HARRISBURG, Pa. (EYT) — This month marks the 100th anniversary of the Pennsylvania General Assembly’s vote to ratify the 19th Amendment, a measure that eventually gave women the right to vote.
(Pictured: Treasurer Tabassam Shah, Board Member Janice Horn, and President Catherine Holt of the League of Women Voters of Clarion County at the LWV State Convention.)
Pennsylvania became the seventh state to embrace women’s suffrage by ratifying the 19th Amendment on June 24, 1919. The amendment, which had been passed by Congress nearly three weeks before, finally brought the long-sought right to women after a decades-long women’s rights movement that spanned the nation.
Locally, a look at voter registration records shows that of 22,971 voters currently in Clarion County, the split between men and women (at least in terms of those who answer that question on their voter registration) is about even, with 8,043 men and 8,704 women registered (6,226 voters chose not to answer).
It is difficult to imagine a time when so many local voters would have been left out of the election process.
“Voting gives you the power to decide on the quality of life you want for yourself and for future generations. Your vote is your voice,” Cindy Callihan, Clarion County Director of Elections, told exploreClarion.com.
“Elections are decided by the people who vote. Voting is an opportunity for change. One vote can and has made a difference. Voting gives you a chance to choose leaders needed to face and decide important matters that affect all citizens.”
Many Pennsylvania state officials and others commemorated the anniversary in Harrisburg on Monday with special events.
Acting Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar joined officials and members of the public in the Capitol Rotunda to commemorate the historic moment, and First Lady Frances Wolf rang the Justice Bell, a replica of the Liberty Bell created in 1915 to campaign for women’s suffrage, in Washington Memorial Hall in Valley Forge National Historical Park.
Locally, while there were no major events or celebrations this month, that doesn’t mean the date passed without due reflection.
According to Catherine Holt, President of the League of Women Voters of Clarion County, the League of Women Voters Pennsylvania State Convention held last weekend also commemorated the event.
“I’ve never thought the celebrations were the important part,” Holt said.
“Rather the accomplishment themselves are the important things. The suffragists’ work in expanding the vote to a big part of our citizenry.”
Holt attended the convention with League of Women Voters of Clarion County Treasurer Tabassam Shah and Board Member Janice Horn.
The League of Women Voters (LWV) is a nonpartisan grassroots organization that aims to help voters to learn about government issues and candidates. They encourage informed and active participation in government, work to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and try to influence public policy through education and advocacy.
Clarion County is actually one of the only counties in our local area that still has an active League of Women Voters chapter, though there are still 35 local chapters across the state.
“We’re nonpartisan, which seems to confuse a lot of people,” Holt noted.
“We are definitely political, but we don’t support particular candidates or parties. We do look at issues and consider what all of our members can agree on.”
Holt joined the local chapter after becoming interested in a particular local election a number of years ago.
“I didn’t even know about it before that, but I had a friend who was in the league, and her mother was also in the league, and they invited me.
“It encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and become more aware. I would have never done some of the things I’ve done since then had I not joined.”
According to Holt, the league tries to help keep the local community informed and involved through everything from the publication of voter guides to hosting candidate forums and special issue programs.
They will also be holding a program of their own to mark the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment. Though the date is not yet set, in November they will be holding an “Equalitea,” for those interested in getting together to discuss current issues in a vintage manner.
“Historically, women got together at teas to discuss things, and this will be a historical look-back. People attending are encouraged to wear vintage white. It’s just a fun event, and not deadly-serious, but it still has both content and history,” Hold said.
The Clarion Free Library is also planning an event to promote awareness of the centennial of the passage of the 19th Amendment.
According to Clarion Free Library Executive Director and Clarion Mayor Dan Parker, the library partnered with Dr. Marilyn Harhai of the Department of Library Science at Clarion University to develop the scavenger hunt as part of a series of community activities to celebrate the event.
The project was funded by a Clarion University Community Fellows Grant written by Dr. Harhai. Community Fellows Grants are designed to pair a university faculty member with a community organization to promote closer cooperation between the university and the community and to make possible a community initiative or project. The grant, in the amount of $1,300.00, will help to provide prizes to those who complete the scavenger hunt.
The scavenger hunt is for Clarion County residents ages 12 to 17. Each person completing the scavenger hunt will receive a large one-topping pizza from Sweet Basil. Scavenger hunt forms can be picked up at the front desk of the Clarion Free Library and completed scavenger hunt forms can only be turned in at the Clarion Free Library. Once turned in and found to be accurate, the library will award the pizza certificate. The scavenger hunt runs from now until December 30.
