I Tell You About Last Night Instead of Being at a Meeting

So perhaps I shouldn't out myself like this, but I should be just about ready to leave for breakfast to meet my campaign leadership team. Instead, I'm telling you about last night.

So we had dinner. It was an exciting time to meet with old WILPF friends. Personally, I brought together members of the LA Branch and the WCUSP leadership team. I was also told to wear black today for a Women In Black demonstration being coordinated by a member of our leadership team.

Next we had the official introduction of the Congress. I figured it was okay that I didn't leave dinner on time because many other WILPFers were there. Then I got to the plenary room which had a sign that said "All Events Start On Time." So I missed some of the welcoming proclamations from local dignitaries. We got a proclamation from the Board of Supervisors, and the Mayor of San Francisco proclaimed August 10th Women's International League for Peace and Freedom Day. And we received a proclamation from the State Assembly.

Then we had introductions of US WILPF staff in Philly and International staff from Geneva and NY (at the UN). And the current WILPF board was brought on stage but not introduced (which will happen during the changing of the guards). We heard from Mary Day Kent, Executive Director of US WILPF; Sandy Silver, US Section President; Darien DeLu, US Section Member of the International Executive Committee; Regina Birchem, President of International WILPF; and Susi Snyder, International Secretary General. And then we heard from Jane Doyle, site coordinator, about the site committee's work and who they are.

Then we had Affirming the Dangerous Woman in Ourselves, our WILPF Founders, Sponsors, and Sisters. Through that re-enactment I learned that Rockford College did not give degrees when Jane Addams, co-founder of WILPF, was a student and she demanded a degree and was the first student to receive one. That Dolores Huerta, WILPF sponsor, co-founder of United Farm Workers, and creator of the Dolores Huerta Foundation which funds community organizing, coined "si, se puede" (yes, we can).

Then we had a social hour hosted by the WILPF Queer Caucus. And not only did our wonderful queer sisters provide alcohol, they also provided entertainment - the punk rock / do wop protest song was hilarious.

And then I stayed up chatting with some other young WILPFers, hence the poor grammar in this post. And now I'm officially late to my breakfast meeting.