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Contributed by: Michaela Bouck on 7/31/2008

With both national political conventions rapidly approaching, including the Democratic convention in Denver, it is important to note that local political proponents can impact our nation on an equally important scale - a much smaller and more concentrated scale, but no less influential.

Pamela Forcey, a resident of The Lodge at Balfour in Louisville, can attest to this. At 82, she is an active member of the League of Women Voters of Boulder County, serving on the board of directors as well as the editor and producer of the League's monthly newsletter. The Boulder County League has 223 members, the second largest in Colorado (after Denver).

The League crusades for good government in areas like universal health care and environmental issues. The League holds several meetings during each month, many of which are open to the public, to discuss issues and policies. Three public services that the Boulder League offers are registration drives to encourage people to register to vote; unit meetings, which are studies of certain important topics such as schools, environment, and ballot issues; and nonpartisan candidate forums, in which candidates have the opportunity to speak.

"The League is very carefully nonpartisan," Forcey says. "Of course most of us have our own views, but publicly, the League takes positions only on issues, not on candidates."

The League of Women Voters of the United States was founded by Carrie Chapman Catt in 1920 during the convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Association. The convention was held just six months before the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, giving women the right to vote after a 72-year struggle. The League is now nationwide, with 900 state and local Leagues working to influence policy through advocacy.

As an 18-year-old, Forcey had the chance to meet Catt, introduced to the founder of the LWV by her own grandmother, Grace Gallatin Seton, also a suffrage pioneer and the head of the suffrage organization in Connecticut.

"My grandmother was extremely active and knew all the great pioneers. Of course, now I wish I could remember what those two old ladies talked about," admits Forcey, who was mostly impervious to politics at the time, until she switched her major from English to political science at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

Forcey, who grew up in Greenwich, Conn., developed a long-standing interest in political matters, including working for the Democrats in Manhattan, where she lived for many years. For 25 years, Forcey was an editor of college textbooks in New York, but she maintained her interest and activism in political matters. She moved to Colorado four years ago to be near her daughter, Blythe Toussaint, who lives in Longmont. (Her son, Peter Forcey, is in Cleveland.)

Now a Louisville resident living in an apartment at Balfour's independent retirement community, Forcey stays as involved as she can through the League, current events discussions held monthly by Balfour founder/CEO Michael Schonbrun, political presentations that The Lodge hosts, and informal talks by local politicians who visit the community. In recent weeks, Jared Polis and Bob Beauprez have stopped by. Forcey has also done volunteer office work for the Boulder County Democrats.

Contrary to its name, the League welcomes men as well. Consisting of mostly older members, with the youngest board member in her 40s, the League hopes to reach a younger generation.

"We encourage younger people to join; that is one thing we are working on," Forcey says. "My daughter joined because I applied some gentle pressure, but in general, we find that younger women with demanding careers need some persuasion.

"The most important reason to get involved in local government and educate oneself in political issues is to be able to help influence legislation for the good of all."

Michaela Bouck does promotional work for The Lodge at Balfour.

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Showing 1-4 of 4 comments

Submitted By: Eva Kosinski

posted on 8/14/2008 @ 10:21:38 AM

(Not Rated)

I love it when folks stay in the loop on current affairs but I notice it's more often the older folks who remember freer times and less government. While historically the League has focused on issues rather than candidates, and they provide an invaluable service hosting debates and such, and they do present all sides, I'm disappointed that they lobby for League-preferred solutions. That's OUR job, to tell our legislators what we want. Yes, they have discussion units to get input at the local level, but it's far more top down (national decisions and previous position statements trump local feedback) than it used to be years ago. Don't get me wrong. ANY group that gets people thinking has my support but choosing to also do lobbying was a step backwards for such a wonderful group.

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Submitted By: Virginia Harris

posted on 8/3/2008 @ 9:56:54 PM

(Not Rated)

Carrie Catt is featured... "The Privilege of Voting" portrays the many exciting twists and turns that played into women winning the vote. It goes behind the scenes in the lives of eight well-known women from 1912 to 1920, and reveals the sexy, shocking truth of HOW it happened. The chronological, sequential series is written in a unique, short-story format called Coffeebreak Readers that makes history exciting, easy and fun! The women include suffragettes Alice Paul and Emmeline Pankhurst, Edith Wharton, Isadora Duncan, Alice Roosevelt, and two stunning presidential mistresses. There are weddings and funerals, babies in peril, damsels in distress, war, peace, broken hearts and lots of hot affairs. The best part is it's ALL true! Each action-packed e-mail episode takes about 10 minutes to read -- perfect to enjoy on coffeebreaks, or anytime. Subscribe to receive free twice-weekly e-mails at: http://www.CoffeebreakReaders.com/tpovpage.html

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Submitted By: Heather Hutchinson

posted on 7/31/2008 @ 4:19:55 PM

Rated Story

Agreed. Ms. Forcey is a great representation of how we can all stay involved in our community.

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Submitted By: P Hyde

posted on 7/31/2008 @ 3:55:21 PM

Rated Story

Nice story. It's good to know you can contribute at any age. The Leagues does great work.

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Showing 1-4 of 4 comments

CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Michaela Bouck

Boulder , CO

Michaela Bouck has posted 18 stories and 3 comments since joining on 8/9/2007. Michaela Bouck 's average story rating is 4.96.

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