Historically, the League has been an observer of local community entities since we were formed. This involves silently attending meetings of your local school board or city council, environmental club meeting (i.e. Edmonds Marsh Estuary Advocates), or monthly transportation sessions with the public (i.e. Snohomish County Transportation Coalition).
When an observer simply listens at a meeting, wonders if it is useful for others to know, then writes a short summary to share, it lets these groups know that the public is watching and is interested, and aids in transparency.
We’ve made it easy. Go to the LWVSC website and find the Observer Corps under Get Involved or Our Work. This page shows a guide to more information, a list of county meeting suggestions, and a detailed training video. Plus, there’s a simple form you can use. If you decide to share it, Rita Ireland, coordinator of Observer Corps, will send it to our communications team. If any items need the League’s attention, she will also share it with the Board of Directors.
You can find documents and past reports on the website under Member Resources. Look under Documents, then Member Documents, then Observer Corps.
Imagine ~~ most community meetings are online. Log on to your Zoom meeting. Just listen and observe from the comfort of your favorite chair! It’d be nice to also add to your screen name: LWVSC Observer.
You can even report back to us using an easy checklist; and sit back with a smile – knowing you are making us a little bit smarter.
Questions? Suggestions?
Contact me..
Rita Ireland