By Nancy Halvorson, LWVWA Membership Portfolio Director

In Star Trek, a “mind meld” is a kind of telepathic touch that enables the rapid sharing of knowledge and experience. Unfortunately for (at least most of) us, we are neither telepathic nor within touching distance of each other, so we have created a MELD Network* to provide a mechanism to better share tools, methods, practices, and accomplishments across the state with each other.

The “League Mind MELD” column is a way to share even more information to all our members across the state. This column will run each month and will include the responses we receive to the questions posed at the end of the previous month’s column.

The League Mind MELD

In the coming months, MELD pods will be exploring how to work with other groups. As we navigate our changing political landscape, it is clear that coalitions and partnerships are more important than ever. It is crucial that we who fight for democracy must join together with a strong, united message.

A lot of Leagues and League members already have experience in developing these coalitions and partnerships. What are some of the things we can learn from them?

A great place to start is with an assessment of your own League members. While we remember to ask the "usual questions" (demographic information) when getting to know our members, we often forget to find out who they know! What organizations are our members a part of? Which elected officials do they have relationships with? What groups do they support? These could be a civic organization, political or church groups, neighborhood associations, or even just social networkers.

Collaborative work outside of the League begins with a personal relationship, and those can often start with League members participating in someone else's organization or event. We need to become known to others—and invite, invite, invite! We can build community by reaching out and asking others for help and for their expertise. We can praise and acknowledge others out there doing work similar to ours. The coalitions and partnerships will follow.

Reminder: Be sure to sign up for the Canva/social media workshop! The workshop will be held on January 22, 2025, at 4 PM via Zoom. Attendees will learn tips and tools for your personal and League use. There will be templates and League branding for presentations and social media posts, as well as LWVWA resources and more!

February's Question: Please let us know how a successful partnership you've had with another group began!

Please share your responses—or any questions—with Nancy Halvorson, Membership Portfolio Director.

*In the context of the League, MELD actually has zero connection to Star Trek; it is an acronym for Membership, Engagement, Leadership, and Development. MELD pods meet each month to serve as platforms for sharing successes, addressing challenges, and exchanging ideas among local Leagues. Are you interested in learning more about MELD? Talk to your Local League Leadership about becoming involved in MELD.