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.

Ahh—the times we are in. Now, more than ever, it is important to connect with one another for support, as well as sharing and developing creative ideas for defending and strengthening our democracy. The LWVWA provides many opportunities for us to come together with our shared priorities, and there is a place for everyone!

For further information, reach out to Nancy Halvorson.

Below is a list of ways that folks can get involved for democracy at the state level:

MELD Pods meet:

• The second Thursday of the month at 4:00 pm.
• The Third Wednesday of the month at 4:30 pm.
• The fourth Monday of the month at 5:15 pm.
  

Get involved with a committee:

• The LWVWA Civics Education Committee meets on the first Thursday of the month at 1:00 pm. Contact Beth Pellicciotti to get involved.
  

• The Voter Services Committee is comprised of leaders in the local League's Voter Services. They meet monthly on the second Wednesday from 4:30 - 6:00 pm. Reach out to Mary Schick or Cam Kerst to attend or learn more.

• The Redistricting Reform Campaign Task Force meets on the third Wednesday of the month at 2:00 pm. Contact Alison McCaffree to get involved.
  
  The LWVWA is leading a multi-year, statewide campaign to reimagine and reform the Washington State redistricting process. In keeping with League positions and the current Protect Democracy campaign, the LWVWA will plan and execute a campaign to reform the structure and procedures of the Washington State Redistricting Commission through a state constitutional amendment and statutory changes before the 2031 redistricting cycle.
  

• The Local News and Democracy Advocacy and Education Committee meets on the third Tuesday of each month from 1:30-3:00 p. Email Dee Anne Finken to get involved.
  
  Members of the committee, which also goes by the shortened title the Local News Team, are developing a media literacy and news education training project. That effort will start with a pilot training offered to all delegates attending the state convention in Clark County June 5-8. We are looking to equip League members with the tools they can use to help themselves and others decipher what they read and hear in the news is true and what isn't.

Get involved with an affinity group:

• NEW: Reproductive Rights held their first meeting on March 13. If you are interested in getting involved, contact Necia Quast. The LWV of the San Juans is working on creating an Affinity Group for Reproductive Rights to discuss what we might to as we head to the State Convention and eventually the national Convention to get updated League Positions on Reproductive Rights.
  
  
• Treasurer's Affinity Group meets on the second Monday of the month at 6:30 pm. Contact Dee Ann Kline Pattison to get involved.
  
  
• Environment Affinity Group sends out a newsletter early each month. See the current issue of the newsletter, "Our Climate Radar," on Google Docs. Send content for future editions to the editor, Anita Rose, and contact Marty Gibbins to be put on the mailing list.
  
  
• Health of Democracy in Washington State Affinity Group meets on the fourth Tuesday of the month at 4:30 pm. Contact Jean Snider to get involved.
  
  How healthy is Washington State's democracy? A potential biannual scorecard on our state's democratic processes is in progress. Evaluation factors include voter participation, voting rights, election, money in politics, media access, broadband availability, and more.
  

*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.