. When the War ended, slavery was abolished and the right to vote was extended to black men, but not women. The suffrages felt betrayed that the right to vote didn’t include them.
Susan B Anthony led women’s suffrage - speaking, distributing publications, had own newspapers, banners, postcards, nursery rhymes, etc. They worked state by state at first.
They used various symbols and the colors:
Yellow - life & the role of women
White - purity
Purple - loyalty & dignity
In 1913 a Suffrage Parade included more than 5,000 suffrages and took place during president Woodrow Wilson’s inauguration. The suffrages challenged systems through the courts and talked some men into allowing them to vote. Susan B Anthony voted and was arrested, charged a fine she never paid, and her vote was not counted.
Alice Paul one of the first women protestors, picketing at the White House. The movement kept constant watch over members of Congress and tried to influence them. Politicians had to be convinced that it was right for their party to allow women to vote. They sought allies and legislation changes to protect families.
Persistence & commitment is what eventually led to the passage of the 19th amendment:
Many sacrificed their resources and health at times by going to jail and participating in hunger strikes. It took over 70 years for suffrages to attain the right to vote. Fight was also to change the social economic & legal status of women, who were seen as inferior to men. Women were unable to control their own earnings, own property, or sign legal papers, but were relegated to the responsibilities of housework. Women often lacked resources of time, money and energy to fight for change
Those against women’s suffrage felt that it would mean the destruction of the home and all of society. Major industries particularly textile & garment, religious groups, political parties, liquor & saloon industries were all against women’s voting.
The issue of race split the national woman suffrage movement in1869. In 1890, the two groups reunited to form the National American Woman Suffrage Association. Class, race, and education all played a role in the arguments.
Eventually all obstacles of women’s traditional roles, powerful interests, religious objections, political parties race and class were overcome. The exact wording drafted by Susan B. Anthony in 1878 was adopted in 1920 as the 19th Amendment.
Suffrages haven’t gone away, they just formed the League of Women’s Voters.
Dianne asked, now that women have the vote, what will we do with it? The League continues to encourage an engaged and informed citizenry.
Sally Beals mentioned Abigail Adams wrote a letter to John Adams asking for right to vote much earlier.
For more information on the League of Women’s Voters and for voter information, visit the website: https://www.lwvdayton.org/
President Frank thanked Dianne for the great information and noted next week we observe World Polio day and our speaker will be our very own Joyce Young.
