Welcome to the League of Women Voters world
of special language! Sometimes new (and not so 
new) members are confused by the abbrevia-
tions and terminology used by League. The 
following list of definitions is designed to put you 
at ease with League terms.

Action
Spoken or written expression of a League Position to
governmental officials, the media, or the public by
authorized League leaders and members.

Action Alert
Request from state or national League to take Action
based on a League Position.

Advocacy
Lobbying, litigation, monitoring, public education,
media campaigns, and other techniques used to achieve
change.

Advocacy Agenda
Priorities for Action on issues to be targeted during
a specific time frame.

Annual Meeting.
Local year-end business meeting to elect officers,
adopt a budget, and vote on bylaws changes and on
Program.

Board Talk.
Publication containing a report of a LWVK board
meeting (four a year) sent to all state and local
board members and available to any member by
subscription.

Concurrence.
Agreement by League members with a Program Position
reached by another League or agreement with a
Position statement developed by a committee after
study and discussion of a particular subject.

Consensus.
Collective opinion of a substantial number of League
members after study and discussion of a subject.

Convention is a State and national League meeting
held biennially to elect officers for the biennium,
adopt Program, make bylaws changes, and adopt a
one-year budget.

Council is a State and national League meeting held
in the years between Conventions to adopt one-year
budgets and do other business as necessary. Local
Leagues send delegates to state Council, state
Leagues to national Council.

DPM.
Acronym for Duplicate President's Mailing, a
subscription that brings to any member the same
material in the regular national mailings to local
League presidents.

Education Fund.
An arm of national, state, and large local Leagues,
handling tax-deductible funds to be used for
educational purposes, not for Action on issues.

Household Members.
Used when two or more League members live at a single
address and share a single mailing. State and
national dues for each household member are assessed
at half the PMP rate for state and national levels.
Local dues may vary.

Impact On Issues.
The national League Program guide; it contains
statements of LWVUS Positions with their history and
use.

In League
An in-depth handbook for League leaders published by
LWVUS.

ILO
Acronym for Inter-League Organization, formed by
Leagues within a county, metropolitan area, or region
to act on issues that are beyond the scope of a
single local League.

Life Member
Either (1) a person who has paid a fee for life
membership or (2) a person who has earned honorary
membership by being in League for 50 or more years
and who is excused from dues payment.

Local League
An autonomous organization of League members
affiliated with the state and national Leagues. Each
member automatically belongs at all three levels.

Local League Liaison
The state board member assigned to receive and read a
local League's board minutes and Voters. Primary
contact for local League presidents with the state
board.

MAL
Acronym for member-at-large. Members-at-large belong
to LWVUS and LWVK but live outside the area of and
are not enrolled in any local League.

National Member
Popular but incorrect term. There are no "national"
members. Those who join at the national level are
referred to the appropriate state League, and by them
to a local League if there is one. If not, they
become MALs.

Nonpartisanship
League policy of never supporting or opposing any
candidate or political party.

Off Board
Any member of League chairing a standing or interim
committee who is not a member of the board of
directors of League.

Orientation
Basic background material provided in writing or at
meetings to help members understand League purposes,
policies, and procedures.

PMP
Acronym for per member payment, the amount of money
paid to state and national Leagues on behalf of each
member.

Portfolio
The particular job assigned to a board member or an
off-board chair, e.g., membership, finance, Voter
editor, natural resources, etc. Many Leagues now use
a committee system.

Position
League's point of view, arrived at through member
study and Consensus or Concurrence, and used as a
basis for League Action.

Post-Board Mailing
LWVUS equivalent of LWVK "Board Talk," including
action taken, undated information on current program
issues, board activities, legislative report, and
announcements, issued after national board meetings.

President's Packet
Yearly supplements to "In League," including updated
information and leadership aids.

Principles
Governmental standards and policies supported by the
League, and by which all proposed or adopted local,
state, or national issues are measured.

Program
Selected issues chosen by local, state, and national
membership for study and Action.

Recognition Requirements
Standards and activities that must be fulfilled for
local Leagues to earn and maintain recognition;
adopted by the LWVUS 1986 Convention and supplemented
by state Leagues.

Resource Materials
Program information and publications gathered and/or
prepared by League committees as background for
discussion.

Study And Action
LWVK's equivalent of national's "Impact on Issues,"
this publication contains all current state Positions
and background information.

Unit
Division of membership into groups of a size that
promotes maximum participation by members in
discussion of League program and activities. Units
can be time-oriented (day, lunch-hour, or evening) or
geographically located, or both.

Voter
Bulletin for members and subscribers, published by
local, state, and national Leagues.

Voter's Guide
Nonpartisan publication giving candidates'
qualifications and positions on selected issues.

Voter's Service
Year-round activity to help citizens be politically
effective and to encourage their participation in the
political process. Registering voters, presenting
election Voters Guides, and sponsoring Candidate
Forums are the most basic Voters Service activities.

Voting Member
Any League member who is a U.S. citizen and at least
18 years old.

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